MIKE MULLEN

China has downplayed U.S. support for Taiwan after a delegation of former Washington officials arrived in Taipei on Tuesday. The two-day visit came amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which prompted Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen to raise its military alert level against “foreign forces intending to manipulate the situation” and “affect the morale of Taiwanese society.” The Biden-appointed delegation was led by Mike Mullen, who served as one-time chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations.

Former Chairman of the U_S_ Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen says maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is “not just a U_S_ interest, but also a global one."

Retired Adm. Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Sunday it was “incredibly disturbing” that reports detailed a top U.S. general’s fears that Donald Trump, in the waning days of his presidency, would try to use the military to stage a coup or take action against Iran.

New books detail the concerns General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had about Mr. Trump in the weeks after the presidential election.

The following is a transcript of an interview with Admiral Mike Mullen, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that aired on Sunday, July 18, 2021, on "Face the Nation."

The open letter from 124 retired officers alarmed current and former military members concerned about the politicization of the military.

Former Army general Lloyd Austin rose from West Point to the top ranks and today serves as the first African American secretary of defense. He told Martin what he means: "I would go someplace with my staff, and we were wearing civilian clothes. Two out of five replied that they did not trust their chain of command to address racism, bias and unequal opportunities. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Michael Holland told Martin about another layer of racism he experiences, one concerning "unwritten rules." Blacks make up 17% of the armed forces but Austin told Martin, "if you look at our senior leadership right now, it's not representative of what's in the ranks."

Biden countered the concerns by arguing that Austin knows that a Pentagon chief's duties are different from those of a military officer. But the requirement for a congressional waiver makes getting him installed as Pentagon chief more complicated than usual. Austin retired in 2016 after 41 years in the Army and has never held a political position. Some prominent Democrats opposed the Mattis waiver, and among those who voted for it, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island expressed doubts. Biden has known Austin at least since the general's years leading U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq while Biden was vice president.

INVERNESS, Fla. One Florida school board is shelling out $343,000 to lease iPads after some 1,100 units were either damaged or not returned when school ended in the spring. Citrus County School Board members agreed this week to spend the money after being told that the number of broken or missing iPads had more than doubled, the Citrus County Chronicle reported. A message on the screen says that the iPad belongs to the Citrus County School District and should be returned. The school board either owns or leases 16,500 to 17,000 iPads, according to Mike Mullen, the district's assistant superintendent. Parents sign contracts with the school district, agreeing to return the iPads at the end of a school term, the newspaper reported.

Khan accused the United States on Thursday of having "martyred" al-Qaida leader and the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden. (Press Information Department, via AP)ISLAMABAD Pakistan's prime minister said on Thursday that the United States martyred the al-Qaida leader and mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden, a term that reflected a subtle stab at Washington as it's mainly used for honorable figures slain in battle. The special operations force swooped into Pakistans military garrison town of Abbottabad in the middle of the night on May 2, 2011, killing bin Laden and several of his operatives. However, opposition lawmaker Khwaja Mohammed Asif slammed Khan for calling bin Laden a martyr, saying the al-Qaida chief had brought terrorism to Pakistan. He (bin Laden) ruined my country but he (Khan) is calling him a martyr, said Asif.