North Arabian Sea (August 27, 2008)- Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen and Commander, Commander, Multi-National Force Iraq Gen. David Petraeus observe flight operations from the flag bridge during a visit to USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom as well as Maritime Security Operations (MSO). Operations in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility are focused on reassuring regional partners of the United States' commitment to security, which promotes stability and global prosperity. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Evans (RELEASED)From The Christian Science Monitor:
The Joint Chiefs chairman may come closer to the views of the new president.
washington - Military advice will abound as President-elect Obama decides what course to pursue in volatile Afghanistan and Pakistan, its neighbor.
Defense officials are conducting no fewer than three separate strategy assessments to help Mr. Obama decide on a new approach to confront the radical Islamic forces sowing unrest in the region. One report will come from Gen. David Petraeus, who came to represent the voice of the Bush administration on Iraq and who now oversees the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Another due in coming days is from Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, the "war czar" at the National Security Council.
But the one that may count the most, say sources in and outside the Pentagon, is the assessment by Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. For months, the chairman has said the US must do more to reverse deteriorating security in Afghanistan – a view Obama is known to share.
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My Comment: The next few months the wars in Iraq (which is ending) and Afghanistan (which is increasing) will have the potential to clearly define President Obama's Administration when it comes to military and foreign affairs. Is Adm. Mike Mullen the man .... I do not know. But I would not be surprised that as President Obama matures in the President's seat he may end up selecting his own team within the Joint Chiefs, a well as his own select group of National Security advisers.