The former defense secretary warned that national security is "tied inextricably to our alliances," following Trump's decision to abandon the Syrian Kurds.
Former Defense Secretary James Mattis, who served under President Donald Trump for two years, suggested he opposes Trump’s widely condemned decision to abandon U.S-allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria.
“I have my private, my personal concerns,” Mattis said during a taped interview with NBC’s “Meet The Press” that aired Sunday. “I keep those private. ... The defense of the country is non-partisan so we have to stay out of those sorts of discussions.” “It talks about our security being tied inextricably to our alliances,” he said of his resignation letter, which prompted panic from Democrats and some Republicans when it was made public. “I don’t know what more I could say about how I think we ought to treat allies and how I think we should treat those who are adversaries.”
Story continuesOver 130,000 people have been displaced since Thursday and hundreds of fighters from the self-described Islamic State, also known as ISIS, have escaped as Turkish-led forces targeted Syrian border towns held by Kurdish militia. Turkish-backed Arab fighters have also killed several Kurdish captives as well as Hervin Khalaf, the head of a Kurdish political party.
“ISIS is not defeated,” he said. “We may want a war over. We may even declare it over. ... But the enemy gets a vote, as we say in the military. In this case, if we don’t keep the pressure on, then ISIS will resurge.”
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Donald Trump “Strongly Condemns” Violent Anti-Media Video Played At Trump ResortPresident Donald Trump has not seen a doctored video shown to his supporters at one of his resorts in which he is depicted gunning down members of the media and other critics, but based on “e…
Read more »
Press organization condemns fake massacre by Trump depicted at pro-Trump event
Read more »
Trump Campaign Distances Itself From Video Showing Fake Trump Shooting Celebrities, CBS, CNNA violent video recently shown at a Trump resort shows a gunman resembling President Trump hunting down the president’s critics and members of the media. The video was shown last week during …
Read more »
James and Ola Jordan share beautiful rare wedding snaps to celebrate 16th anniversaryStrictly's James and Ola Jordan have shared sweet throwback snaps to celebrate their sixteenth wedding anniversary
Read more »
ISIS already rising in Syria as Trump pulls U.S. troops, former Defense Secretary Mattis and Adam Schiff warnDemocratic Rep. Adam Schiff joined several GOP lawmakers in condemning President Trump's U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria, warning that ISIS is already beginning its resurgence.
Read more »