Mattis: You just don’t take anything off the table up front

| September 18, 2014

James Mattis1

The Washington Post quotes iconic Marine General James Mattis at the House Intelligence Committee earlier today;

Mattis, who served 41 years in the Marine Corps, said the United States does not necessarily need to send ground troops into Iraq or Syria to engage in direct combat with the Islamic State. For all their brutality, “you don’t have to use the best military” against them because “these people aren’t that good,” the general said.

But broadcasting up front an unwillingness to use ground troops in Iraq, despite an expanded mission there, creates problems, both Mattis and Crocker said.

“Specifically, if this threat to our nation is determined to be as significant as I believe it is, we may not wish to reassure our enemies in advance that they will not see American ‘boots on the ground,’ ” Mattis said.

Of course, we can only hope that the thugs in al Shabab, al Qaeda, ISIS, Boko Haram and anyone I happened to leave out are as confused as the media and the American public are from the mixed and muddled messages that are coming out of this administration. While president is telling troops at MacDill AFB that he’s not sending them to Iraq, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is telling Congress that he’s willing to make exactly that move.

Category: Politics

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Sparks

Man do I wish Obama had the balls to turn this mess over to General Mattis and tell him, “Do what is necessary to stop ISIS and protect America. It’s all your calls and up to your directions”. But again, I am dreaming. Fantasy is good sometimes.

Grimmy

But but but Sparks!

How would Obama’s doing that harm the US, directly or at the very least, indirectly?

Have you ever seen him or his maladministration consider any other objective?

Ever?

Green Thumb

Obummer is taking every opportunity to look “presidential” and like he knows what the hell is going on.

Sparks

Grimmy…You called it right there brother.

Devtun

Fmr SECDEF Gates sure sounds like he’s siding w/ GEN Dempsey. GEN Odierno has also piped in, and looks like he’s siding w/ CJCS as well. BTW, maybe NYT’s Alison Smale doesn’t understand the chain of command…GEN Dempsey is NOT GEN Odierno’s commander as she implies.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/18/world/middleeast/general-odierno-isis-iraq-nato.html?rref=world/middleeast&module=Ribbon&version=context&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Middle%20East&pgtype=article

FatCircles0311

Community Organizer In Chief.

Climb to Glory

Which is ironic because he couldn’t organize a gay pride parade in San Francisco. At least this stuff is keeping him somewhat occupied from destroying the U.S economy any further.

Hondo

Not really. ObamaCare still exists, EPA is still planning to implement “carbon limits”, “green mandates” grow unrestrained, and both SNAP and Social Security disability rolls are at all-time highs – along with the price of ground beef. Sounds more to me like the economic deconstruction is continuing apace.

Open Channel D

I don’t think the SCOAMF could lead a pack of pedophiles to a pre-school.

Ex-PH2

As a strategy, publicly confusing your opponent is good.

It worked during World War II, didn’t it?

I think they should continue to issue back-and-forth statements about what is/is not going to be done, and meantime… oh, uh, just let those goat-sniffing ISers try to figure out what we’re up to.

Stacy0311

Maybe just maybe in January 2014, this guy will be nominated for CJCS. Or SecDef.
Imagine him as SecState…….

Susan

Won’t be Sec. Def. 10 USC sec. 113(a) requires that there be greater than seven years between the relief of a commissioned officer from the active component before he/she becomes Sec. Def.

Stacy0311

sorry should be Jan 2017

Luddite4Change

I suppose it is just what the definition of “boots” is?

Just An Old Dog

I heard during the interview/ briefing that Mattis unsheathed the knife hands….

CWO5USMC

Gen Mattis doesn’t unsheath the knife hands, he is a knife hand!!!

Laughing Wolf

^^^This^^^ True that.

Susan

I might be ready to nominate Mattis for President, but I think I need an explanation for the cluster that was the Haditha investigation first. Am I wrong?

Grimmy

Not wrong at all, Susan. Btw, that cluster is still ongoing iirc.

Mattis lost a lot of cred on that. But, I suspect it was more about Mattis knowing that once that piece of shit that was pushing the enemy propaganda production as actual true fact of the event got traction, no way in hell the situation could be dealt with honestly.

No options remained except to allow a degenerate msm and self loving JAGs do their thing.

Rerun0369

Even the best make mistakes. Mattis is still universally loved by his Marines. (Yes, he may be retired, but we are still his Marines.)

Grimmy

I was in during Commandants Barrow and Kelley.

Commandant Barrow, I don’t remember much about, but Kelley…

All Marines will wear rank insignia front and center on soft covers as well as collars, field and garrison. No subdued insignia for officers, field or garrison.

Seems some of us snuffies weren’t saluting smart enough and he was afraid it was because we couldn’t see who the officers were.

I’d have loved to server under the Warrior Monk.

Stacy0311

Ah the joys of plastic pin on rank, V-neck t-shirts with Chucks and the Wooly-Pully sweater. Good times. /sarc

Grimmy

PS. I forgot to say…

I’m not all that sure that it was a mistake on Mattis’ part as much as it was a no alternatives short of outright mutiny to refuse the prosecution.

I’ve never heard the General’s side of things on that issue.

Grimmy

Translation of Obama’s speech on ISIS/ISIL or whatever the hell we’re calling them today…

“Listen guys. We’re gonna do the usual. It’ll look all tough and stuff but it’ll wind down before you’re actually harmed to any real degree. Trust me. Just wait it out. I’m still on your side.”

ConcernedCitizen

Mattis 2016!
We can dream. ;_;