US Marine among first ‘in’ to liberate Kuwait up for Defense – Retired general James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis eyed as Pentagon chief

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NEW YORK, Nov 21, (Agencies): US President-elect Donald Trump prepared Monday to announce a new slate of cabinet picks some time soon, following a busy weekend of meetings with hopefuls at his golf club retreat outside New York.

The Republican billionaire-turned-world leader heaped praise on toughtalking retired Marine Corps general James “Mad Dog” Mattis, signaling he is seriously considering him as Pentagon chief. When asked before dinner at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey if he would soon reveal new nominations, Trump told reporters: “Pretty true,” confirming he had “made a couple of deals.” Mattis earned a bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University in 1971.

He joined the Marine Corps the following year and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He received a number of small unit commands during his time as a first lieutenant and later as a captain. Upon his promotion to major, Mattis oversaw the marine recruiting station in Portland, Oregon. After being promoted to lieutenant colonel, he deployed to the Gulf as a part of Operation Desert Shield and commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, in the Gulf War. As one of the lead assault elements of the 1st Marine Division’s Regimental Combat Team 7 (Task Force Ripper), Mattis’s battalion was one of the first into Kuwait.

Mattis was awarded a Bronze Star for valour, and upon his promotion to colonel he received one of the Marine Corps’ highest, if lesser known, honours — Edson’s Eagles, the rank insignia first worn by the legendary Marine Raider commander Merritt (“Red Mike”) Edson, which is bestowed upon the colonel who best exemplifies Edson’s fighting spirit. Mattis wore Edson’s Eagles from 1995 until his promotion to brigadier general in 1997, at which point he passed the insignia on to another colonel.

But Trump made the 90-minute drive back to Manhattan late Sunday after two days in Bedminster, and no new picks were revealed. Beyond Mattis, the top names on the guest list Sunday were Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who was recently ousted as the leader of Trump’s transition team, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and immigration hardliner Kris Kobach. The president-elect was clearly seeking to sound out people from a wide range of backgrounds, from party stalwarts to business moguls and former rivals.

Some of Trump’s choices for other key posts so far — attorney general, national security adviser and chief White House strategist — have come under fire on civil rights grounds from Democrats and other critics. But he has also moved to mend fences with moderate Republicans as he goes about building a new administration before his Jan 20 inauguration.

On Saturday, he interviewed one time foe Mitt Romney — the 2012 Republican presidential candidate who called him a “fraud” during the recent campaign — for the secretary of state position, reportedly coveted by Giuliani. Trump, 70, was clearly wowed by Mattis, who led the US Central Command from 2010-2013, overseeing the US withdrawal from Iraq and a surge in Afghanistan. “General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis, who is being considered for Secretary of Defense, was very impressive yesterday. A true General’s General!” Trump said on Twitter.

Trump called the 66-year-old “the real deal” after their meeting Saturday. A colorful combat commander and voracious reader, Mattis has been quoted as saying: “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.” Retired general Jack Keane told NPR that he had declined an offer to serve as Pentagon chief, citing personal reasons. He said he had recommended Mattis and retired general David Petraeus, a former CIA chief. Christie, who threw his support to Trump after his own bid for the Republican presidential nomination fizzled, appeared back in favor after being pushed out as transition chief. The campaign said the pair had a “productive discussion” Sunday on law enforcement and domestic security.

Others meeting Trump on Sunday included Wilbur Ross, under consideration for commerce secretary, global investor David McCormick, real estate investor Jonathan Gray and Bob Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET). Trump’s picks so far include ultraconservative Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general, hawkish congressman Mike Pompeo as CIA director and retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn as his national security adviser. His choice of Steve Bannon, seen as an ideologue of the ultra-conservative alt-right movement, as chief strategist has also drawn fire. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence began their day attending a Sunday service at a Presbyterian church in the New Jersey countryside. But the early-rising Trump was on Twitter before that, attacking the cast of hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” as rude, and “Saturday Night Live,” the late-night satirical show that mercilessly lampoons him, as offering “nothing funny at all.”

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