Mullen: Withdrawal Timeline Dangerous

Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned that setting a timeline for pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq should be made only after a careful assessment of the stability in the war-torn country. In a television interview, Mullen said he would like to see troop reductions move forward only “if conditions continue to improve.” Much will be determined, Mullen said, as commanders assess the impact of the recently concluded surge of U.S. troops in Iraq. During a recent visit, Mullen was pleased with the progress of security efforts there. Should that trend continue, he said, the chances of more troops coming home would be greatly enhanced.