Russia, terrorists & China threaten world order, US ‘ready to engage’ – Mattis (WATCH LIVE)
RT.com
12 Jan, 2017
The Senate Armed Services Committee is hearing the testimony of retired Marine General James Mattis, picked by President-elect Donald Trump to take over the Department of Defense.
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.
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.
Mattis was introduced by former Senators Sam Nunn (D-Georgia) and William Cohen (D-Maine), who also served as Defense Secretary under Bill Clinton.
In addition to the Senate hearing, Mattis was supposed to appear before the House Armed Services Committee later on Thursday, but that appearance was canceled by the transition team, according to Military Times.
The general’s nickname of ‘Mad Dog’ a “misnomer,” Cohen said. “It should be Braveheart,” he said, adding that Mattis is not only a courageous warrior but a scholar of military history, with an extensive collection of books.
“Our Armed Forces must remain the best led, best equipped, and most ready force in the world,” Mattis told the lawmakers.
“We must also embrace our international alliances and security partnerships. History is clear: nations with strong allies thrive and those without them wither.”
“My watchwords will be solvency and security in providing for the protection of our people and the survival of our freedoms,” Mattis said.
The Rest…HERE
