Mullen: US Depends On Military Ties With Israel

JERUSALEM (AP) - The top U.S. military officer says the relationship between the American and Israeli militaries is especially relevant while Mideast nations are steeped in unrest.

Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed the instability in Egypt with Israeli President Shimon Peres on Monday. He said the American-Israeli alliance is "something we both depend on."

Following Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation, Israel is fretting the future of its 1979 peace treaty.

Mullen also met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's incoming chief of staff Benny Gantz.

The brief trip to reassure American allies of U.S. commitment to the region's stability also brought Mullen to Jordan, where he met with King Abdullah II.