Did Former Gen. James Mattis, The President-Elect's Choice For Secretary Of Defense, Threaten To Quit?

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump stands with retired Marine Gen. James Mattis following their meeting at the main clubhouse at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., November 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar

CNN: Mattis, Trump team clashed over Pentagon appointment

Washington (CNN)The Trump transition team clashed with former Gen. James Mattis, the President-elect's choice for secretary of defense, over the transition selecting a secretary of the Army without his input, several sources told CNN.

Mattis was angry and threatened to quit if the transition tried to appoint more people without him, one of the sources said. Vice President-elect Mike Pence had to talk to Mattis and smooth things over, the source added.

The Washington Post first reported the disagreement.

Trump's incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer disputed the story in a Tweet Friday morning, writing, "Great transition at DoD. Reports to contrary completely false and come from sources who do not have any knowledge of our transition efforts."

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Update: Rivalry brewing on Trump team (The Hill)

WNU Editor: His confirmation hearings begin this week. As to his "fight" with the Trump transition team .... who knows if he threatened to quit or not. But considering how critical and tense the next few weeks are going to be when positions in the administration start to be filled .... these tensions are naturally going to arise.

Defense Secretary Nominee James Mattis Gets Ready For His Confirmation Process

Military Times: New in 2017: Gen. James Mattis goes back to Capitol Hill

Defense secretary nominee James Mattis is well-liked by most members of Congress, but that doesn’t mean his confirmation process will be easy.

The retired Marine Corps general’s path to the top of the Defense Department marks an early test for President-elect Donald Trump, and his ability to work with Congress as he sets and pursues his agenda.

Mattis retired in 2013, so he’ll need a waiver from Congress to get around federal rules mandating seven years between military service and assuming the top Pentagon post. Congress in December approved an easier process for that at the start of next session, but lawmakers will still have time for debate on the issue.

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Update #1: Blumenthal Meets With James Mattis, Trump's Pick For Defense Secretary (Hartford Courant)
Update #2: Inside Trump Defense Secretary Pick’s Efforts to Halt Torture (New York Times)
Update #3: Mattis Backs F-35 Stealth Fighter Criticized by Trump (DoD Buzz)

WNU Editor: I do not expect any problems with his nomination. He has appointed by President Obama to replace General Petraeus to head United States Central Command, and he is well liked and respected by literally everyone.

Should A Former General Be In Charge Of The U.S. Defense Department?

Gen. James Mattis testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington July 27, 2010, on his nomination to be Commander of U.S. Central Command. Yuri Gripas/Reuters

Anna Mulrine Grobe, CSM: Enter the generals: Why Trump's cabinet picks give Pentagon pause

President-elect Trump's pick for secretary of Defense, retired Gen. James Mattis, is widely respected among military analysts. But he will need a congressional waiver to serve.

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump confirmed Thursday that retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis will soon be named the new administration’s pick for Secretary of Defense.

“We’re not announcing it ’til next week, so don’t tell anyone,” Mr. Trump told a cheering crowd in Cincinnati Thursday evening, referring to the nominee by his nickname, “Mad Dog” and calling him “the closest thing we have to George Patton.”

It is what many former military officials consider a “good news, bad news” story for the Pentagon, which, despite its implicit focus on waging war, has a long – and necessary, analysts are quick to add – tradition of civilian, rather than military, leadership.

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WNU Editor: I must admit that I am a fan of Ret. General Mattis .... and I was also surprised that President-Elect Trump chose him to be the Secretary of the Defense Department. Is the General qualified .... probably. Will his tenure be a long term success story .... or short live and a failure .... it is far too early to make that prediction. But is selecting a former General to head the Department of Defense the right appointment .... on this I have my doubts. I am one of those who firmly believes that there must be a mix of both at the top .... but with a civilian being the top person. This appointment violates this rule .... and we are now entering unknown territory. I am still going to withhold judgement ..... and give the new Secretary of Defense the benefit of the doubt for the next six months. It is going to be during this time that we will quickly learn if he is going to be there for the long term .... or (like former Defense Secretary Hagel) be replaced within two years.

Incoming U.S. Defense Secretary Ret. General Mattis: The Iraq War Was A 'Strategic Mistake'

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump stands with retired Marine Gen. James Mattis following their meeting at the main clubhouse at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., November 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Business Insider: MATTIS: The Iraq war was a 'strategic mistake'

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Defence Secretary called the invasion of Iraq a “strategic mistake” at a conference last year, in an audio recording obtained by The Intercept.

In a wide-ranging speech at an ASIS International Conference in Anaheim, California that covered everything from Iran, ISIS, and other national security hotspots, retired Marine Gen. James Mattis told attendees: “We will probably look back on the invasion of Iraq as a mistake, a strategic mistake.”

The assertion is not particularly controversial, given the faulty intelligence that led to the invasion, the many missteps afterward, and the unravelling of a country that eventually gave birth to the terrorist group ISIS.

But it is interesting as it’s the first known instance of Mattis portraying the invasion in a negative light, especially given his leadership of 1st Marine Division in 2003, which he led across the border and, eventually, into Baghdad.

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Update #1: Iraq Was Probably a “Mistake,” Said Gen. James Mattis, Trump's Defense Pick (The Intercept)
Update #2: Iraq war a ‘strategic mistake’ – leaked Gen. Mattis audio (RT)

WNU Editor: None of the articles explain why he felt it was a strategic mistake at the time .... because with hindsight it is easy to make the claim. I can only hope that this will be one of the questions raised when he goes through the confirmation process.

How The Democrats Can Block General Mattis's Nomination To Be U.S. Secretary Of Defense

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (L) and Vice President-elect Mike Pence (R) greet retired Marine General James Mattis in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., November 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

Business Insider/Foreign Policy: Congress will need to lift a rule barring recently retired generals from serving as secretary of defense to confirm Trump's pick

According to reports, President-elect Donald Trump has tapped recently retired Marine General James Mattis to be his secretary of defense.

The Mattis pick has been circulating as a rumor for weeks, and most of the commentary have focused on two aspects: 1) Mattis’ penchant for offering highly quotable, pithy, but slightly impolitic observations, and 2) to be confirmed, he would need Congress to pass a law lifting the restriction on recently retired general officers serving in this post.

The first aspect likely attracted Trump to Mattis. In their plainspoken defiance of political correctness, the two are birds of a feather.

The second clearly did not repel Trump from Mattis, and rightly so. Mattis is a very strong pick for Secretary of Defense and I believe a good case can be made to get Congress to lift the restriction.

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WNU Editor: The important part of this post is the following ....

.... Once a candidate has been cleared by the relevant oversight committee, most confirmations, even for very senior positions, are passed under unanimous consent procedures that fly through very quickly. Of course, a senator who wants to block a confirmation can put a hold on it or filibuster it. That sometimes happens, especially for controversial nominees, but if it does not, then a simple majority of the Senate can confirm an appointment.

Will a U.S. Democrat senator or senators actively work to block this pick .... we shall see. But for the moment, it looks like his nomination will sail through with little if any opposition.

A Look At How General Mattis Will Run The Pentagon

CNN: Inside the mind of 'Mad Dog' Mattis

(CNN)In picking Gen. Jim Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday night that he has found his "Gen. George Patton." Yet that label may not really capture what makes Mattis a distinctive choice. Mattis has been sharply critical of President Barack Obama's policies on Iran, and Obama's capping of troop numbers and campaign end-dates in theaters of war such as Afghanistan and Iraq. Mattis also appears to be a skeptic of the Obama-era policy of putting women into combat roles.

Mattis, 66, is a storied retired Marine general beloved by his troops whose skeptical views on Iran and appetite for a robust military that is unencumbered by political correctness align closely with those of his new boss. But Mattis is also a warrior-intellectual who easily and unpretentiously quotes both the Roman stoic Marcus Aurelius and Eliot Cohen, the Republican military strategist who was a leader of the "never Trump" movement.

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Update #1: Mattis isn’t just a popular general anymore. He’s an icon faced with running the entire Pentagon. (Washington Post)
Update #2: Here’s what legendary Marine General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis is really like, from people who served with him (Business Insider)
Update #3: I Served With James Mattis. Here’s What I Learned From Him (The Federalist)

WNU Editor: This will probably be brought up during his confirmation hearings .... This may have been legendary Marine Corps General Mattis' one mistake in battle (Business Insider).

Report: Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis Has Been Selected For U.S. Secretary Of Defense

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump stands with retired Marine Gen. James Mattis following their meeting at the main clubhouse at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., November 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Washington Post: Trump has chosen retired Marine Gen. James Mattis for secretary of defense

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen retired Marine Gen. James N. Mattis to be secretary of defense, according to people familiar with the decision, nominating a former senior military officer who led operations across the Middle East to run the Pentagon less than four years after he hung up his uniform.

To take the job, Mattis will need Congress to pass new legislation to bypass a federal law stating that defense secretaries must not have been on active duty in the previous seven years. Congress has granted a similar exception just once, when Gen. George C. Marshall was appointed to the job in 1950.

An announcement is likely by early next week, according to the people familiar with the choice. Jason Miller, a spokesman with the Trump transition team, tweeted Thursday evening that no decision had been made. Trump’s son Donald Jr., meanwhile, retweeted a report saying that Mattis got the job.

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WNU Editor: The Trump transition team is denying these reports .... Mattis reported named for Pentagon but Trump team denies (Reuters). More here .... Trump teams denies it has picked Marine General 'Mad Dog' Mattis as Defense Secretary (Daily Mail)

More News On Reports That Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis Has Been Selected For U.S. Secretary Of Defense

It's official: Donald Trump has chosen Gen. James Mattis for defense secretary -- Military Times
James Mattis selected as Trump's secretary of defense -- CNN
Mattis appointment as Defense secretary would signal wartime posture -- USA Today
Reports: Trump picks Mattis for Defense secretary -- USA Today
Trump picks retired General ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis for secretary of defense -- NYPost

Two Retried U.S. Marine Generals Receommend Each Other To President-elect Trump For U.S. Secretary of Defense

Trump shakes hands with retired Marine Gen. John Kelly after meeting with him in Bedminster Township, N.J., on Nov. 20. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Washington Post: Retired Marine generals recommended each other to Trump as Pentagon chief

When President-elect Donald Trump met last weekend with two retired Marine Corps generals, they each recommended that Trump consider naming the other as secretary of defense, according to a source familiar with the generals’ talks.
James N. Mattis and John F. Kelly are both seen as contenders for a cabinet position in the new administration. Trump has tweeted that he is considering Mattis as a potential secretary of defense, while the president-elect’s senior advisers have indicated that Kelly could serve as secretary of state or homeland security.

Mattis met with Trump on Nov. 19, and Kelly met with him the following day. The retired officers have long been colleagues and friends, with Mattis serving as a two-star general in charge of the 1st Marine Division during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and Kelly serving as his one-star assistant commander. They also have long personal and professional relationships with Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, who commanded the 5th Marine Regiment under Mattis during the invasion and is now chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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WNU Editor: Call me gullible .... but I do not think this joint recommendation was scripted. On a side note, here is a good James Mattis story and another reason why many soldiers respect him .... A General Mattis Christmas Story (US Naval Institute).

Hat tip to Prairie Pundit for the US Naval Institute story.

Has President-elect Trump Just Reversed His Stand On Torture?

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (L) and Vice President-elect Mike Pence (R) greet retired Marine General James Mattis in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., November 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

Business Insider: Marine General 'Mad Dog' Mattis got Trump to rethink his position on torture in under an hour

While on the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump often asserted that "torture works." But one meeting with legendary Marine Gen. James Mattis appears to have made him rethink that stance.

On Saturday, Trump met with the retired four-star general at the real-estate mogul's Bedminster, New Jersey, golf course for about an hour to discuss the possibility Mattis could be tapped to serve as defense secretary.

Details about the private conversation are hard to come by, but Trump did reveal an interesting bit Tuesday to reporters at The New York Times when asked about waterboarding.

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WNU Editor: But what do you do with terror suspects where cigarettes and beers does not work?

More News On Reports That Suggest President-elect Trump Has Reversed His Stand On Torture

Did Mattis just talk Trump out of bringing back torture? (Washington Examiner)
In Stunning Reversal, Trump Scraps His Calls to Bring Back Torture (Foreign Policy)
Trump makes torture U-turn after ex-marine James Mattis says 'cigarettes and beer work better' (International Business Times)
Trump on waterboarding: Gen. Mattis might have talked me out of it (Hot Air)

Bi-Partisan Support For Ret. General Mattis To Be U.S. Secretary Of Defense

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump stands with retired Marine Gen. James Mattis following their meeting at the main clubhouse at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., November 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Eli Lake, Bloomberg: Why Trump's Washington Loves 'Mad Dog' Mattis

It says something about Donald Trump that a retired Marine general nicknamed "Mad Dog" is uniting the divided swamp the next president has promised to drain.

It's true. Democrats and Republicans, NeverTrump and NeverHillary, the alt-right and the wonky cucks of the GOP all agree: James Mattis for Secretary of Defense. So far, the swamp looks like it will get its wish. Mattis visited Trump Saturday in New Jersey and Republican sources are chattering that he is now the front-runner to be the civilian leader of the world's greatest military.

This news was greeted with bipartisan relief here at the Halifax International Security Forum, an annual conference in Nova Scotia that brings together foreign policy elites from Western democracies. For the most part, this is not Trump country. It is however, Mattis country.

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WNU Editor: This blog has been covering General Mattis for years. (A list of posts on General is here and here). But being in the running for Secretary of Defense .... with bi-partisan support .... I never even imagined it. Will the warrior General be a good Defense Secretary .... I do not know .... but maybe that is exactly what the Pentagon needs.

Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis Being Considered For Secretary Of Defense

Wall Street Journal: Donald Trump Considering Retired General James Mattis for Defense Chief

Retired Marine general has long voiced concerns about the security threat posed by Iran.

WASHINGTON—President-elect Donald Trump is considering several retired military generals as possible picks to be secretary of defense, people knowledgeable about the transition process said.

Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, a former war commander who has long voiced concerns about the security threat posed by Iran, is among those being considered. Gen. Mattis is expected to visit with Mr. Trump in New Jersey, transition officials said Friday.

Gen. Mattis didn’t respond to attempts to reach him for comment.

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Update #1: Trump to meet with Mattis on Saturday (Politico)
Update #2: Donald Trump to meet with Retired Marine General James Mattis for SECDEF (SOFREP).
Update #3: Legendary Marine General to Meet with Trump Amid SecDef Talk (Military.com)

WNU Editor: I would be shocked if he is chosen as Secretary of Defense. President-Elect Trump is also considering the following names for the top job at the Pentagon .... Trump considering Petraeus, others for Pentagon chief: WSJ (Reuters).

Leadership Lessons From Gen. James Mattis (Ret.) (Video)

Marine Times: Mattis talks about leadership in inspiring new video

Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis is sharing his insight on leadership and knife-hands.

In an online video posted by the Marine Corps, the former leader of U.S. Central Command spends more than 16 minutes answering questions from Marines and the general public that were submitted via social media.

The most revered Marine leader since the late Chesty Puller, Mattis offers leadership lessons from his time in the Corps, talking about being ordered to halt the Marines’ initial advance into Fallujah in 2004 and what he was thinking when he talked to Marines one cold night in Afghanistan while walking the perimeter.

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WNU Editor: I can never get enough of Gen. James Mattis (Ret.).

Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis Talks About The Civil-Military Divide

Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis on Tuesday unveiled a recommendation on how many U.S. troops should remain in Afghanistan after the 2014 withdrawal. Marine Times

James Clark, Task & Purpose: We Asked Gen Mattis About Why Civilians Don’t Understand War

Marine Gen. James Mattis and Kori Schake, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, on the risks posed by a broadening civil-military divide.

The civil-military divide is a term that refers to a growing cultural gap between the broader civilian society and the small percentage of people who currently serve, or have served in the military. But the term and its implications have yet to be clearly defined and understood.

This is the driving force behind “Warriors & Citizens” but it’s only the first part of a more critical line of thinking explored in the book by retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis and Kori Schake, a fellow of Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

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WNU Editor: General Mattis (ret.) is never boring.

This Is What Leadership In A Military Should Be

Photo: Gen James N. Mattis, Commander of United States Central Command. Wikipedia

Meet General Jim Mattis, The Warrior Poet -- Time

"To think like men of action, and to act like men of thought!"

General Jim “Mad Dog” Mattis is among the most revered top brass of the U.S. Marine Corps, and apparently he’s something of an expert orator too.

At a recent award dinner at the Marine Corps University Foundation he was awarded the Semper Fidelis Award, honoring a leader exemplifying high principles and dedicated service.

The 63-year-old subsequently addressed the crowd for what the Marine Times is saying might be the “most motivating speech of all time.”

Read some highlights below and judge for yourself.

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Update: People Are Calling This Speech By Marine General 'Mad Dog' Mattis 'The Most Motivating Speech Of All Time' -- Business Insider

WNU Editor: The full speech is here.

Gen. James Mattis: Iran’s Nuclear Program Cannot Be Stopped By Military Means

Photo: General James Mattis, USMC, Commander US Joint Forces Command and Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, NATO (2007). Wikipedia

Military Alone Can’t Stop Iran’s Nuke Program, Gen. James Mattis Says -- Washington Times

Iran’s nuclear program cannot be stopped by military means, by either the U.S. or by Israel, the recently retired chief of U.S. Central Command said over the weekend.

“I don’t think anyone can destroy a program that has spread out from Tehran to the mountains, from underground facilities to above ground,” retired Marine Gen. James Mattis said Saturday.

Even successful military strikes would likely only destroy and block the entrances to hardened underground facilities, Gen. Mattis said.

“With a good backhoe, you can open that back up,” he told the Aspen Security forum, according to posted video of the event.

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My Comment: Former General Mattis is right .... but I doubt that the Israelis are listening to him.

General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis Writes About Being 'Too Busy To Read'

Photo: General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis

General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis Email About Being 'Too Busy To Read' Is A Must-Read -- Business Insider

In the run up to Marine Gen. James Mattis' deployment to Iraq in 2004, a colleague wrote to him asking about the "importance of reading and military history for officers," many of whom found themselves "too busy to read."

His response went viral over email.

Security Blog "Strife" out of Kings College in London recently published Mattis' words with a short description from the person who found it in her email.

Their title for the post:

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My Comment: Priceless.

Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis Retires

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel takes the U.S. Central Command colors from Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis and prepares to hand the colors to Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III during the change-of-command ceremony on MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., March 22, 2013. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

Change at CENTCOM: Mattis Out, Austin In -- The E-Ring/Foreign Policy

The flag has been passed at Central Command. Army Gen. Lloyd Austin took command from retiring Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis on Friday, as CENTCOM's focus shifts after more than a decade of war to an end-of-combat period for Afghanistan and expanded counterterrorism across the rest of the region.

“Ten years ago, both Jim Mattis and Lloyd Austin were in the Iraqi desert, on opposite sides of the Euphrates River, helping lead their troops in the drive to Baghdad,” said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, according to transcripts provided by the Pentagon.

Pentagon reporters were not invited to travel with Hagel to cover the ceremony.

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Update #1: Austin Takes Central Command Flag From Mattis -- US Department of Defense
Update #2: Marine General Bids Farewell to Centcom Family -- US Department of Defense

My Comment: Even the White House made a note of this change. What's my take .... the departure of Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis is going to be felt on every level.

Update: Hagel’s Salty Farewell To Mattis -- DoD Buzz

The Letter James Mattis Wrote To His Marines Before The 2003 Iraq Invasion

The Letter James Mattis Wrote To His Marines Is A Must Read In Military History -- Business Insider

Marine Gen. James N. Mattis is something of a legend in the U.S. military. Looked at as a warrior among Marines, and well-respected by members of other services, he's been at the forefront of a number of engagements. He's expected to retire from the Corps soon after 40 years of service.

He led his battalion of Marines in the assault during the first Gulf war in 1991, and commanded the task force charging into Afghanistan in 2001. In 2003, as a Major General, he once again took up the task of motivating his young Marines to go into battle.

One day before beginning the assault into Iraq, on Mar. 19, 2003, every member of 1st Marine Division received this letter, written in Mattis' own hand.

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My Comment: It is a must read.

Why General Mattis Will Be Missed

Why Mattis Will Be Missed -- Max Boot, Commentary

The Obama administration may regret pushing General James Mattis, the brilliant and blunt-talking Marine who is head of Central Command, into retirement for a variety of reasons—not the least of them being that, with his impending retirement looming, he has felt free to voice undiplomatic truths.

In his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, he was asked whether sanctions and diplomacy were preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear arms. His blunt answer: “No, sir” He followed up by explaining: “That should not be in any way construed as we should not try to negotiate. I still support the direction we’re taking. I’m just — I’m paid to take a rather dim view of the Iranians, frankly.” Needless to say his “dim view” is a lot closer to reality than the daydreams of political staffers in the White House who imagine that some kind of diplomatic breakthrough with the mullahs is likely.

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My Comment: I am also one of those who will miss him.

CENTCOM General Mattis: Syria Planning Underway

Marine Corps General James Mattis and Navy Admiral William McRaven testify at the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington on March 5. Radio Free Europe

Military’s Mideast Chief Has Plans to ‘Disrupt’ Syrian Chemical Weapons -- Danger Room

Marine Gen. James Mattis, the outgoing commander of U.S. troops in the Middle East and South Asia, told a Senate panel on Tuesday that he’s got “options prepared” to secure Syria’s deadly chemical arsenal.

Mattis conceded that it would be “very difficult” to prevent a chemical attack by dictator Bashar Assad’s forces. But Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee that after his forces detected an initial chemical attack, they might “disrupt” a poison-gas onslaught and “might be able to further affect their transfer or use.”

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Update: U.S. efforts on Iran not working, Syria planning underway: Mattis -- Reuters

My Comment: The general admits that the situation on the ground in Syria is very complicated. He also clearly does not feel comfortable in giving weapons to the Syrian rebels .... a position that I also share. With the Jihadists now intertwined with the Syrian rebel movement on almost every level .... it would be difficult to tell who is who .... especially when you are giving away sophisticated weaponry.