Speaking about a number of recent US attacks on pro-government forces in Syria, Secretary of Defense James Mattis insisted that the attacks were simply “self-defense” aimed at protecting US ground troops positioned inside Syria, and that the US would continue to do so.
The US has launched multiple attacks, mostly targeting Shi’ite militias in southern Syria’s Daraa Province, who they accused of getting too close to a base belonging to the rebels at al-Tanf, a base at which some US forces are deployed. The militias have mostly been fighting al-Qaeda and ISIS in the area, but the US insists they were a threat to American ground troops.
Syria’s government has already addressed this claim, noting that the US troops were never invited into Syria in the first place and aren’t authorized to hold that base, let alone to attack anti-ISIS forces for getting too close to their base. They’ve accused the US of using the strikes to prevent ISIS from losing ground to the government.
The claims that the US are just reacting defensively ring hollow at any rate, as the Pentagon has openly confirmed in recent weeks that the US have been building up their troop numbers in southern Syria explicitly to confront the Shi’ite militias.
This reads like those daily street executions by “law enforcement” using the defense that they “feared for their life.”
Sad-Dog Mattis is a liar, a fraud, and a coward.
Mattis is not a coward.
He’s a belligerent for our foreign policy establishment.
I agree!
Oh no, he is a real hero
‘In May 2004, Mattis ordered the 3 a.m. bombing of a suspected enemy safe house near the Syrian border, which later came to be known as the Mukaradeeb wedding party massacre, and which resulted in the deaths of 42 civilians. Mattis stated that it had taken him 30 seconds to deliberate on bombing the location. ‘
He managed the slaughter of the Fallujah civilians thousands of women and children.
Showed cultural sensitivity, ‘As an apparent example, he encouraged his Marines to grow moustaches to look more like the people they were working with’
“You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn’t wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain’t got no manhood left anyway. So it’s a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually, it’s a lot of fun to fight. You know, it’s a hell of a hoot. It’s fun to shoot some people.”
Shucks they will probably make film about him, dig up John Wayne to play him.
F*g retards!
Is so
Have you commanded troops in combat? Have you even been in combat?
If you have then you know Mattis is not a coward.
If our troops weren’t there (illegally) to begin with, we wouldn’t need to protect them. Time to come home.
Amen.
The SAA and Kurds share many miles of common border in the Aleppo province. There is no reason to believe that U.S. forces were under any threat just because the militias were close. So the U.S. needs a buffer of ISIS forces to separate them from the Syrians? This is absurd on the face of it.
Self defense – eh Mattis? Since when does the US in a sovereign country – illegally call – Self-defense? – Syria ain’t Florida and standing your ground in Syria is as illegal as it gets – Your boys would be in prison for 50 years here.
How do you know Mattis is lying? Because just as with everyone else in the cesspool called Washington, his mouth is moving.
Statements of US officials are so ridiculous it’s embarrassing.
Defending? The same argument could have been made by a tick. Although the moral justification of the tick would probably weigh more.
“self-defense” except U.S. troops are an invading force!
Let’s see what the Russians do now. The Russians are with the SAA/Hezbollah advance to linkup with the Iraqis in far SE Syria, and will presumably defend their lines of communication and supply. The Russians have now warned the US not to attack Syrian government forces, or their militia allies. Mattis is turning out to be a very ordinary military man with a purposefully overblown reputation, but he may think that the Russians really mean it, and can win any limited war, air or ground, the US can throw at it. If McMaster allows the likes of McCain and the neocons to make more provocations, it’s on him too.
Exactly, how are you protecting our troops if you are inside Syria uninvited?
He claims self-defense? We invaded Syria, for cryin’ out loud. Without a declaration of war. And then to cry self-defense? Orwellian? Kafkaesque?
The news reports are all incorrect, but no one has the courage to announce what really happened. US troops trained to distribute doughnuts among the local population of Al Tanf mistakenly allowed the recipients to read the ingredients list on the doughnut packages. When the Muslims found lard in the ingredients a large scuffle ensued as the dough boys tried to force-feed the doughnuts to the assembled villagers. A food fight ensued causing many stains on the GIs body armor. The Secretary regrets any misunderstandings and has changed the offer to kippers and broccoli. Problem solved. No further need for air strikes. All GIs have been retrained and re-equipped at taxpayer expense.
psst mr mattis, you cannot at once be both the aggressor while claiming to also be a victim! you’re a bloody murderous lying psychopath!
The people you invaded defended themselves, but you are attacking, uninvited in a foreign country, not defending anything.