Report: Washington didn't even tell Marine Gen. he was being replaced

The purge of top ranking military officials continues. This time United States Marine Corps Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis was informed he was being replaced as commander of U.S. Central Command not by a phone call from Washington, but by a note handed to him by an aide,

link

… General Mattis was travelling and in a meeting when an aide passed him a note telling him that the Pentagon had announced his replacement as head of Central Command. It was news to him — he hadn’t received a phone call or a heads-up from anyone at the Pentagon or the White House.

According to the article the General was not enough of a yes man for President Obama.

Although there is also this interesting article from the Wall Street journal

KABUL—The U.S. military has blacklisted Afghanistan's largest private airline, alleging it is smuggling "bulk" quantities of opium on civilian flights to Tajikistan, a corridor through which the drugs reach the rest of the world. Kam Air was barred this month from receiving U.S. military contracts by U.S. Central Command chief Marine Gen. James Mattis, according to U.S. military officials.

"The U.S. will not do business with those who fund and support illicit activities," U.S. Army Maj.-Gen. Richard Longo, the commander of Task Force 2010, a coalition anticorruption unit, said in an interview. "Kam Air is too large of a company not to know what has been going on within its organization."

Afghan Airline Ferried Opium, U.S. Alleges

So who is Obama protecting? Nothing to see here folks, move along...

You will also find the date of the WSJ article and the date of The Blaze article about the firing interesting.

January 25th was a busy day.

Okay this has not generated nearly enough interest here people!

This thread demonstrates Obama's support of illicit drug trafficking in order to support Iran and the Taliban...

I'll spell it out ATS. This Administration is hyper-focused on actions that benefit Iran and Russia and Iran funds the Taliban anyway they can. There is a huge Saudi v. Iran rift forming across the entire Middle East. Normally, the United States would be a Saudi ally, but Obama has very strange ideas when it comes to Iran.

Now I might be wrong, however I imagine the good general knew that outing this drug trafficking would get him ousted. It's up to us to make sure his honorable deed does not go unnoticed. Share with anyone who will listen. I know it takes a few minutes to open the links and actually apply yourself to reading and understanding, but this is huge!!! Do it...

More from the WSJ article:

"Export earnings from Afghan opiates may be worth $2.4 billion—equivalent to 15%" of gross domestic product, the UNODC said in a report last year. As the U.S. and allies prepare to withdraw military forces in 2014, officials of coalition countries have expressed concerns that Afghanistan will become a narco-state where legal business activities and government institutions are intertwined with the drug trade. Some Western officials fear that the narco-trade and associated corruption will pose a greater threat to stability after 2014 than the Taliban, who also derive a large portion of their revenues from narcotics...."

"Kam Air flies cargo to many destinations. But its only scheduled Central Asian passenger route is between Kabul and Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. The poorest former Soviet republic, Tajikistan suffers from political instability and porous borders. High-level government protection for drug smugglers has made the country a trafficking route for Afghan opium to reach the world, Western law-enforcement officials have said. A spokesman for Tajikistan's National Security Committee declined to comment, as did the Foreign Ministry in Dushanbe."

That's a shame.

I've read accounts of him in a couple of books. We may have lost an honest military leader.

so, is anyone still wondering what Obama's secret message to Putin was all about ??

no, i don't know for sure ... but, the game pieces are being positioned.
however this board is amassing more like that of RISK rather chess.

Originally posted by Miraj
That's a shame.

I've read accounts of him in a couple of books. We may have lost an honest military leader.

Then the man signed his own dismissal orders.

Those are two words that do not fit into the current paradigm: honest and leader .

reply to post by Honor93

Obama was very confident that he would be reelected also as if the outcome was never in doubt (rigged?).

reply to post by MsAphrodite


Not trying to be argumentative but The Blaze is a GOP aligned news organization that is owned by Glenn Beck. Wiki.

Now with that said, I think it is a little more fare than breitbart.com

This article states he is retiring:

On Tuesday night, the Marine Corps announced via twitter General James N. Mattis' plans for retirement this spring after four decades of service.

source

This man is a hero and a true American, after four decades of service I think we would have heard this in other media outlets.

On a side note, here are some great quotes from this great leader that is retiring:

"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."

Read more: www.businessinsider.com...

"The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some *******s in the world that just need to be shot. There are hunters and there are victims. By your discipline, you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim."

Read more: www.businessinsider.com...

And one of my favorites!!

"Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."

Read more: www.businessinsider.com...

As a former Marine, I caught myself cringing a few times when General James Mattis was being too candid in expressing what he thought, especially when ."Double Speak" is the rule of the day.

Here Americas Voice | Michael discusses General James Mattis removal from service



As for US Troops firing on American Citizens, I have pierced this potential and I doubt Americans will kill many Americans before such backfires and bring the entire house of cards down upon the heads of those giving those orders.

I think Thomas Ricks was also personally incensed over what seemed a lousy way to inform Mattis. If true, then, yes, it seems a lousy way to inform him.

Mattis's replacement will expertly oversee US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which Mattis supported, because his definition of Afghan victory was a stable govt allowing for troop withdrawal.

Mattis was a battle general; he understands what military action on Iran would incur. Perhaps this is why this "warrior monk" said the following

Mattis said that military action against Iran would only delay efforts there to develop nuclear weapons, and only the Iranian people can force real change there.

source

And as the battle general, he knows the cost of military action taken lightly

The results of the war game were particularly troubling to Gen. James N. Mattis, who commands all American forces in the Middle East, Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia, according to officials who either participated in the Central Command exercise or who were briefed on the results and spoke on condition of anonymity because of its classified nature. When the exercise had concluded earlier this month, according to the officials, General Mattis told aides that an Israeli first strike would be likely to have dire consequences across the region and for United States forces there.

source

We need generals like Mattis. But Afghanistan has proven that Afghanistan is a places where generals, not just empires, go to die.

I'm shocked, shocked to find that smuggling is going on .. actually, I'ld be shocked if Kam Air were NOT smuggling.

I love General Mattis.

No nonsense Marine. He calls it as he sees it. If he thinks there is bullsh*t afoot, he was never afraid to speak about it. Brutally honest. As all leaders should be.

What concerns me is Obama trying to change the military into "yes men". Failing to promote any General that doesn't toe the line of his agenda and looking for those who do.

I don't think the United States will make it through Obama's next term. The land we live on might, but the United States as we know it will not. He is going to continue to perpetuate class warfare, and try to turn us against each other. Create a situation where the "benevolent" government is going to have to come in and "straighten things out for the better".

reply to post by MsAphrodite


gotta keep them drugs and guns runnin smoothly

Yeah. Im really not a fan of the blaze.

Most of their articles are disgusting, but I do think General Mattis no longer serving as Central General is a really bad sign for our country. Especially when he didn't even get a call to to tell him his service is up.

Utimately, President Obama is the Supreme Commander of ALL USA armed forces. He is the acknowledged leader, and his decisions must by respected by all, for he ALONE is accountable to the American People for the decisions made.

How he will be judged is upon the success or the failure of his decisions, to be elevated to Mt Rushmore, or be spat upon as the moron bush is now.

In a democracy, even generals are citizens and do have the right to speak freely, based upon their opinions as they believed them to be. However, being a general is NOT being the President who has far more information and geo-realities to deal with. Logic and reason from the bigger picture must rule, unless the heads are not seeing the big picture.

I agree that his dismissal or retirement could have been handled better, but thing is, how much of truths are we the general public being told over this matter which is often in the neccessarily secretive realms of authoritarian styled military heirachy?

Let us base our judgements upon further information, but if not forthcoming, let us rather judge the outcome of the publicallly announced withdrawal of US forces from Afghanisation and its stability, which are matters that are far more of greater concern to the nation than the retirement slight of this war hero, who rightfully had earned his rest and accolades due to him for his unwavering support for the american cause.

No american is 'expandable', but the nation's survival is ever the topmost priority. May the Joint Chief of Staff dept show a bit more compassion and gratitude to national heroes, not that it is expected, but it will go a long way to ensure tradition and loyalty is always upheld by following commanders.

4 decades is a pretty long career but this is not an honorable way terminate him. Every soldier knows the CIA is in the drug business. He just stated the obvious and got canned for it. He also brought light to a situation that far more Americans need to know. The govcorp is in the drug business and has been for a very long time.

Originally posted by Djayed
reply to post by MsAphrodite

 

Not trying to be argumentative but The Blaze is a GOP aligned news organization that is owned by Glenn Beck. Wiki.

Now with that said, I think it is a little more fare than breitbart.com

This article states he is retiring:

On Tuesday night, the Marine Corps announced via twitter General James N. Mattis' plans for retirement this spring after four decades of service.

source

This man is a hero and a true American, after four decades of service I think we would have heard this in other media outlets.

On a side note, here are some great quotes from this great leader that is retiring:

"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."

Read more: www.businessinsider.com...

"The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some *******s in the world that just need to be shot. There are hunters and there are victims. By your discipline, you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim."

Read more: www.businessinsider.com...

And one of my favorites!!

"Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."

Read more: www.businessinsider.com...

edit on 1/27/2013 by Djayed because: Added some quotes

edit on 1/27/2013 by Djayed because: (no reason given)

edit on 1/27/2013 by Djayed because: fixed link

I am more than aware of his pending retirement. It only adds validity to my point. He was abruptly relieved of his duties after he brought light to this drug trafficking. It seems more than apparent that he angered his CIC. Why might that be? Just trying to wake up the naive my friend.

reply to post by MsAphrodite


Thank you for posting this here!

In my opinion, this information goes along with information an ATS member recently presented. The discussion was about Obama removing the leaders who would not follow orders to harm, or kill fellow Americans.

... Well, it was either; he is replacing those who will not kill Americans or he is screening new leaders who will kill Americans when ordered to do so.

If this is true, then I believe removing current staff with little regard to their past service is something we will see over and over.

I've seen a few corporate restrucuring projects, where the corporation wants to go in an entirely different direction. In these instances, the longtime employees were not given a 'head's up' or an explanation for their termination. The board knew their agenda and their goal was to swiftly remove the old corp and install the new structure to implement the heart of their agenda.

Sickening and the letting go of this General seems to have the same feeling of 'coldness', found in the corporate restructuring efforts I mentioned above.

I think Mr. Ricks views Mattis as someone who not only tells it like it is but tells it right, when it comes to military action and its consequences. He sees the "weakness" in national security in past administrations and Congresses, and he sees the current team of advisers as coming out of those weak areas (including lobbyists and staffers), who would rather not hear Mattis's "what ifs".

It is convenient that Mattis's retirement was coming up anyway, but Ricks has fears that, with Mattis gone, Obama may have to, like his predecessor, listen to an adviser say "slam dunk" again.

IMO the airline who was turned down as a govt contractor had nothing to do with Mattis's early retirement. Maybe it was a sign to Russia, that, "See the current drug policy in Afghanistan is working!" Russia is suffering from Afghanistan's opium, and the Russian govt would like to see the US actively go after cultivation.

Personally, I'ld like to think Mr. Ricks is being too alarmist about the needs of the current team, but OTOH he is sounding an alarm, and he, like Mattis, should be heeded.

This could be something related to abuse of prisoners?

www.upi.com...

Afghan officials took exception to statements in the report, endorsed by the International Security Assistance Force, which said the abuse was "systematic." Aimal Faizi, the spokesman for President Hamid Karzai, said ISAF makes weekly visits to prisons run by the Interior Ministry and the national security agency. "If there's a problem, why aren't they saying it when they visit?" he asked. The report contains a statement by ISAF commander Gen. John R. Allen that he and his deputy had written to the Afghan government about 80 cases of abuse. Allen had already stopped transferring detainees to the facilities because international law prohibits the transfer of any detainee to a government where there are "substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture." Some 635 detainees in facilities around Afghanistan were interviewed for the report. Read more: www.upi.com...

reply to post by JBA2848


If the 'Complimentary Resignation' gifted to the general is actually related to crimes of abuse or other questionable actions, then they should call a fair game on both ends of the court...

Abuse on the General's watch would need to be pretty severe if it wants to share face time with some of the crimes committed by other political officials - I guess he was on the unlucky end of the President's Executive Privilege....