Mattis Faces CENTCOM Confirmation

Gen. James Mattis, the nominee to replace former Central Command head General David Petraeus, faced an amciable Senate panel Tuesday in the first step of what will likely be a smooth confirmation process.

Mattis, who will be tasked with overseeing the American presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, emphasized that although there will be a change in leadership, U.S. military policy, including the plan to begin the early transfer of additional power to the Afghan government in 2011, will continue uninterrupted.

Touching briefly on the recent Wikileaks scandal, in which thousands of classified documents were posted online, Mattis described the leak as “an appallingly irresponsible act,” but said that the release would have little effect on the war effort.

Little attention was paid to Mattis’s loose-lipped history, including comments made by the four-star General in 2005, in which Mattis, nicknamed ‘Mad Dog’ in some circles, told an audience during a speaking engagement in San Diego, that it was “fun to shoot some people” in 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,” Mattis said in 2005. “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. I’ll be right upfront with you, I like brawling.”

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, noted that he admired Mattis’s propensity for “straight talk.”

Mattis’s eventual predecessor General Petraeus is currently serving as the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan following General Stanley McChrystal’s exit amid a controversial Rolling Stone article. Mattis is currently serving as the commander of U.S. Joint Forces. Before being tapped as Cent-Com head, Mattis was reportedly intending to retire.

Mattis Tapped As CENTCOM Head

Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Thursday that he has selected General James Mattis to replace General David Petraeus as the head of U.S. Central Command, and characterized Mattis as one of the military’s most independent and iconoclastic leaders.

However, these attributes have gotten Mattis in trouble in the past. In 2005, Mattis remarked on-camera that it was “fun to shoot some people” in 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,” Mattis said during a panel discussion in California. “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. I’ll be right upfront with you, I like brawling.”

When reminded of Mattis’s remarks by a reporter, Gates responded that that the General was properly disciplined at the time and has corrected his behavior since the incident.

“That was five years ago,” said Gates. “I think the subsequent five years have demonstrated that the lesson was learned.”

Mattis, a Marine, is the current head of U.S. Joint Forces Command. He was initially intending to retire this year.

General Petraeus was unanimously confirmed by the Senate to command U.S. forces in Afghanistan last Wednesday. He replaced now-retired General Stanley McChrystal, who was relieved of his command after disparaging comments from he and his staff made it into an issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin’s (D-Mich.) office told Talk Radio News that the dates for Mattis’s confirmation hearings will not be announced until at least next week.