Interview with U.S. Admiral Mullen : " we've been thinking about military options for a significant period of time. "

ZAKARIA: And we are back with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mike Mullen.

Another set of WikiLeak documents. The - the founder of WikiLeaks says that this is telling truth to power. This is how we open up the process. Do you think that this endangers the lives of American troops, these kind of leaks?

MULLEN: Absolutely. Not just American troops, but it also endangers the lives of other individuals that we've engaged in our - in our overall efforts, whether they be in Afghanistan or other countries. So I think it's a very, very dangerous precedent.

What I don't think those who are in charge of WikiLeaks understand is we live in a world where just a little, bitty piece of information can be added to a - a network of information and really open up an understanding that just wasn't there before. So it continues to be extremely dangerous, and I would hope that those who are responsible for this would, at some point in time, think about the responsibility they have for lives that they're exposing and the potential that's there and stop leaking this information.

ZAKARIA: I'm going take you on a tour of the world, because we don't have a lot of time. Iran - you have been consistently suspicious of Iran's nuclear capacity. I remember talking to you about this, and you said it publicly.

Last week on this program, Mohammad Larijani, a senior Iranian official, says we absolutely categorically have no intention of weaponization, no - no nuclear weapons, just a weapons program. Do you believe that?

MULLEN: I don't believe it for a second. In - in fact, information and intelligence that I've seen speak very specifically to the contrary. Iran is still very much on a path to be able to develop nuclear weapons, including - and including weaponizing them, putting them on a missile and being able to use them.

ZAKARIA: Do you - do you believe that it is - it is - now is the time to start thinking about military options?

MULLEN: Well, we've actually been thinking about military options for a significant period of time, and I have spoken and many others that we've had options on the table. We continue to do that, and we continue - and we will continue to do that in the future.

I still think it's important we focus on the dialogue, we focus on the engagement, but also do it in a realistic way that - that looks at whether Iran is actually going to tell the truth, actually engage, and actually do anything. We've got a history of gamesmanship that certainly doesn't include closing on significant steps to indicate to indicate to the international community that they're not doing this.

ZAKARIA: When - when we look at Afghanistan, 2011 is meant to be the time we start drawing down. Will there be real draw downs in American troops? And I will define that as 5,000 troops or more.

MULLEN: Well, we're not picking a number, as I think you know. But, yes, we will start drawing down troops next July. There's no question about that. We'll - it will be based on a recommendation from General Petraeus, and he will make that based on conditions on the ground. We don't know from what province, and we don't know how many, but we're very committed to starting that drawdown there.

All of that said, every indication that I can see is there's certainly going to be a substantial number of allied troops - U.S. and allied troops - in Afghanistan after July 2011.

ZAKARIA: But there will be a significant draw down?

MULLEN: There'll be a draw down. I'm not going to describe it in either terms - in terms of number because, Fareed, honestly, I just don't know yet. I - I really got to wait for Dave Petraeus to make a recommendation.

ZAKARIA: Are there any circumstances in which you can imagine there being a significant build-up of troops in Yemen, American troops? We have a few advisories -

MULLEN: Yes.

ZAKARIA: -- but, I mean, more substantial.

MULLEN: Not that I can see in the near future based on the conditions there. Certainly, this is a sovereign country. We have some support troops that are basically doing training there, but I certainly - it's not for me to decide. But, certainly, I don't see any indication that we're going to have a significant number of troops in Yemen.

ZAKARIA: Final question, in Yemen, we face the same dilemma we face to other places. We - we need to fight al Qaeda, so we support a dictator who rules the country in a pretty tough way, and a lot of people tell us your support for this guy is fueling anti-Americanism and fueling the Jihadis.

MULLEN: Yes, well - well, I don't - there's no easy answer here. Certainly, as I watch this over the last couple of years, President Saleh has stayed with us in a very solid way. And now, he's been there a long time, as leader of that country.

But this isn't also the first time in our history where we've - we've worked with individuals who are controversial individuals. I think we've done that in the past. We're doing it now, to address the threats that really threaten Americans.

This al Qaeda group in Yemen is trying to kill Americans, and has. Recently, just looking at these last two cargo plane bombs that they put in place. So I think that will continue, and we - where I feel we're obligated to continue to address that threat.

ZAKARIA: Admiral, a pleasure and honor to have you on.

MULLEN: Thanks, Fareed.

ZAKARIA: Thanks.