Mattis May be Misunderstood
Journalist: Jen DiMascio
Original Post: POLITICO’s Morning Defense
Type: Blog Post
July 27, 2010 — POLITICO’s Morning Defense
By Jen DiMascio
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CENTCOM NOM – Gen. James Mattis heads to the Senate Armed Services Committee to get its blessing to replace Petraeus as the head of Central Command. Mattis, coming off a stint as commander of Joint Forces Command, is described by many as the only possible real choice to manage the combatant command with jurisdiction over Petraeus, arguably the military’s most powerful general. Expect questions on WikiLeaks, the role of Pakistan and the way forward in Afghanistan.
Much has been made of Mattis’s impolitic comments about the joy of shooting people during war. But he’s ruffled feathers among proponents of airstrikes as well. Retired Maj. Gen. Charles Dunlap, a self-described air power advocate who’s a member of the Center for New American Security’s board of advisors, says Mattis’s position on the matter spelled out in JFCOM guidance is misunderstood. Mattis’s point is that war remains a clash of wills, and that in warfare, there’s a psychological element “that can’t be reduced to a mathematical equation,” Dunlap said. One of Mattis’s great strengths is that he listens and is willing to change his mind – a rare quality among four-stars, Dunlap said.
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Topic(s): Iraq, U.S. Military Forces & Operations
Project(s): Afghanistan and Pakistan, U.S. Military Forces and Operations
People: Major General Charles Dunlap, USAF (Ret.)
