Defense Secretary Mattis Resigning at End of February
“General Mattis was a great help to me in getting allies and other countries to pay their share of military obligations. A new Secretary of Defense will be named shortly.”
Trump announced Thursday afternoon that Defense Secretary General Mattis will retire at the end of February.
….equipment. General Mattis was a great help to me in getting allies and other countries to pay their share of military obligations. A new Secretary of Defense will be named shortly. I greatly thank Jim for his service!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018
His resignation letter:
Defense Sec. Mattis resignation letter:
"Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours … I believe it is right for me to step down from my position." pic.twitter.com/HqkGDp7kBJ
— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 20, 2018
From the WaEx:
Mattis has frequently dismissed media reports suggesting that his days at the Pentagon would be limited. For example, Mattis indicated to reporters in September that he was not considering leaving his post, and instead said, “I think about doing my job each day.”
“Of course I don’t think about leaving. I love it here. I’m thinking about retiring right here. I’ll get a little place down on the Potomac,” Mattis said.
Trump and Mattis were once close but have reportedly grown distant in recent months, meeting less frequently than they had earlier in his term.
The two have clashed on several issues. Trump reportedly overruled Mattis this month with his decision to withdraw troops from Syria.
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Comments
Duh Donald’s Syria spasm very likely precipitated this.
Too bad. I wouldn’t doubt we’ll see some others quitting.
Still riding that same old One Trick Pony, huh Rags?
LOL
Sorry, did you have anything intelligent to contribute?
But seriously…??? “One trick”…???
This has been the awful, terrible, really baddest week of the T-rumpian regime, and it isn’t even over!
I’m not sure I could even list all the bad without leaving a few items out.
So you, Rags, who have probably run up the highest down vote in the history of this forum and wouldn’t know a sensible idea if it kicked you in the ass are questioning whether I have anything intelligent to contribute?
That is rich!
LOL
Rags, suffering from the Little “Person Syndrome”, aka small mindedness.
“This has been…”
LOL, another proclamation of impending doom by the progs best friend.
We’ll file that one with the other 10000 that were bullshit.
I didn’t predict anything, lying SOS.
I objectively noted the week’s reality. Which you can’t comprehend, drowning in delusion as you insist.
“I didn’t predict anything, lying SOS.”
“I wouldn’t doubt we’ll see some others quitting.”
Brilliant.
https://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2018/12/brett-mcgurk-top-u-s-envoy-isis-fight-resigns/
Yep.
Interesting, isn’t it, some people, like Rags, just want to disagreeably complain about Trump, no matter what he does, what he accomplishes, but I also find it interesting how different generals favor THEIR branch of the military in resolving conflicts. It’s not surprising. I’ve always known that it applies to doctors- surgeons want to cut, radiation therapists want to use radiation, etc., but I never applied it to the military before. Mattis, being from the Marine Corps wants to send troops in, but a couple of generals, from other branches of the service, prefer removing troops on the ground and favor bombing strikes, manned and unmanned.
Afghanistan is another issue- if we are too stupid to have learned from the Russians’ experience there, we will be there for a century and still go down in defeat. He who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it.
You are just brilliant.
How many people did we have on the ground in Tokyo when we were firebombing them?
How many people did we have on the ground in Dresden when we were firebombing them?
And we didn’t have smart targeting then. Highly effective.
I wonder that if when Mattis was a Marine General, he expected his troops to quit and go home if he told them to do something they didn’t want to do?
I wonder if you think that stupid comparison has any traction?
Methinks your number of down votes kinda answers the question
Do you seriously think “down-votes” determines sound logic? What a terrible admission!
Duh Rags, clearly inferior to Trump, and knows this to be true 🙂
“Successful offense brings victory. Successful defense can now only lessen defeat.” Clone General C. Lemay and put in the DOD.
I still don’t understand how it is that we have people in Syria anyway. They’re a sovereign country. We don’t have a declaration of war from congress that would enable a President to send soldiers.
I don’t think the authorization for Bush is still valid. Killing Mohamar Khadafi was a plain old assassination that brought us ISIS and the need to go into Syria.
Exactly, this was hillay and Obama’s f/u
ISIS is no longer viable. American forces are working with the Iraq government to stabilize Iraq. Russians forces are cooperating the Syrian government to stabilize Syria. Iran is on notice for misrepresenting the prerequisites compliance for the payoff and inspection regime. Is Libya still a shit show since the social justice intervention that sodomized and aborted Gaddafi, and Americans, too, and forced the refugee crisis for elective, redistributive causes?
Excellent. I have asked this question before and I will ask it again. Is there any lucid person who thinks that Syria would be better off without Assad? Yes, he is a bad person. So what? He lives in a bad neighborhood, chock full of bad people. What could possibly follow that would be better?
Quadaffi (sp?) was also a bad person who lived in a bad neighborhood, chock full of bad people. Who could possibly believe that what has happened there since his death is better than what had transpired before?
DCP
So all the brain dead dumb fucks on the left (like the cl8wn who posted first) are all outrageously outragety cause Trump is pulling Americans out of harms way?
Fuck me, all we need now is trump to call peado’s a mean name to watch the left fall over themselves to protect kiddy fiddlers without hesitation.
Kind of off topic but if you are really a lawyer do you think it is in your client’s best interest to come across as a jerk and piss everybody off?
This is just a hypothetical and not intended to disparage you personally in any way.
LOL
I don’t agree with the people criticizing the Syria pullout as some kind of catastrophic mistake. On the other hand, it would have been worth staying if it would keep Mattis in place. He’s the very best and losing him is a bad thing.
These “wars” without end are getting a bit old. President Trump doesn’t want to be responsible for another one in Syria. I agree with his pulling out. Anything we need to do in Syria can be done with missiles and drones. We don’t need more dead or legless soldiers coming home from Syria. President Trump is going to draw down soldiers in Afghanistan for the same reasons. Eventually, we are going to need to pull out of Afghanistan also. If the Taliban take over, bomb them, destroy the poppy fields and meth labs with missiles, and drone their homes, offices, and meetings if necessary.
Like most arm-chair warriors that have never worn the uniform of the armed services, you don’t understand the limits of bombardment. Or appreciate the work of those who DO wear the uniform. Instead, you backhandedly spit on it.
So, you served in the Military, Rags?
Idiots and Bush neocons for endless wars. We’ve been in Afghanistan for 17 years. You argue that bombing won’t work unlike the roaring 17 year success we’ve had with troops dying and being maimed on the ground.
If we can’t win the war in 17 years of troops on the ground maybe its time for a new or different strategy. Of course there are idiots, the media, and never Trumpers who think endless wars are great if President Trump is against them. President Trump campaigned on and was elected on among other things a platform of getting us out of these endless wars. The era of the Bush neocons war forever crowd ended with Obama and reinforced with Trump. The people have spoken. Open your ears.
Lying and calling me names won’t get you anything be derision.
Strategy and tactics should be under constant review. Some of us don’t consider surrender and capitulation sound strategy.
If being in Afganhistan was such a mistake at 17 years, why didn’t your cult leader withdraw when he first came to power?
I don’t recall his promising to cut and run on a whim. I DO seem to recall him promising to listen to people with boots on the ground.
Like so many other things, it was boob-bait for boobs.
Soooo … you haven’t served …
Not so.
Another commenter asked you directly if you had served in the military (as you apparently think that is necessary to be qualified to comment about things military) and, so far, you have declined to answer.
Think of my comment as a judge saying that, though a defendant chooses to exercise his 5th amendment rights, the jury may infer what they wish.
And BTW … that’s Gunny SOS to you, pogue.
Yah, so.
First, I don’t think anything you imputed to me as a generality. My comments were specific to two idiots, one a retired British mail carrier who thinks he can call me names with impugnity, and the other the worst T-rump sucking liar ever to disgrace this cite.
Second, I chose to whom I respond, and the little prig (spelling optional) didn’t warrant any response.
Third, you aren’t my judge or my jury, and you inferred a lie.
Thanks for your service.
Secretary of Defense Mattis did the right and honorable thing. I just hope he maintains it and doesn’t end up as a member of the Deep State.
It had to be more than just Syria
https://www.redstate.com/sarah-rumpf/2018/12/20/mattis-sharply-rebukes-trump-resignation-letter/
Yeeeeeeeup. Syria was just the last straw. He’s been holding his nose a long time, over many issues.
Earlier this year, it appears Mattis was considering running for president. Gateway Pundit as the document discussing it.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/12/exclusive-mattis-considered-presidential-run-in-2020-according-to-leaked-nda-obtained-by-gateway-pundit/
Long-term view. We were going to get out of Syria anyway. We were not going to stay there ad infinitum. In theory, we were there to stomp ISIS. They’ve been stomped, so we’re going to work our way out.
Note he did *NOT* set a deadline or a timeline, which is a mistake that Obama made regularly.
I’m doubting that Syria was a trigger for Mattis stepping down two months from now. If it was a trigger, he’d resign now.
Please, please never put another Bushie in. They all hate you. The Feds screwed you, Rosenstein is a Clinton pawn, Wray is crooked and in the FBI to continue the crime spree, the IRS and the DOLabor are now controlled by Pelosi. They are a disaster.
Remember when Trump was savaged for saying he had a plan to defeat ISIS? Remember who, commenting on this board, called him a liar?
Trump did exactly what he said he would, defeat ISIS, and put an end to endless wars.
Mr. “Armchair warrior” should explain why it’s a good idea for us to stay in Syria. Mr. “Armchair warrior” should explain why he is on Hillary and Obama’s side.
While you’re at it explain why we need to be in Afghanistan and Iraq for the next hundred years. Explain why any American needs to go there and bleed for ungrateful people.
Mr. “Armchair warrior” should explain why it’s a good idea for us to stay in Syria.
Oh, it probably has something to do with tariffs.
Just wait, we’ll hear all about it. Again.
“You’re such an enthralled moron you’ve never comprehended WHY we are in the regions we are in, and what the missionssssss are there.”
“You’re such an enthralled moron you’ve never comprehended WHY we are in the regions we are in, and what the missionssssss are there.”
Well Mr. brilliant, explain it to us morons. Start with Afghanistan. How many years should we stay and how many American lives should we accept losing and maimed?
And why are we there?
“But in the end, I settle on one very simple reason: We go there so that they don’t come here.
It really is that simple. We bring the fight to the enemy so that they don’t bring it to us. There is a common misconception that if we just let them fight their own wars they will leave us alone. This is wildly untrue for two main reasons. First, groups such as the Islamic State will always try to attack the homeland. And second, even if we manage to prevent them from attacking the homeland, we cannot stop the cascade effect of instability and chaos that ensues when the United States leaves a power vacuum.”
https://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2018/12/guys-like-go-places-like-syria/
You should read the whole thing, though it will be too hard for your to comprehend. Maybe you can get a smart dog to help you with the concepts…
I’m sorry Mattis is stepping down, but he is doing the right thing, if he cannot support the President’s decisions. Mattis is a man of honor and integrity and I LOVE the quotes that have been attributed to him over the years, BUT no one is infallible- he believed in Elizabeth Holmes and was a THERANOS board member for about four years- not exactly a “good” decision. He may be just as wrong in his opinions on the President’s policies.
This is very disappointing news. Sec. Mattis is handling it honorably and responsibly, as is his custom. I wish the President would reconsider.
We had a man in the Middle East who knew the people and the ways to work with them, and he had great military success; he was fired because he was human and fell in love, scandalous as he was already married. Since he left no one has been able to duplicate his tactics and we have lost all the military and political gains he won for us.
This is the sort of man we need in charge of our military; a man who knows how to truly do that “win the hearts and minds” trick everyone talks about. Nominate General David Petraeus for SecDef!