Posts Tagged ‘Gen. Stanley McChyrstal’

Mad Dog Mattis Tidbits

Monday, December 5th, 2016

Now that President-elect Donald Trump has officially nominated retired Marine Corps General James Norman “Mad Dog” Mattis as his Secretary of Defense, here’s a roundup of some Mattis links:

  • How Mattis approached counterinsurgency operations in Anbar province.
  • How the Obama Administration pushed out four of the most gifted generals of their generation: “David Petraeus, Stanley McChrystal, John Allen, and James Mattis.”
  • Brief Forbes overview of Mattis, including the tidbit that “as the military moved him about the globe he travelled with a library reports say was about 7,000 books.” A man after my own heart…
  • Indeed, he penned a letter scoffing at the idea of being too busy to read.
  • Here’s seven memorable Mattis quotes. Like this advice to Iraqi tribal leaders: “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.” (Note: At least a couple of those quotes have been around longer than Mattis.)
  • No wait, here’s the 16 best quotes from Mattis, with some overlap. “Find the enemy that wants to end this experiment (in American democracy) and kill every one of them until they’re so sick of the killing that they leave us and our freedoms intact.”
  • A swell General Mattis Christmas story. (Hat tip: Dwight.)
  • Heh:

    (Hat Tip: Dwight.)

  • Obama Fires McChrystal, Replaces Him With Petraeus

    Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

    Technically speaking, he relieved Gen. Stanley McChyrstal of command and replaced him with Gen. David Petraeus. Petraeus (or, as Moveon.org once referred to him as, “General Betray Us”) taking over is probably good news, especially given Michael Yon’s criticisms of McChyrstal. Perhaps Petraeus can beef up our counter-insurgency campaign in Afghanistan, and possibly convince Obama that setting a deadline for withdrawal is a bad idea.

    I’m sure howls of outrage about the firing from those on the left who condemned Bush for not “listening to the generals” will happen any minute now. (Checks watch) Yep, any minute now…