The White House may consider public opinion when making decisions such as whether to use ground troops fighting the Islamic State (ISIS), but military leaders don't, says Adm. Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Appearing Sunday on "Meet the Press," Mullen said he never based his recommendations to presidents George W. Bush or Barack Obama on how the public felt about an issue.
"That, we really kick over to the president and his team," Mullen said, adding that the president, as commander-in-chief, has the job of weighing military needs against any political fallout.
Mullen said that the talk in recent days of retired and active military leaders discussing the issue has been blown out of proportion. Current Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey testified before Congress last week that he would go back to Obama and recommend American ground troops if the situation required it even though Obama has vowed no U.S. ground troops will be involved.
Mullen said Dempsey was not disagreeing with the president, simply pointing out how the system works.
"I think that's a natural part of the discussion in this debate about how you execute a mission," Mullen said. "There should not be any question, in the end, who decides this, and that's the president."
As to which Arab countries would be capable of helping on the ground in Syria, Mullen pointed out that small forces have helped in Afghanistan from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Bahrain.
"The Saudis actually have a capable force," he said, though it is unclear whether they will participate.
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