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Breaking: General Stanley McChrystal tenders his resignation A senior Capitol Hill source tells me that General Stanley McChrystal had tendered his resignation to President Barack Obama and that the White House is actively discussing a replacement who could be quickly confirmed by the Senate. The source said that among the names being touted as possible successors are General James Mattis, the outgoing head of the US Joint Forces Command and due to retire after being passed over as US Marine Corps commander, and Lieutenant General William Caldwell, commander of Nato’s Training Mission in Afghanistan. Of course, offering to resign...

A four-star general will testify at a pretrial hearing in the biggest criminal case against U.S. troops to arise from the Iraq war, a Marine Corps spokesman said Thursday. Gen. James Mattis is scheduled to address a military judge Monday on a defense motion to dismiss charges against Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich on grounds of undue command influence, said the spokesman, Lt. Col. David Griesmer. The defense argues Mattis was improperly influenced by a military lawyer, Col. John Ewers, who investigated the killings of 24 Iraqis in Haditha in November 2005 and later became a top aide when the general...

CAMP PENDLETON ---- A four-star general testified Monday that a lower-ranking officer did not influence his decision to bring criminal charges against the battalion commander in charge of Marines tied to the deaths of 24 civilians in Haditha, Iraq. Gen. James N. Mattis also testified there was no pressure from above ---- be it from the Pentagon, congressional contacts or the Marine Corps commandant ---- for him to criminally charge anyone in the Haditha killings. "I make my own decisions," Mattis said. (snip) He also said the intense media spotlight on the killings "had no influence whatsoever" in his decision...

CAMP PENDLETON — The top general who led Marines into combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, drawing both fire and praise for his handling of cases involving the deaths of civilians, bade a reluctant and emotional farewell to his troops Friday. Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis, newly assigned to a joint command at Norfolk, Va., wrote to his Marines and sailors that "you've been my daily inspiration -- even on the toughest days, you've stood there boldly undismayed. . . . I'm forever in your debt." For the past year, Mattis has led the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Forces...

CAMP PENDLETON -- On the eve of his promotion to four-star general and a new assignment, Camp Pendleton's Lt. Gen. James Mattis is being acclaimed by colleagues and observers for his combat command skills and adept handling of troops accused of killing Iraqi civilians. "I regard him as America's foremost war fighter," Gary Solis, a former Marine judge and prosecutor, said last week. "No general has ever had to deal with so many tough cases at one time and handled them with such skill and aplomb." Mattis will soon be on his way from Camp Pendleton to an assignment in...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2007 – President Bush has nominated Marine Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis to receive his fourth star and to lead U.S. Joint Forces Command, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced yesterday. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and President Bush’s nominee to lead U.S. Joint Forces Command, escorts Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her May 23, 2007, visit to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. Photo by Lance Cpl. Jerry Murphy, USMC  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Mattis, currently “dual-hatted” as commander of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force...

Marine Corps' Middle East commander getting new job and fourth star CAMP PENDLETON -- The Defense Department formally announced Tuesday that Camp Pendleton's Lt. Gen. James Mattis has been nominated by President Bush for a fourth star and appointment to the Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Va. Mattis has led the base's 25,000-member I Marine Expeditionary Force and served as commander of Marine Corps forces throughout the Middle East since August of last year. He also served as the convening authority over war crime cases involving Marines in Iraq, a duty that he will pass to his successor. The U.S....

NORTH COUNTY ---- Camp Pendleton's Lt. Gen. James Mattis will be nominated for the rank of general and appointed commander of a high-level military planning and strategy unit based in Virginia, the North County Times has learned. Mattis, whose present job is commander of Marine Corps Forces Central Command and head of Camp Pendleton's I Marine Expeditionary Force, will become head of the Joint Forces Command and Supreme Allied Commander, Transformation. Multiple sources within the military and in Washington, D.C., confirmed that Mattis, who has overseen Marine Corps forces in the Middle East for the last 15 months and is...

Lt. Gen. James Mattis in his office at Camp Pendleton Tuesday during an interview. Lt. Gen. James Mattis told the North County Times during an exclusive interview this week that while a lot of work has been done in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is much to do to defeat the extremist threats to Middle East stability and long-term U.S. security. "The problem of violent extremists existed long before 2003, and it is going to exist long after the next presidential election," said Mattis, who also commands Camp Pendleton's 25,000-member I Marine Expeditionary Force. "We are going to have to confront...

By: WILLIAM FINN BENNETT - Staff Writer NORTH COUNTY ---- Marine Corps officials confirmed Friday that Lt. Gen. James Mattis has called for an investigation into who leaked documents recently from a massive investigation of the 2005 deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha, Iraq. An attorney representing one of eight Camp Pendleton Marines charged in connection with the incident said Friday it was essential Mattis order the probe given the notoriety caused by a Jan. 6 Washington Post article. The newspaper cited interviews with eyewitnesses who allege four of the Marines had gunned down five men. "A lot of...

NADIA BOROWSKI SCOTT / Union-Tribune Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler (left) shook hands yesterday with Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis after Mattis took over as commander of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Pendleton Quotable and iconic, controversial and laconic, Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis took command of 50,000 troops at Camp Pendleton yesterday as allegations of war crimes and mounting war casualties hang over the base. Mattis replaced Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, 57, as commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, which has done most of the fighting in Iraq's volatile Anbar province this year. “This...

In yet another display of how out-of-touch with reality the American Left truly is, liberals have chosen to defend the soulless words of a University of Colorado professor over the comments on staunch reality from one of this country’s bravest and most experienced military leaders. When assessing political issues like the one at hand, it’s important to observe which side of the isle the Left and Right fall on. I’ll expound on that in a moment. On February 4, 2005, Marine Lieutenant General James Mattis spoke to colleagues at a panel regarding strategies for the war on terrorism in San...

Lieutenant General James Mattis recently made comments at a forum in San Diego that are now pervading the news; he said, "It's fun to shoot some people… 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." So of course, liberals have now become frantic in their revolted outrage. As the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Nihad Awad, said, "We do not need...

Liberals Concerned Military Wants Them Dead WASHINGTON, DC --- Liberals are running scared this week after a three-star general said in a press conference that "it's fun to shoot some people." The General was making reference to ruthless terrorists, but peaceniks, journalists and politicians are concerned that the military might think it's fun to shoot them as well. "I'm scared as hell," said a top Democrat asking for anonymity for security reasons. "These men actually enjoy shooting anti-American, freedom-hating scum. It's a fine line between the terrorists they like shooting and the liberals in this country. I purchased a bullet-proof...

THE TRUTH ABOUT WAR By RALPH PETERS IN San Diego on Tuesday, I had the privilege of sitting beside Lt.-Gen. Jim Mattis, a Marine who knows how to fight. We were on a panel discussing future war. And Gen. Mattis, a Marine to the marrow of his bones, spoke honestly about the thrill of combat. Mattis has commanded at every level. In Desert Storm, he led a battalion. In Afghanistan and then in Iraq, he led with inspiration and courage. Everyone on our panel had opinions about war, but that no-nonsense Marine knew more about it than the rest of...

ARLINGTON, Va. — A major U.S. Islamic group has called for “appropriate disciplinary action” for the Marine general who said, “It’s fun to shoot some people.” “We do not need generals who treat the grim business of war as a sporting event,” Nihad Awad, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in a statement. “These disturbing remarks are indicative of an apparent indifference to the value of human life.” The Washington-based CAIR’s stated mission is “to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.” Lt. Gen...

WASHINGTON -- A Marine general in Iraq ripped front-line journalists for "Chicken Little" coverage of the March invasion, and advised military leaders to "never forget how quickly the press jumped on the bandwagon of doom and gloom," a critical internal study of the war reveals. "Visions of Vietnam danced in reporters' heads" during halts in the march to Baghdad, griped the commanding general of the 1st Marine Division in a 67-page draft report obtained by WorldNetDaily. Maj. Gen. James N. Mattis Maj. Gen. James N. Mattis heaped scorn on "unilateral" correspondents in his May 29 report. He said they "routinely"...

Marine, Iraqi leaders ready to push ahead toward Iraq's futureSubmitted by: 1st Marine DivisionStory Identification #: 200452173641Story by Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq (May 21, 2004) -- Leaders of the 1st Marine Division, the Fallujah Brigade and Fallujah's mayor said Thursday that the city is ready for rebuilding. "I've got my plan and by God, come hell or high water, I'm just going to execute that plan no matter what," said Maj. Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of the 1st Marine Division. "Our end state was all along, if you ask the Marines, was 'no better...

This is a letter, reprinted with permission, from Major General James Mattis, the Commanding officer of the 1st MEF in Iraq. The General and I served on the same ship off Iran in 1980 when I was a young Corporal and he was a young Captain. I was not one of his troops, but I still keep in touch with some men that were. He is highly spoken of, and his record since 9/11 is exemplary.