Daily Mail: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis flames Trump for deserting allies as he announces he will RESIGN in February – just one day after president ordered Syria troop pullout over his objections
* Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general, has been Trump's only defense secretary
* President says he'll leave in February, 'retiring with distinction'
* The move comes just a day after Trump announced a military pullout from Syria
* Mattis reportedly objected to the drawdown; ISIS still has 30,000 fighters
* Trump hinted in October that Mattis might leave, calling him 'sort of a Democrat'
* In a resignation letter, Mattis said he would leave so Trump could have someone in the job who more closely agreed with him
* Democrats in Congress pilloried Trump and lamented that one of the few 'adults in the room' would be leaving
President Donald Trump said Thursday that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will leave the administration in early 2019, but the onetime Marine Corps general is doing it on his own terms – listing the ways he's incompatible with his commander-in-chief.
Chief among them is that Mattis believes Trump hasn't tended the diplomatic garden of international alliances, leaving the United States unable to defend its interests overseas.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Here is his resignation letter .... Defense Secretary James Mattis' resignation letter (FOX News).
More News On U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis Announcing That He Will Resign In February
Mattis leaving as Pentagon chief after clashes with Trump -- AP
Pentagon chief Mattis quits in disagreement with Trump policies -- Reuters
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis Resigns, Rebuking Trump’s Worldview -- The New York Times
Mattis to step down as defense secretary over differences with Trump -- Washington Post
Mattis out: Defense secretary says his views no longer aligned with Trump -- Military Times
Mattis Resigns Following Trump's Syria Withdrawal Order -- Military.com
Mattis resigns, says views aren't in line with Trump's -- The Hill
Defense Secretary James Mattis to retire at the end of February, Trump says -- FOX News
Mattis quits, says his views aren't 'aligned' with Trump's -- CNN
Defense secretary Jim Mattis to retire in February, Trump says -- The Guardian
US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to retire -- DW
Jim Mattis, US Defence Secretary, becomes latest departure from Donald Trump's inner circle -- ABC News Online
Mattis Is Out As Defense Secretary In Wake Of Trump's Sudden Syria Withdrawal Order -- Warzone/The Drive
Defense Secretary Mattis Is Out -- Task & Purpose
GOP lawmaker hits Trump after news of Mattis resignation: ‘That’s what happens when you ignore sound military advice’ -- The Hill
Lawmakers express 'great sadness' and concern over the state of Trump's administration following Mattis resignation -- Business Insider
Pelosi: I am shaken by resignation of Mattis -- The Hill
Rubio: Mattis resignation shows US headed toward ‘grave policy errors’ -- The Hill
In 2014, Mattis Said What Would Make Him Resign In Protest. In 2018, He Actually Did It -- Paul Szoldra, Task & Purpose
Why Mattis Is Leaving The Pentagon, In 3 Sentences -- Paul Szoldra, Task & Purpose
4 comments:
I read Mattis' letter carefully. The term, "Damning with faint praise" comes to mind. And that bullshit about Trump deserving someone whose views are more in alignment with himself - after Mattis sets him up as a pillar of forthrightness. It just whiffs a bit too much like Comey's self-serving crap. Especially in this leftist-created feeding frenzy environment.
So Trump is seemingly beset on all sides.
Russ,
IMO and it is just my opinion, Mattis is probably the reason why Trump did not pull out months ago, when he 1st made comments about it.
I was relieved when we didn't pull out and I credit Mattis.
The maps of the Middle East were drawn by Iranian, Turkish and European imperial powers. There is no reason that Kurds should not have their own state.
The Kurds helped us from 2003 thru 2011. During this time Assad was providing jihadis entering Iraq with material and intel support.
Assad is not the legitimate ruler of Syria anymore than the Castros were of Cuba. Holding sham election does not make you legitimate.
I to read Mattis's resignation letter. The first thoughts are it is full of crap. I know a few of the men who served under him and they had tremendous respect for him. Was he full of crap then and simply gave his men a spiel to get them to carry out his interests or did he later become full of crap? I think it is some combination of this.
Actually, from the start, I thought him "to good to be true." When something is to good to be true it probably is!! After all one generally does not rise to the level that he has without sucking up to on some level to the powers that be within the deep state.
The parts where he delivers praise are self serving. For the improvements in military readiness that he takes credit for are actually due entirely to the policies conceived up and planned by POTUS. The general appears to take undeserved credit for this.
Later in the letter he tosses out the "indispensable nation" bull crap. I've generally believed that when a political leader uses this non sense to describe America that this is simply a political spiel designed to "rally the troops" and is not something they seriously believe. To actually implement policy based upon such non sense would have devastating consequences all the way around for American interests at every level. Surely no one is really that crazy. Anyone who believes this should be no where near power over American policy. Frankly I would have expected better from General Mattis. While some of Trump's advisors and at least one former advisor have used the "indispensable" and "exceptional" nation crap, to the best of my knowledge POTUS has refrained from such non sense.
The general goes on to discuss how allies need to be respected. Such respect is a two way street and is not given freely. These allies need to respect us. Frankly I am not seeing this. I'm seeing the opposite. Also, the so called unique alliance system he mentions is us paying for their defense, them not respecting us, and them using and abusing us. Such "alliances" do not advance our national security interests. Quite the opposite, they sap our strength and undermine our defense. In fact, they aren't allies at all!! Every time I hear about how these so called "allies" who don't respect us, despise us, and use and abuse us need to be respected I want to vomit!!
We FINALLY have a POTUS willing to call these people out. I've recognized the problem for decades. Frankly I would have expected better from General Mattis. From the letter, he's revealed his true colors as an anti-American deep state water carrier.
Frankly he's worse. Many in the deep state do not pretend to care about America or the people they lead. As for the general, he apparently has manipulated the men and women under his command in hi self-serving attempt to rise within the US government.
This may be a bit harsh which I did not intend. After all one does not rise within the US government without ingratiating themselves to the powers that be within the deep state. General Mattis got to where he is. He couldn't have done so otherwise. I thought he had to be to good to be true. Now I know, mistake made, and lesson learned.
POTUS to his credit was very classy. As for the general, I would suggest leave now. We're better off without you.
As for the Kurds, if it makes sense to arm them based on our national interest, obviously we will continue to do so. After all they have received from us which IMHO is WAY more than they have provided to us, we will continue to do so. Judging from their recent actions they seem not much different than the normal set of users and abusers of the American people and our interests.
Maybe the Kurds should have a state. Perhaps they deserve it. Let's say they do. What will this cost America in terms of financial costs, lives lost, American lives placed in peril, economic opportunities lost due to the support of "Kurdistan", and risks of getting sucked into conflicts that don't advance our interests and even undermine them because of this. I could go on with regards to costs associated with the endeavor. Then we have to ask how do we benefit from this. In other words, what's in it for us?
One model to look at when trying to determine this is the South Korean model. This has been a HUGE benefit to South Korea. What about America? 1.)It has costs us a great deal of money over the going on 70 years of commitment. 2.)We've been at risks of being sucked into a hot war at any time for a country who historically has not respected us. (33% of the officers view us as the enemy with another 33% undecided. It's unlikely the populace is much different.) 3.)We need to renegotiate our trade arrangements with China. The commitment to South Korea is undermining this.
I'm NOT suggesting abandoning South Korea. We do have to count the costs of these things though based upon our unique needs and interests. South Korea was rightly called out by POTUS during the campaign. Upon learning that America could not nor should it be expected to be their b!tch boy forever I think they got the message that perhaps they needed to try a little harder to make peace. I think this at least partially explains the progress that has been made.
In the case of "Kurdistan" I see similar potential problems. A multi billion dollar price tag, huge national security risks for America with questionable at best return on the investment. They've used us to expand their holdings well beyond historical norms. Perhaps its time for them to pocket their gains and go away.
Bottom line: We may have gotten ourselves in trouble here by setting unrealistic expectations. They got themselves in trouble by believing in them. whose dumber, us our them? I'd say us. By recent actions I think they expected to continue use us for their own ends and got called out on it before they expected to. I think they knew exactly what they were doing.
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