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Report: Washington Didn’t Even Tell Marine Gen. He Was Being Replaced

Jan. 25, 2013 12:05pm Becket Adams

Gen. James N. Mattis Was Informed by a Note From an Aide That the White House had Decided to Sack Him

Gen. James N. Mattis (Getty Images)

United States Marine Corps Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis was notified that he was being replaced as commander of U.S. Central Command not by a phone call from Washington, but by a note passed to him by an aide, according to Foreign Policy’s Thomas E. Ricks.

From Ricks’ report:

… General Mattis was travelling and in a meeting when an aide passed him a note telling him that the Pentagon had announced his replacement as head of Central Command. It was news to him — he hadn’t received a phone call or a heads-up from anyone at the Pentagon or the White House.

Ricks says he inquired further into this report. This is what he was told:

…the commander-in-chief can make a change whenever he wants and give no reason. That is right and proper under our system of government.

But there’s also the matter of common courtesy to an uncommon man. Here is what one person wrote to me: “What message does it send to the Services when the one leader known for his war-fighting rather than diplomatic or bureaucratic political skills is retired early via one sentence in the Pentagon’s daily press handout? Even in battle, Mattis was inclusive of all under his command. He took the time to pull together his driver and guards after every day’s rotation on the battlefield, telling them what he thought he had learned and asking them for input. Surely senior administration officials could have found the time to be gracious. But they didn’t.”

President Obama appointed Gen. Mattis as commander of U.S. Central Command in the summer of 2010. He was quickly confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

“During his time as commander, none of the symptoms of unhealthy civil-military relations such as those that characterized the tenure of Donald Rumsfeld as secretary of defense, have manifested themselves,” Mackubin Thomas Owens writes in the Weekly Standard.

“There have been no leaks to the press over policy disagreements and no reports of ‘slow rolling’ or ‘foot dragging’ in Gen. Mattis’s implementation of the president’s policy,” Owens adds.

U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, commander, U.S. Central Command speaks with Chief of Defense of the Qatar Armed Forces Lt.Gen. Hamad Bin Ali Al-Attiah and Staff Lt. General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces Kuwaiti National Day military parade on Feb. 26, 2011. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)

In short, Gen. Mattis was efficient and professional. So when it was announced last year that Gen. Mattis would be exiting his post sometime in March 2013, many of us were surprised. For a general who had carried himself and performed his duties so well, his tenure as commander of U.S. Central Command was unusually short-lived.

What happened?

Again, we turn to Ricks at Foreign Policy:

Pentagon insiders say that he rubbed civilian officials the wrong way — not because he went all “mad dog,” which is his public image, and the view at the White House, but rather because he pushed the civilians so hard on considering the second- and third-order consequences of military action against Iran. Some of those questions apparently were uncomfortable.

Like, what do you do with Iran once the nuclear issue is resolved and it remains a foe? What do you do if Iran then develops conventional capabilities that could make it hazardous for U.S. Navy ships to operate in the Persian Gulf? He kept saying, “And then what?”

Inquiry along these lines apparently was not welcomed — at least in the CENTCOM view. The White House view, apparently, is that Mattis was too hawkish …

Gen. Mattis, as Ricks notes, also disagreed with the White House on the U.S.’ ongoing operation in Afghanistan, Pakistani stability, and (perhaps most importantly) the U.S.’ response to the so-called “Arab Spring.”

And it’s because of these disagreements that certain commentators believe the White House decided to dump Gen. Mattis.

AL ASAD, Iraq – Lt. Gen. James Mattis, the commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command, speaks to Marines with Marine Wing Support Group 27, May 6. Mattis explained how things in Iraq have gotten better since the first time Marines came to Iraq. (Photo by Cpl. Zachary Dyer)

“Of course, a president has every right to choose the generals he wants, but it is also the case that he usually gets the generals he deserves,” Owens notes.

“By pushing Mattis overboard, the administration is sending a message that it doesn’t want smart, independently minded generals who speak candidly to their civilian leaders. The message that generals and admirals may receive that they should go along to get along, which is a bad message for the health of U.S. civil-military relations,” Owens concludes.

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Featured image courtesy the AP.

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Comments (511)

MisterSarcastic
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:07pm
Obama fired him because he’s purging our military of our good leadership and replacing them with yes men. Obama fired him the way he did is because Obama is a coward.

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Bro Steve Winter
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:57pm
Will Obama be able to purge the military of any patriots?

http://www.barrysoetoro.net is an interesting site about Hussein.

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Kolbie
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:55pm
The article answers the question: The General was not a screw-up and the General held the civilian advisers around his command, and or within his command, accountable. POTUS, as the Commander in Chief, is sending a “loud and clear” message. Just look at his recent appointments for Sec State, Sec Def, Director CIA, etc. etc. and his treatment of several Generals in the last four months (since the 9-11-2012 attack in Libya). POTUS seems to be saying: “This is my watch. Either get with my program or I will send you packing!”

I am really fearful of what our military and our Intelligence Agencies will look like in 12 months.

From the article:
“During his time as commander, none of the symptoms of unhealthy civil-military relations such as those that characterized the tenure of Donald Rumsfeld as secretary of defense, have manifested themselves,” Mackubin Thomas Owens writes in the Weekly Standard.
“There have been no leaks to the press over policy disagreements and no reports of ‘slow rolling’ or ‘foot dragging’ in Gen. Mattis’s implementation of the president’s policy,” Owens adds.
In short, Gen. Mattis was efficient and professional…..

As I stated, the article answers the question!

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blondenblueeyed
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:53pm
IMO Obama did General Mattis a favor. If I were he, I wouldn’t my name associated in any way, shape or form to the Obama administration and it’s mishandling of the military and the government in general. General Mattis from a former military brat and military wife….YOU ARE APPRECIATED. Thank you for your service.

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mlgunner
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:44pm
Stalin found out in 1941 that if you have idiots and sycophants as your top brass, you loose millions of soldiers and thousands of square miles of land. Too bad the lesson didn’t extend to the destruction of the Soviet Union. AND yes, I am comparing Obama to Stalin. He is just a weaker stupider version.

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ginger100
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:41pm
Bet he’ll be replace with a lesbian general who knows who can stroke dem politicians and will say yes ma’am/sir and fire on Americans. Marines will all be wearing rainbow camo’s soon.

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- Bonnieblue2A
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:34pm
  Is Big Sis Napolitano getting a promotion? Afterall, “our borders have never been more secure” even though vast areas of our SW National Parks are closed due to uncontrollable human and drug traffiking, she testified under oath that she didn’t know anything about Operation Fast & Furious, and she has advised us all to “stretch before shoveling snow”.
  
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lessoneleg
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:41pm
So what does this story tell you?
Well it says, that Military leadership has to cow tow to Social Activists within the Obama Administration, and future advancement within the Military branches must adhere to hard line leftists within the White House Senior Staff.
Beware, a new progressive coupe is being formed to remove detractors of leftists within the White House.
It think you can see why Hillary Clinton wants out now before the whole story emerges.

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Arshloch
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:40pm
The pusillanimous children in the administration do not like ‘Generals’ because a General is competent, while they are not. Their revenge, for being incompetent, is to try and shame the Generals by this type of slimy tactic. IT DOSEN’T WORK.

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BuddyBaker
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:39pm
He probably didn’t support women in combat. Any disagreement with BOs social agenda will get you canned.

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conservredneck
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:29pm
and who is surprised?

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JLindsay
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:17pm
Some quotes from the General:

“I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you f* with me, I’ll kill you all.”

“We’ve backed off in good faith to try and give you a chance to straighten this problem out. But I am going to beg with you for a minute. I’m going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years.”

“For the mission’s sake, for our country’s sake, and the sake of the men who carried the Division’s colors in past battles — “who fought for life and never lost their nerve” — carry out your mission and keep your honor clean. Demonstrate to the world there is “No Better Friend — No Worse Enemy” than a US Marine.”

http://www.businessinsider.com/general-maddog-mattiss-best-quotes-2013-1?op=1#ixzz2J0255uRs

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GuruMeditation
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:11pm
Pretty lame. Obama doesn’t deserve our military.

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spirited
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:07pm
United States Marine Corps Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis must not have hadskeletons-in-the-closet emails or public note-worthy sexual escapades.

>God help US.
Guide all military and law enforcement to act on behalf of We The People.

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- Bonnieblue2A
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 3:37pm
  Oathkeepers, Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, The County Sherif Project.
  
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cassandra
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:03pm
obama is purging the military of Generals with brains,integrity,content of character and patriotic and replacing them with his shadow socialist

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Uechi
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:59pm
What a cowardly way to tell a man with many years of honorable service to his country. Nothing this disgusting President or Government surprises me anymore. The attack on weakening the military continues as the Lord of the Flies proceeds on his joureny to destroy us all.

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- JLindsay
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:20pm
  Clinton did the same during his “reign”.
  
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truthnstuff
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:57pm
The new generals will come from his peeps in Chicago. They ahve been practicing their strategy with their roving mobs.

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Tom Ballard
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:56pm
Just like the way Hitler handled his Generals ,He knew better than they did HA HA

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- mlgunner
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:48pm
  He didn’t purge his best people, at least not at first. Hitler was listening to the Generals in his head, not the ones who knew he couldn’t win the war, and peace wasn’t an option after the US and Russia got involved.
  
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rochrealtor
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:39pm
Save your self for the militia General.

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- JLindsay
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:23pm
  Really. We will need men like him in a big way.
  
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fgarvin
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:37pm
Well, POS Dumbo – too busy drawing up fly like a piece of desert dung, can’t have a real leader around. Can’t have someone that actually earned a position of leadership instead of someone that fooled a large percentage of really stupid people….twice. First, we dissolve the Financial System to put everyone on their knees, then we take power away from the civilians – gun control – and the military so they can not stop the ball from rolling. Finally, we kill off the intellects so they can’t challenge the ruling class. Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Mao and now Dumbo the Flycatcher!

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demsrtraitors
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:35pm
Generals seem have a hard time believing their president is purging them and betraying them.

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RaydocX
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:29pm
saw McCain say he ‘speaks truth to power.’ guess he couldn’t handle truth.

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youshuthehellup
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:25pm
where’s the” tuff ” generals that usually say “we got your back” yeah right!

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- iampraying4u
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 4:13pm
  when the prez says i got your back dont bend over
  
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LB
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:24pm
and BO will appoint his butt kissers and we are less safe because of it. Impeach him for not doing his job.

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- JLindsay
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:26pm
  Honduran and Paraguayan lawmakers did just that to their Obamas.
  
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AxelPhantom
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:11pm
This is a pattern with liberals.

We want centralized healthcare! Yeaaaah! Ooops, didn’t see that coming.
We want to ban guns! Yeaaaaaah! Ooops.
Lets give Egypt new jet fighters! Yeaahhhh! Ooops.
Lets ban fracking! Yeaaaaah! Ooops.

All this man did was ask for some logical thinking and it made some people “uncomfortable”.

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Watcher1952
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:06pm
Recruitment of males is way down in the over all military…hence the women in combat announcement……Barack Hussien Obama wants only political Generals just like Colon Powell. General Mattis is a soldiers General……this administration is doing exactly what is menioned above…generals who will order troops to fire on AMERICANS……do not be surprised when Martial Law is announced….. Lock and Load and have a battle plan for your neighbor hood

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