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U.S. NEWS Friday 21 december 2018

MATTIS LEAVING White House in the coming for blocking an executive
Continued from Front days. order that would have re-
He told Trump in a letter "This is scary," reacted Sen- opened CIA interrogation
that he was leaving be- ate Intelligence commit- "black sites." Trump has said
cause "you have a right to tee Vice Chairman Mark the Pentagon chief con-
have a Secretary of De- Warner, D-Va., on Twitter. vinced him it wasn't neces-
fense whose views are bet- "Secretary Mattis has been sary to bring back banned
ter aligned with yours." an island of stability amidst torture techniques like wa-
Trump said in a tweet that the chaos of the Trump ad- terboarding.
Mattis was retiring, but ministration." En route to his first visit to Iraq
that's not what Mattis said. Mattis' departure has long as defense secretary, Mat-
The announcement came been rumored, but officials tis bluntly rebuffed Trump's
a day after Trump surprised close to him have insisted assertion that America
U.S. allies and members of that the battle-hardened might take Iraqi oil as com-
Congress by announcing retired Marine would hang pensation for U.S. efforts in
the withdrawal of all U.S. on, determined to bring the war-torn country.q
troops from Syria, and as military calm and reason to In this Nov. 9, 2018, file photo, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis waits
he continues to consider the administration's often outside the Pentagon. Associated Press
shrinking the American de- chaotic national security
ployment in Afghanistan. decisions and soften some
Trump's decision to pull of Trump's sharper tones
troops out of Syria has been with allies.
sharply criticized for aban- Opponents of Mattis, how-
doning America's Kurdish ever, have seen him as an
allies, who may well face unwanted check on Trump.
a Turkish assault once U.S. A White House official said
troops leave, and had Mattis informed Trump of
been staunchly opposed his decision to leave the
by the Pentagon. administration Thursday af-
Mattis, in his resignation ternoon. Trump said a re-
letter, emphasized the im- placement would be cho-
portance of standing up sen soon.
for U.S. allies — an implicit At the start of the Trump
criticism of the president's administration, the presi-
decision on this issue and dent had gushed about
others. his respect for Mattis, re-
"While the U.S. remains the peatedly calling him "Mad
indispensable nation in the Dog," despite Mattis' own
free world, we cannot pro- public insistence that the
tect our interests or serve moniker was never his. In-
that role effectively without stead, his nickname for
maintaining strong allianc- years was CHAOS, which
es and showing respect to stood for "Colonel Has An
those allies," Mattis wrote. Outstanding Suggestion,"
His departure was quickly and reflected Mattis' more
lamented by foreign policy cerebral nature.
hands on both sides of the The two quickly clashed on
aisle, who viewed him as a major policy decisions.
sober voice of experience During his first conversa-
in the ear of a president tions with Trump about the
who had never before held Pentagon job, Mattis made
political office or served in it clear that he disagreed
the military. with his new boss in two ar-
Last year, Republican Sen. eas: He said torture doesn't
Bob Corker — a frequent work, despite Trumps asser-
Trump critic — said Mat- tion during the campaign
tis, along with White House that it did, and he voiced
chief of staff John Kelly and staunch support for tradi-
then-Secretary of State tional U.S. international al-
Rex Tillerson, were helping liances, including NATO,
"separate our country from which Trump repeatedly
chaos." criticized.
Tillerson was fired early this Mattis was credited by
year. Kelly is to leave the some in the administration