United States Department of Defense

Middle East Tour
February 2011

Top Stories

Anniversary Reaffirms U.S.-Kuwaiti Bonds

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait, Feb. 26, 2011 – Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined in festivities celebrating the 20th anniversary of Kuwait’s liberation during Operation Desert Storm and the 50th anniversary of its independence. Story

Desert Storm Veterans Join Celebration

AL-SUBIYA, Kuwait, Feb. 26, 2011 – About 300 U.S. military members of every service participated in an anniversary celebration marking Kuwait’s liberation during Operation Desert Storm. Story

Kuwaiti Troops Recall Invasion

AL-SUBIYA, Kuwait, Feb. 26, 2011 – Kuwaiti Capt. Adel Khubert was just a 10-year-old boy when Saddam Hussein’s Republic Guard screamed over the border from Iraq and took Kuwait by siege Aug. 2, 1990. Khubert said he and his fellow Kuwaitis have much to celebrate today as they commemorate the 20th anniversary of Kuwait’s liberation during Operation Desert Storm. Story

Marine Forward Element Set Up to Help

MANAMA, Bahrain, Feb. 25, 2011 – Traveling through the Middle East to confer with U.S. allies in the midst of regional unrest, the top U.S. military officer visited a new Marine Corps headquarters element here designed to evacuate noncombatants or provide humanitarian assistance and disaster response. Story

Mullen to Attend Desert Storm Ceremonies

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait, Feb. 25, 2011 - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is in Kuwait to meet with officials there and to participate in ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm that liberated the nation from Iraqi occupation. Story

Chairman Reaffirms U.S.-Bahraini Pact

MANAMA, Bahrain, Feb. 25, 2011 - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen continued his visit to Bahrain to solicit senior Bahraini leaders' views about recent public protests there while thanking them for how they have handled the changes in their nation. Story

Mullen Visits Horn of Africa Task Force

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti, Feb. 24, 2011 - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stopped in Djibouti to visit with Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa troops, whose full-time focus is on maintaining regional stability and preventing conflict. Story

Mullen: U.S., Allies Monitor Libya Situation

MANAMA, Bahrain, Feb. 24, 2011 - Defense officials will provide President Barack Obama with a range of options on how the nation should handle the civil unrest in Libya, said Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Story

Chairman: Incident Highlights Piracy Threat

MANAMA, Bahrain, Feb. 24, 2011 - Condemning Somali pirates who killed four Americans aboard a private sailing vessel, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, vowed that the United States and the international community will continue to confront piracy. Story

Mullen Meets With Omani Counterparts

MUSCAT, Oman, Feb. 24, 2011 - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Marine Corps. Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of U.S. Central Command, met with their counterparts in Oman to discuss defense matters of mutual concern. Story

Talks Focus on U.S.-Pakistani Operations

MUSCAT, Oman, Feb. 23, 2011 - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and other leaders to discuss regional security issues and explore new ways to better coordinate military operations. Story

Mullen Urges Peaceful Resolutions

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 22, 2011 - Meeting with leaders in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen called upon regional governments to employ restraint to ensure issues involving recent civil unrest are resolved “peacefully, without loss of life.” Story

Mullen Continues Middle East Trip in Qatar

DOHA, Qatar, Feb. 21, 2011 - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, continues his trip through the Middle East in Qatar after concluding what he called frank, reassuring talks with leaders in Saudi Arabia about widespread regional unrest. Story

Chairman Launches Trip in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 20, 2011 - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in Saudi Arabia for the first leg of a sweep through the Middle East to reassure friends of the U.S. commitment to regional stability. Story