2
3
Admiral Mike Mullen expressed hope that the president would not repeat Obama's mistakes.
In an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” Admiral Mike Mullen, the former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Obama, said that President Trump is right to back the protesters in Iran demonstrating against the Ayatollahs.
“I think the focus there is incredibly important,” Mullen said of the president’s tweet, pointing out that Iran continues to “support terrorism” and oppress their people.
“We certainly should be on guard for human rights violations and I think we should be supportive of more freedoms in that country,” he added.
ABC’s Martha Raddatz brought up the 2009 protests in Iran that fizzled out after the Obama administration’s tepid response.
“I think we chose to not be as supportive as we could have been then, and I hope we can be [supportive] right now,” Mullen responded, taking a shot at President Obama’s response to the 2009 events.
The former chair of the Joint Chiefs told Raddatz that supporting the Iranian protesters is “absolutely the right thing to do,” given the potential in the country for democratic change.