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Last update - 15:59 22/10/2007
U.S. army chief: Iraq war has sapped ability to fight Iran
By Haaretz Service
Tags: U.S., Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq

The new chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said in an interview published Monday that the prolonged military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan may have undermined the military's ability to fight wars against major adversaries - including Iran.

With the United States already heavily committed in wars in two Muslim countries, Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen told The New york Times that an offensive against Iran, a third Mideast Islamic state "has extraordinary challenges and risks associated with it." He counseled against an immediate attack on Iran, saying that the military option should be a last resort.

But Mullen warned Iran and other nations not to "mistake restraint for lack of commitment or lack of concern or lack of capability."
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"Because we have had such an intense focus on the Middle East and Iraq and Afghanistan, there is risk associated with those other parts of the world," Admiral Mullen said.

Asked whether the American military should aim at sites inside Iran if intelligence indicated that such action could stem the flow of bombs into Iraq, he said "the risks could be very, very high."

"We're in a conflict in two countries out there right now," he added. "We have to be incredibly thoughtful about the potential of in fact getting into a conflict with a third country in that part of the world."

Speaking of his visits to soldiers and marines in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent weeks, Mullen said: "They're tired. They've been doing unbelievably great work for our country. And we need to make sure we take care of them and their families."

Regarding prolonged and repeated deployments for the ground forces in Iran and Afghanistan, he said, "The ground forces are not broken, but they are breakable."

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      1.   US ARMY CHIEFS ARE LOOSERS 16:09  |  ottomatik 22/10/07
      2.   New USA "defeatist " chief?????? 16:12  |  Ray 22/10/07
      3.   Voice of Reason 16:13  |  American 22/10/07
      4.   Good! 16:42  |  Deborah 22/10/07
      5.   more money 17:25  |  Realist 22/10/07
      6.   US army chief to Cheney `fight Iran yourself, draft-dodger.` 17:26  |  Michael 22/10/07
      7.   # 2 ray 17:31  |  Axel 22/10/07
      8.   Telling Truth to Power 17:41  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/10/07
      9.   Telling Truth to Power - Mark of Lewiston 18:19  |  Mark Lincoln 22/10/07
      10.   Haaretz why not publish whole truth? 18:19  |  Jonathan S 22/10/07
      11.   My theory? 18:20  |  Hannah 22/10/07
      12.   The future cost of war 18:26  |  Axel 22/10/07
      13.   TRANSLATION ERROR 18:28  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/10/07
      14.   Can someone pleae enlighten Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mu 18:28  |  Chick 22/10/07
      15.   Can someone pleae enlighten Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mu 18:29  |  Chick 22/10/07
      16.   9 Mark Lincoln - Too Many Waited 18:44  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/10/07
      17.   # 15 chick 18:44  |  Axel 22/10/07
      18.   10 Jonation S - Ground OPS Inevitable 18:55  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/10/07
      19.   #11 hannah 19:04  |  jay 22/10/07
      20.   14/15 Chick - Where are the Secret Facilities? 19:08  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/10/07
      21.   #12, Axel... 19:08  |  Silvienne 22/10/07
      22.   Jonathan S. from Deuscheland 19:10  |  American 22/10/07
      23.   Why not bomb all their oil wells? 19:11  |  Yonatan 22/10/07
      24.   American??? 19:24  |  Voice of Reason 22/10/07
      25.   It won`t be on the ground. 19:31  |  Mohan 22/10/07
      26.   #24 Voice of Reason 19:33  |  Yonatan 22/10/07
      27.   Well said, Jonathan S #10 19:36  |  Mohan 22/10/07
      28.   Mark #18 - Not So. 19:41  |  Mohan 22/10/07
      29.   Voice of Reason - pathetic 19:43  |  American 22/10/07
      30.   Oh No. Israel will have to fight own battles 19:47  |  dan 22/10/07
      31.   Iran`s Response To Being Bombed 20:09  |  chet 22/10/07
      32.   For the whiners who want to kneel down to mullahs 20:20  |  Jonathan S 22/10/07
      33.   #31 chet - Yes, there might be tens of thousands of Israeli death 20:26  |  Yonatan 22/10/07
      34.   #25 mohan 20:28  |  Axel 22/10/07
      35.   28 Mohan - They Have No Reason to Love the US 20:33  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/10/07
      36.   U.S Chief of surrender! 20:38  |  ljf-canada 22/10/07
      37.   #13 - Mark of Lewiston 20:38  |  MichaelF 22/10/07
      38.   Mohan you fool 20:40  |  American 22/10/07
      39.   For Chet about his mistakes 20:53  |  Jonathan S 22/10/07
      40.   Jonathan S 20:59  |  Axel 22/10/07
      41.   "my thoughts" 21:05  |  )( - () 22/10/07
      42.   To the Cakewalk Warriors 21:09  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/10/07
      43.   ljf-canada - Canadian worry about your own country 21:16  |  American 22/10/07
      44.   MichaelF - No declaration of War 21:17  |  American 22/10/07
      45.   MichaelF - You`re Right 21:17  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/10/07
      46.   re #36 `US Chief of Surrender.` 21:30  |  Colin Wright 22/10/07
      47.   # 23 yonatan 21:41  |  Axel 22/10/07
      48.   The word duh comes to mind 21:42  |  Persian Kitty 22/10/07
      49.   Re American #22 `Jonathan S...` 21:47  |  Colin Wright 22/10/07
      50.   Mohan - still dreaming of shock and awe? 22:00  |  Mark Lincoln 22/10/07
      51.   Mark of Lewiston - secret facilities 22:03  |  Mark Lincoln 22/10/07
      52.   Chet, more realistic estimates 22:05  |  Mark Lincoln 22/10/07
      53.   All the optimistic predictions 22:08  |  Axel 22/10/07
      54.   It not just the USA that oppose Mullah dictatorship nuclear armed 22:10  |  PETER S.M. 22/10/07
      55.   THE FINAL PUSH TO IRAN AND SYRIA IS HOPEFULLY IMMINENT 22:20  |  Letz Cruise 22/10/07
      56.   to american 22:32  |  ljf-canada 22/10/07
      57.   # 55 letz 22:40  |  Axel 22/10/07
      58.   bush and cheney should be crated,airlifted,and dropped into 22:54  |  terrornator 22/10/07
      59.   axel # 12 i beg to differ with you,most americans are aware 23:21  |  terrornator 22/10/07
      60.   jonathan remember when japan bombed pearl harbor 23:26  |  terrornator 22/10/07
      61.   american, #38 you are mistaken,the mujahadeen did need 23:48  |  terrornator 22/10/07
      62.   terrornator 23:57  |  Axel 22/10/07
      63.   axel,i didnt say the queues would be lining up for bush,what i 01:00  |  terrornator 23/10/07
      64.   axel,my bad,i mistook you for someone with a little common sense, 02:28  |  terrornator 23/10/07
      65.   #29, American... 04:30  |  Silvienne 23/10/07
      66.   How knows ther answers to these questions? 09:33  |  Hamid 23/10/07
      67.   terrornator 12:48  |  Axel 23/10/07
      68.   #4 Deborah, do you forget who we are delaing with? 16:09  |  DR 23/10/07
      69.   #29, American 16:13  |  DR 23/10/07
      70.   #68, DR...to Deborah 00:10  |  Silvienne 24/10/07
      71.   Israel can and must do it 15:15  |  Goldman 29/10/07
      72.   Herr Axel, Germany 15:29  |  Goldman 29/10/07
      73.   Chet 16:11  |  Godman 29/10/07
      74.   Iraq war and Iran 17:56  |  Gary 11/12/07
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