Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff refuted reports spread by Turkish press that U.S. intends to withdraw its military equipment from Iraq via Turkey.  

In the course of a press conference held in U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Mullen specified goals of his visit to Turkey, adding it has nothing to do with transportation of the American armed forces. He stressed that U.S. uses infrastructure but has no intention to transport the weapons through Turkey and will not do it in future. “Reports or suggestions to the contrary are simply false and completely without merit,” Hurriyet Daily News quotes the U.S. military official.