“Mike Mullen” on The Daily Caller

YEONPYEONG ISLAND, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president ordered more troops to a front-line island and dumped his defense minister as the country grappled with lapses in its response to a deadly North Korean artillery strike. (more)

A few years ago, politicians, economists and military analysts calculated that Communist China might be able to deny access to the western Pacific by 2025. Their calculations were wrong. China threw down the gauntlet this summer and claimed sovereignty over the seas from Vietnam to the Philippines, and from the Leizhou Peninsula to oil rich Borneo. While the Pentagon makes plans to further weaken our navy, Pacific trade routes are slipping under Chinese control, our Asian allies are drifting toward Beijing, and freedom of the seas is fading. (more)

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Iran’s president said Sunday that any Israeli attack against his nation would mean the destruction of the Jewish state. (more)

CAIRO (AP) — Iran’s president offered friendship to the United States but also taunted Washington by saying he does not fear an attack by the U.S. because it could not even defeat a small army in Iraq, according to a television interview with the leader aired Sunday. (more)

Iran has dug mass graves in which to bury U.S. troops in case of any American attack on the country, a commander of the elite Revolutionary Guard said today. (more)

Iran has dug mass graves in which to bury U.S. troops in case of any American attack on the country, a commander of the elite Revolutionary Guard said today. (more)

In an interview with Channel 4 News, Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said they were studying and investigating the report, adding “If they are US spies, then we know how to punish them.” (more)

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. (AP) — A string of setbacks for al-Qaida’s affiliate in Iraq has left the insurgent group “devastated” and struggling to cope with a double whammy of a leadership vacuum and a money squeeze, the top U.S. military officer said Sunday. (more)

After months of interruptions, the high court in Iraq finally certified the March election results thereby removing another barrier as the road to forming a government proceeds. The results stand with former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi in the lead with 91 seats and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a close second garnering 89 seats. The political jockeying will begin in earnest. There’s talk of weeks and months until the Iraqi people see that day. (more)

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, said this morning that he’d prefer that Congress not overturn the ban on allowing openly gay people to serve in the military until the Defense Department has finished studying how such a repeal would be implemented. (more)

This week, the United States Congress voted in the Senate and the House to strike out an arcane statute, 10 USC Section 654, commonly know as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT)” which bans gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military. DADT is the only remaining federal personnel policy which allows for third party hearsay as grounds for dismissal or discharge. Voting to repeal DADT removes the 1993 Congressional mandate imposed upon the Department of Defense. Repeal of DADT gets Congress out of the business of personnel management, and bolsters the current comprehensive and necessary review process ordered by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has once again confirmed he is comfortable with the proposed legislative fix to repeal the DADT law. (more)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A lukewarm endorsement from Defense Secretary Robert Gates and opposition among some lawmakers cast doubt Tuesday on whether Congress this week would lift a 17-year-old ban on gays serving openly in the military. (more)

KABUL, Afghanistan—The easiest way for an American to fly into Afghanistan is on Kam Air from Dubai. But it appears that only Americans fly into Afghanistan on Kam Air from Dubai. Almost, anyway. (more)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Robert Gates asserted Sunday that the U.S. is prepared to take a range of actions against the Iranian nuclear program and told friends and foes not to fall for any perception Iran can catch Washington off guard. (more)

The one government institution that is conservative and apolitical by nature is the U.S. military. President Obama with his liberal agenda is trying to change that by politicizing and liberalizing the military by repealing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) law and his henchmen are Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen. (more)

Few have had the opportunity to lead our country’s uniformed services. We are proud to have done so, and humbled by the countless sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. Their efforts have placed our security on a solid foundation. (more)

John McCain said in 2006 that the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy towards gays in the military should be changed if leaders of the armed forces say it should be — but now that some of those leaders are for repealing the policy, McCain is still not necessarily for it, instead saying the military should be  “very careful as to how we move forward” on the issue. (more)

A spokesman for John McCain said on Tuesday evening that the Republican senator opposes allowing gays to serve openly in the military, despite increasing political support for repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. (more)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says he expects 9,000 to 10,000 troops will be in Haiti and off its shore by Monday to help distribute aid and prevent potential rioting. (more)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for the nation’s senior military officer are recommending a delay of at least a year in beginning the process to repeal the ban on openly gay military service, which could push a decision by Congress to the middle of the next presidential election. (more)