James Mattis Quotes
-
Since 9/11 we've been engaged in wars around the world, and General [James] Mattis has been a leading battlefield commander in many of those theaters, including in the April 2004 siege of Fallujah, where the US Marines killed so many people that the municipal soccer stadium in the city had to be turned into a graveyard for the dead.
→ -
Congressman [Mike] Pompeo said he believes the intelligence agencies' claims that Russia hacked the US election.
→ -
When you're in operations, the best thing you can do at the top level is get the strategy right. You have to get the big ideas right, you have to determine what is the policy, what is the level of effort you're willing to commit to it? And then you delegate to those who have to execute that strategy to the appropriate level. What's the appropriate level? It's the level where people are trained and equipped to take decisions so we move swiftly against the enemy.
→ -
The United States has been essentially engaged in an ongoing war that most people date from 2001. That war has taken us to Afghanistan, to Iraq, in a lesser way to other countries - Libya, Somalia, Yemen.
→ -
With respect to the outlines of what's in the Army Field Manual, there's no doubt in my mind about the limitations it places not only on the DOD, but on the Central Intelligence Agency. And I'll always comply with the law.
→ -
There are some people who think you have to hate them in order to shoot them. I don't think you do. It's just business.
→ -
We've backed off in good faith to try and give you a chance to straighten this problem out. But I am going to beg with you for a minute. I'm going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years.
→ -
The American people and the American military will never get used to civilian casualties. And we will - we will fight against that every way we can possibly bring our intelligence and our tactics to bear. We're not the perfect guys, but we are the good guys.
→ -
I was struck by the fact that none of the senators, basically, asked General [James] Mattis, "Well, General, how is it that we haven't won?" We haven't won anywhere, 'winning' in the sense of conclusively achieving our political objectives, however you might want to define those objectives.
→ -
We have the most skillful, firecest, and certainly the most ethical ground forces in the world... I'm not saying we have to commit right now, but certainly don't pull it off the table.
→ -
Nothing keeps me awake at night. I keep other people awake at night.
→ -
We face now an era where we're going to be fighting the terrorist threat. I mean, that's simply a reality we are going to have to address that one.
→ -
General [James] Mattis's primary experience - indeed, his only experience - is as a member of the United States Marine Corps, where he served for 41 years. That's his experience.
→ -
I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect [Donald Trump], or then-president [Barack Obama]. But it's - I'm very clear. I voted for the change that put the Army Field Manual in place as a member of Congress. I understand that law very, very quickly and am also deeply aware that any changes to that will come through Congress and the president.
→ -
I think, broadly speaking, the US military's role - US military activism in various parts of the Islamic world over the past several decades has been counterproductive.
→ -
We are going to have to continue to keep the pressure on the enemy. There is no room for complacency on this.
→ -
It's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up front with you, I like brawling.
→ -
You can overcome wrong technology. Your people have the initiative, they see the problem, no big deal ... you can't overcome bad culture. You've gotta change whoever is in charge.
→ -
I would happily storm hell in the company of these troops ... how strongly they have demonstrated to the world that free men and women can fight like the dickens.
→ -
There is no corporation in the world that would, in a competitive environment, try and concentrate all decisions at the corporate level.
→ -
In this age, I don't care how tactically or operationally brilliant you are, if you cannot create harmony - even vicious harmony - on the battlefield based on trust across service lines, across coalition and national lines, and across civilian/military lines, you need to go home, because your leadership is obsolete. We have got to have officers who can create harmony across all those lines.
→ -
You've been told that you're broken, that you're damaged goods and should be labeled victims. I don't buy it. The truth, instead, is that you are the only folks with the skills, determination, and values to ensure American dominance in this chaotic world.
→ -
Treachery has existed as long as there's been warfare, and there's always been a few people that you couldn't trust.
→ -
You cannot allow any of your people to avoid the brutal facts. If they start living in a dream world, it's going to be bad.
→ -
Ultimately, a real understanding of history means that we face NOTHING new under the sun.
→ -
An untrained or uneducated Marine ... deployed to the combat zone is a bigger threat to mission accomplishment ... than the enemy.
→ -
I just hope we can find our way back to engaging with one another, arguing strongly with one another, and then going down and having a root beer together or something and - and having a good laugh about it as we work together for the best interests of the next generation of Americans who are going to inherit this country.
→ -
2017 is going to be another tough year for the valiant Afghan Security Forces and the international troops who have stood and will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Afghanistan against terrorism.
→ -
What concerned me was that [James Mattis] played not only a critical role as a battlefield commander in Fallujah, but also, afterwards, when he was promoted to various other higher-ranking positions, he served as a convening authority in court-martial proceedings against various marines who had been accused of atrocities - for example, in the Haditha massacre, where a group of marines went on a killing spree after one in their unit was killed.
→ -
We do everything humanly possible, consistent with military necessity, taking many chances to avoid civilian casualties, at all costs.
→
Related Authors
-
-
-
Ashton Carter United States Secretary of Defense -
-
Robert M. Gates United States Secretary of Defense -
-
-
-
Stanley A. McChrystal Armed force officer -
Leon Panetta Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency -
David Petraeus Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency -
-
Tommy Franks General -
-
George S. Patton Military Commander -
-
-
Chuck Hagel United States Secretary of Defense -
-
Ray Mabus United States Secretary of the Navy