- US Defense Secretary James Mattis wanted to approach strikes on Syria with far more caution than President Donald Trump.
- Mattis’ measured approach was recorded in public comments this week as well as in a number of high-profile leaks.
- According to a defense expert, Mattis’ team may have used leaks because they “want the record to show” he wanted to proceed with caution in Syria.
- Mattis is concerned that aggressive action against Syria could cause chaos or military action by Russia or Iran against US troops.
US Defense Secretary James Mattis may have used leaks about strikes on Syria to distance himself from President Donald Trump and potentially negative fallout from Friday’s US-led military action.
On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported Mattis was resisting Trump’s desire for sweeping strikes on Syria and successfully halted two potential attacks earlier this week. The Journal also said Mattis wanted “a more limited action that wouldn’t risk a wider confrontation with Russian forces.”See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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See Also:
- Photos of US, UK, and French military strikes show just how close missiles got to Syria’s capital city
- US, Britain, and France hammer Syria with missile strikes in response to suspected chemical weapons attack that killed dozens
- Trump is reportedly pushing for ‘sweeping’ strikes in Syria — but Mattis is pushing back
SEE ALSO: The US says it didn’t give Russia any advance warning about targets hit in Syria strikes
