Lt. Gen. James Mattis: "It's
fun to shoot some people"
Earthtimes.org
Posted on : 2005-02-04
Author : Peter Goodyear
News Category : World
"It's fun to shoot some people,' said the
Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Mattis while speaking at a forum in
San Diego. His comments though appeared funny to some at the
forum, have led to annoyance of many including his higher
officials.
Mattis was trying to portray the grim picture of war. The
whole process of combating somehow appeared amusing to him when
he said at a panel discussion hosted by the Armed Forces
Communications and Electronics Association that, "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."
He added, "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."
Mattis is at present the commanding general of the Marine
Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, Va., and deputy
commandant for combat development. He is valued as a fighting
general and an expert in the art of warfare. He owns a Bronze
Star with a combat distinguishing device and a combat action
ribbon, awarded for close-quarters fighting.
Gen. Hagee's in a statement about Mattis remark said, "Lt.
Gen. Mattis often speaks with a great deal of candor. I have
counseled him concerning his remarks and he agrees he should have
chosen his words more carefully."
"While I understand that some people may take issue with the
comments made by him, I also know he intended to reflect the
unfortunate and harsh realities of war," Hagee's statement
added.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace who is a vice chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff while speaking Pentagon press conference said,
"all of us who are leaders have a responsibility in our words and
our actions to provide the right example all the time for those
who look to us for leadership."
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