By David E. Hubler
Contributor, In Homeland Security
General James Mattis went before the Senate Armed Service Committee Thursday morning in the first step toward his Congressional confirmation as Secretary of Defense in the incoming Trump administration.
Mattis sidestepped some of the more controversial issues raised especially from the Democrats on the panel. However, he did take issue with President-elect Donald Trump when he voiced strong support for NATO, a permanent U.S. military presence in the Baltics and the controversial Iran nuclear deal, which he acknowledged was “flawed.”
Mattis said, “I think it is an imperfect arms control agreement. It’s not a friendship treaty. But when America gives her word, we have to live up to it and work with our allies.”
Mattis Views Russia as Potential Adversary, But Recommends Maintaining NATO Ties
Mattis agreed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was a U.S. adversary. He said the United States is “going to have to confront Russia on some issues.” But he noted there could be engagement in areas of cooperation despite “a short list of successes” in their bilateral relations.
[RELATED: Why General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis is a Great Pick as America’s Defense Leader]
Mattis urged maintaining the strongest possible ties with NATO because Russia wants to break up the military alliance. He called for “integrated steps, the diplomatic, economic, military and the alliance steps in working with our allies to defend ourselves where we must.” He also advised continued support for current U.S. allies in the Asia-Pacific region and looking for new allies there.
Other Mattis Remarks Include Role of Women in Combat
The panel asked Mattis for his views on the role of women in combat and the possibility of intimate relations as a result. The retired Marine Corps general insisted that his top priority is military readiness. He said he has no plans to keep women out of combat, adding that his main concern was readiness, not sex partners.
Mattis was also grilled on the status of the so-called Nuclear Triad and how America’s armed forces could be strengthened and modernized. Mattis told the panel that the triad remains a strong deterrent against aggression although the nuclear defense system does need modernizing.
Mattis strongly defended the civilian control of the military, saying it “is a fundamental tenet of the American military tradition.”
Following the hearing, the Senate panel voted 24-3 to grant Mattis a waiver from the decades-old ban on military leaders taking a Cabinet post within seven years of retirement from the service. Mattis retired from the Marine Corps three years ago.
About the Author
David E. Hubler brings a variety of government, journalism and teaching experience to his position as a Quality Assurance Editor at APUS. David’s professional background includes serving as a senior editor at CIA and the Voice of America. He has also been a managing editor for several business-to-business and business-to-government publishing companies. David has taught high school English in Connecticut and freshman composition at Northern Virginia Community College. He has a master’s degree for Teachers of English from the University of New Hampshire and a B.A. in English from New York University. In March 2017, Rowman & Littlefield will publish the paperback edition of David’s latest book, “The Nats and the Grays, How Baseball in the Nation’s Capital Survived WWII and Changed the Game Forever.”
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