With a Drama-Filled White House, Mattis Has Shown Deft Political Touch
With a Drama-Filled White House, Mattis Has Shown Deft Political Touch by Greg Jaffe and Dan Lamothe - Washington Post
Away from the cameras and apart from the nonstop drama of the White House, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has come to play a role unlike any other Cabinet member.
The retired Marine general has become a force for calm, order and, in the eyes of the president’s critics, quiet resistance to some of President Trump’s most combative and divisive instincts.
In perhaps his greatest political feat, Mattis has maintained this air of independence without directly provoking a president who demands absolute loyalty.
The latest example came Wednesday morning when Trump vented his frustrations with North Korea after its latest missile launch…
On Tuesday night, Mattis seemed again to be in mitigation mode when he announced that he would be pulling together a “panel of experts” to provide advice on how to implement Trump’s ordered ban on transgender troops…
Afghan Troop Surge Likely to Include Thousands of Paratroopers, Marines and Heavy Bombers
Afghan Troop Surge Likely to Include Thousands of Paratroopers, Marines and Heavy Bombers by Thomas Gibbons-Neff - Washington Post
The bulk of the roughly 4,000 additional troops headed to Afghanistan will probably be composed of thousands of paratroopers from two units — the 82nd Airborne Division and an airborne brigade from the 25th Infantry Division, according to U.S. officials.
More air support — in the form of more F-16 fighters, A-10 ground attack aircraft and additional B-52 bomber support, or a combination of all three — is also probably on the way, according to a U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that had not yet been made public. The B-52s will remain based in Qatar but will be tasked to cover Afghanistan.
Small Marine artillery detachments, composed of about 100 or so troops per unit, will be spread around the country to fill in gaps in air support, the official said.
The preparations come as the Pentagon announced Wednesday that it is altering how it counts the number of troops in Afghanistan to include all service members who are on temporary assignments and working for combat support agencies that did not count against the “force management levels” disclosed previously...