Gen. Mattis: “Russia Is The Principal Threat To US Security”
by Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge.com
Jan 12, 2017
The cold war is officially back.
The Senate Armed Services Committee is currently hearing the testimony of retired Marine General James Mattis, picked by Donald Trump to take over the Department of Defense.
Mattis retired from the US Marine Corps in 2013 after serving as the 11th commander of US Central Command, replacing General David Petraeus as the overseer of US operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan. His appointment requires a congressional waiver because federal law states that service members must wait seven years after retiring from active duty before they can hold senior civilian defense positions.
As the WSJ notes, “so far, there is no sign that he will face any resistance on for his Senate confirmation. He’s winning a fair amount of praise from Democrats. It this continues to hold, he could have one of the smoothest confirmation votes of any Trump administration nominee.”
“Our Armed Forces must remain the best led, best equipped, and most ready force in the world,” Mattis told the Senate. “We must also embrace our international alliances and security partnerships. History is clear: nations with strong allies thrive and those without them wither.”
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