America’s Wolverine To Step Down -- Bing West, NRO
On December 6, Defense Secretary Panetta nominated General Lloyd Austin to lead the Central Command that is responsible for operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan. This cuts short by several months the tenure of the current commander, General Jim Mattis, at CentCom headquarters in Tampa. The administration’s motivation was obvious: The social ties between Jill Kelley and the command, sparking the resignation of David Petraeus and the ongoing investigation of e-mails sent by General John Allen, the commander in Afghanistan. Mattis apparently had nothing to do with any of that, but the administration clearly wanted new leadership in Tampa that had no connections to the Kelley family or that social milieu.
This image-burnishing comes at a steep geopolitical cost. Austin may not be confirmed by the Senate until March, and after that he will need months to get up to speed on the situation. In the meantime, despite the sudden announcement that he is leaving, Mattis will be managing military planning and operations related to Syria, Iran, Egypt, Afghanistan, and the rest of the Middle East.
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WNU Editor: For your amusement, here are some great quotes from General Mattis.
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