I've said for a long time, clearly the - a, a critical key to success in the region is going to be Pakistan and our relationship with Pakistan, which was one that was broken in the late '80s and which we've worked hard to restore.

On October 29 2006 the Honolulu Advertiser publiMichael Mullend an op-ed by Mullen that defined the concept of the 1000-ship navy. He noted that "there does not appear to be much political progress" in Iraq. He was only the third naval officer in Navy history to be appointed to four different four-star assignments; the others being the Commander U.

S. Naval Forces Europe and Commander Allied Joint Force Command Naples from October 2004 to May 2005 and as the 32nd Vice Chief of Naval Operations from August 2003 to August 2004.