Invading Iraq was ‘strategic mistake’, says Gen James Mattis

Nominated for secretary of state by US President-elect Donald Trump General James Mattis had called the 2003 invasion of Iraq a ‘strategic mistake’, US media reported.

The intercept quoting an earlier interview of Gen Mattis in which he said, “Ladies and gentlemen … we will probably look back on the invasion of Iraq as a mistake — as a strategic mistake.”

As for the Pentagon’s view on the Iraq invasion at the time, Mattis said: “I think people were pretty much aware that the U.S. military didn’t think it was a very wise idea. But we give a cheery ‘Aye aye, sir.’ Because when you elect someone commander in chief — we give our advice. We generally give it in private.”

The 66-year-old "Mad Dog" Mattis, who commanded US forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan, is the second retired general to be named to Trump's governing team after Michael Flynn, tapped for the post of national security advisor.

The president-elect opted to reveal his nomination of Mattis in typically unorthodox style -- to thousands of supporters who had gathered at a downtown Cincinnati arena for Trump's first post-election rally.

Mattis was one of the Iraq campaign’s most important ground commanders. He led the 1st Marine Division during the invasion and later oversaw the bloody retaking of Fallujah from insurgents in 2004.