Jim Mattis is not compatible to Trumpism and so he stepped down from the chair of Defense Secretary saying the president deserves such person for the post who is in closer alignment with his own views.
Mattis understands the importance of alliance and mentioned the same in his letter citing the withdrawal of US troops from Syria prematurely would result disastrous.
Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops from northern Syria seems ignorance of Mattis’s advice.
Mattis is a scholar and retired four-star Marine general. He is nicknamed as Mad Dog and highly respectable by US allies. He is feared by the US foes.
His resignation means an alarm among the allies as they have relied on him to keep the president attuned to the importance of alliances and institutions like NATO.
The past efforts of Mattis cannot be overlooked. He realigned Pentagon toward restraint of China’s aggression. He was a reformer.
It is doubtful whether his successor would maintain the same level of reforms and become the most versed Trump administration official in terms of strategy and history.
Mattis was first appointed in 2014 as the head of Pentagon. His crucial ingredient was his supreme intellect and matching of warrior spirit.
Trump must understand and respect the ingredients of Mattis and to pick someone who can match the delicacy.
Sen. Marco Rubio said, “This is scary. Secretary Mattis has been an island of stability amidst the chaos of the Trump administration. As we’ve seen with the President’s haphazard approach to Syria, our national defense is too important to be subjected to the President’s erratic whims.”
