Part 1: James Mattis Calls for U.S. Military to Be More Lethal at Defense Sec. Confirmation Hearing

democracynow.org - President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, retired General James "Mad Dog" Mattis, testified Thursday at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Mattis’s 41-year career in the Marine Corps included field commands in the Persian Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan. He led U.S. troops during the 2004 battle of Fallujah, earning himself the nickname "Mad Dog" Mattis. In May 2004, Mattis ordered an attack on a small Iraqi village that ended up killing about 42 people attending a wedding ceremony. He went on to lead United States Central Command from 2010 to 2013, but the Obama administration cut short his tour over concerns he was too hawkish on Iran. We host a roundtable discussion, starting with retired Colonel Andrew Bacevich, author of "America’s War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History," and Aaron Glantz, a senior reporter at Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting whose latest investigation is headlined "Did defense secretary nominee James Mattis commit war crimes in Iraq?"
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[@crossedrifles6005]

What a piss poor review of American Exceptionalism. Should have let Mattis loose. Semper Fidelis.

[@marvintpandroid2213]

Set the computer to play its self What game? Tic-tac-toe Ok Set the number of players to 0

[@marvintpandroid2213]

I only wanted to fix my Biology score

[@marvintpandroid2213]

We need to get the machine to play against its self to figure out that the only winning move is not to play.

[@willreed9628]

MATTIS TAKES CARE OF BUSINESS. STUDY WORLD HISTORY ROMAN EMPIRE THAT KIND OF THNG SNOWFLAKe

[@thechurchoftirejesus1722]

Will Reed he killed so many people they had to use a soccer stadium as a graveyard it's hard to belive men like him are allowed to wear a uniform

[@SamNasab]

The only way to prevent interventions and perpetual war is to command interventions and perpetual war.

[@chrisjoshua69420]

no disrespect but that don’t make sense jhit, fighting for peace is like fuckin for peace

[@peterbuilt3797]

Never call a U.S Marine a Soldier. That is a definition describing the U.S Army. Marines are referred as "Warriors, Troops or, Warriors from the sea" but NEVER a soldier ! Semper Fedilis !

[@thepincushionman7063]

Peterbuilt 379 omg shut up sjw. YOU don't tell others what to do.

[@louiswhite9967]

You're right. I'm Army and have great respect for Marines.

[@reds7vn644]

Soldier is defined as; One engaged in military service, an enlisted man or woman, a skilled warrior So Marines are SOLDIERS

[@ATBatmanMALS31]

I call them "soldier" and "naval infantry" because they don't like it... if I know them. I'm still a dick if I don't know them, but there's no point in getting the shit kicked out of you by a 19 year old Mexican kid (who used to box) for calling him "A soldier of the invasion force of the US Navy."

[@santasdeath1]

Not really convinced by Mike Pompeo's response at 3:06

[@randysavage3660]

I thought the civilians were killed on their way to a wedding ceremony?

[@thechurchoftirejesus1722]

randy savage either way it's despicable

[@barroningram7286]

now I see why tRump wanted gen Mattis as defense secretary , it's because Obama relieved him the general seems to be a straight up man that's too much for trump

[@Antman4656]

So in his way of thinking America is the country to be concerned about. it intimidates more countries than any other country.

[@JaredKaiser24]

mattis ftw ! God bless him

[@thepincushionman7063]

Jared Kaiser fck you and Isreal

[@pathacker4963]

What did anyone expect him to say? Defense Secretaries can't do shit unless the president and congress approve it. They don't act on their own.

[@misterjoey3384]

Pat Hacker he's pretty much there as an advisor because after 4 decades in the military, you would have more credibility than Trump and congressmen.

[@tomasinacovell4293]

Well this will make it impossible for them to ever be good fathers or husbands. Universal Soldiers? LOL

[@philpottkentucky4802]

Mattis' own troops at the Battle of Fallujah called him the "Butcher of Fallujah" for the casual way he threw away his own troops' lives.

[@mattandersen7095]

Casual? From all accounts, his troops threw themselves at the enemy under his extraordinary, first-hand leadership and inspiration, and he directed them in an effective, calculated manner. War is nasty. People die to protect. After his military career, Mattis took an off-the-radar, media-quiet cross country trip, meeting with families whose sons and daughters died under his command. Don't mistake his callousness toward the enemy for a lack of humanity, this is a well educated man who has time and time again demonstrated his value of ethics through the intention with which he conducts his forces and the devastation he's brought to enemies that don't adhere to that code of ethics. This guy may be the one great thing we get from the Trump administration.

[@carineth921]

Matt Andersen God bless you! 👏👏👏💪💪💪

[@philpottkentucky4802]

I find it disgusting and unAmerican that you have such loathing for the troops who were the victims of Mattis' barbarism and incompetence. Why don't you move to Russia if you have such loathing for the ordinary American serviceman.

[@mattandersen7095]

+philpot kentucky the only thing un-American I see here is the way you're undermining both Mattis and the servicemen that served and died under him to accomplish great tasks, whom you seem to assert threw their lives away meaninglessly. Besides the fallacious emotional appeal to being "Un-American" - which itself is a term that you would need to define if you were actually concerned with lines of intellectual truth rather than just furthering your own personal emotionally driven agenda - Your assertion is also classless and unacademic, being extremely bold but offering no evidence or even basic lines of reasoning. If you'd like to even be taken seriously you're going to need to develop a more sophisticated position.

[@bkelen8]

Hey Mattis ain't the only general that has had marines, died under his commands. Our troops knew the risks, they signed up for it. They were willing to go to battle with Mattis. I do love our troops and respect them but unlike you crybaby libtard they were willing to die for our country. What makes you think Mattis has so much love and respect from the Marines and even the other branches as well? Because he led a coalition of Marines, Army men, Airmen, and Navy men , into battle. You crybaby pussy boy need to leave our general Mattis alone. I don't need to relocate to Russia or any other country, if anything you should move to the middle east.

[@winstonsmith-ministryoftru1609]

01:18: That would mean Israel and the USA, right?

[@SedonaHealthCoach]

If you only have one skill you will try and use it to solve every problem, even if it is not the best solution. Warmongers are obsolete in the 21st century, let them retire!

[@youngatheart5376]

people like Mattis should never be allowed to hold any office of power , Mattis and other like him have NO compassion for life .

[@dylangregory9855]

Darrell quit being stupid

[@edwardbenz1645]

No just being truthful , are whole government is based on regime changes and wars , are government is the largest sponsor of terrorism on the planet and you have to be ignorant or as you would say stupid not to understand that .

[@whiteindianone]

did you hear ANY of the confirmation hearing? it is MEN that protect your rights.

[@edwardbenz1645]

Would you do yourself a favor and check out the rights that have been TAKEN AWAY over the past twenty years under the guise of fighting terrorism ?

[@whiteindianone]

tell me just a few of them.