US READY TO ASSIST IN EGYPT IF NEEDED: MULLEN

WASHINGTON: Mike Mullen, the top U.S. military officer says the unrest in Egypt and other Middle East countries over the past week took the U.S. and others by surprise. And he said he is focusing on insuring that the military is ready to provide any support needed in Egypt.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says governments throughout the Middle East are concerned “about where this goes and how contagious it is.”

He said that he has spoken to his military counterparts in Egypt and was reassured they have no intention of firing on their own people.

U.S. defense officials have said no military action is being contemplated, but the Pentagon will respond to requests for assistance from the State Department.