Trump chooses former CENTCOM head to lead Pentagon

WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (KUNA) -- President-elect Donald Trump has chosen the 66-year-old retired head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), General James Mattis, to be his Secretary of Defense, Trump said at a rally in Cincinnati, Ohio, late Thursday.
CENTCOM's area of responsibility is the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa.
Mattis, nicknamed "Mad Dog" in political circles, oversaw the battles in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, as well as the protection of sea lanes in the Gulf.
He has been a soldier since he was 19, and has fought in the Gulf War, Afghanistan, and also led a Marine division into Iraq in 2003.
Mattis is a fierce critic of Iran, and according to the New York Times, was made to leave his post at CENTCOM by the Obama Administration due to his "hawkish" stance toward Tehran. The former general has repeatedly said he believes Iran is the greatest threat to the region.
Mattis also told Congress after his retirement from the military in 2013 that the rise of the so-called Islamic State (IS) was due to American disengagement from the Middle East. Instead he encouraged "a firm, strategic stance in defense of our values." No military general has become secretary of defense since 1950, and anyone leading the Pentagon - according to US law - would have to be out of uniform for at least seven years prior to the appointment. Mattis will require a congressional waiver to be Trump's official nominee. (end) ys.hm