Top US Military Official Visits Jordan, Israel

VOA News  February 13, 2011

Photo: AP

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen (File Photo)

The top U.S. military officer will be in Jordan and Israel beginning Sunday to reassure the key allies of U.S. support following the ouster of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen is scheduled to go to Amman to meet with his military counterpart and King Abdullah.    

Mullen then travels to Israel for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. The Joint Chiefs chairman will also bid farewell to his outgoing Israeli counterpart General Gaby Ashkenazi. He is also expected to meet Israel's incoming military chief, General Benny Gantz before heading back to Washington Monday.  

Egypt was Israel's strongest Arab ally, and Israel's leaders have expressed concern that a change in leadership could damage that relationship.

Jordan has lately seen some unrest following the protests that recently that drove both Mr. Mubarak and Tunisia's President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali from power. On Wednesday, King Abdullah swore in a new government that has promised to broaden public freedoms and continue political reform.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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