US President-elect Donald Trump has named Gen James Mattis, a former
marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as his defence secretary.
"He's our
best," Mr Trump said, as he announced his pick in a speech in Ohio.
Gen Mattis, who is
known as "Mad Dog", was an outspoken critic of the Obama
administration's Middle East policy, particularly on Iran.
He has referred to Iran
as "the single most enduring threat to stability and peace in the Middle
East".
Mr Trump made the
announcement in Cincinnati at the start of a "USA Thank You Tour
2016" for his supporters.
"We are going to
appoint 'Mad Dog' Mattis as our secretary of defence," he told the crowd.
"They say he's the
closest thing to General George Patton [World War Two commander] that we
have."
This was billed as the
first stop on President-elect Donald Trump's "thank you" tour of
states he flipped from Democrat to Republican in the 2016 election.
It ended up being more
like an extended end zone dance, an "in your face" primal scream at
all his critics and naysayers.
He took swipes at
Hillary Clinton, to a chorus of "lock her up" chants from the crowd.
He bemoaned the lack of support he received from his own party. And, as always,
he fired invective at the media, as the boos rained down on the reporters
typing away in their cordoned-off pen.
The one bit of news he
did reveal - that he had picked retired General James Mattis to be defence
secretary - was seemingly impromptu. "Don't let it out of this room,
promise," he said, to cheers.
It was Campaign Trump
in top form. He clearly had a script - unveiling his "action plan"
for his presidency - but he enthusiastically deviated from it, much to the
crowd's delight.
"Should I go on
just a little bit longer?" he asked. The crowd roared.
During his speech he
said a divided America must come together, but it seems unlikely any Democrats
watching felt like sharing a group hug.
Mr Trump has previously
described Gen Mattis, 66, as "a true general's general".
The retired Marine
Corps officer led an assault battalion during the first Gulf war in 1991 and
commanded a task force into southern Afghanistan in 2001.
He also took part in
the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and played a key role a year later in the Battle
of Fallujah.
Gen Mattis retired in
2013 after serving as the commander of the US Central Command.
Correspondents say his
nomination will be popular among US forces.
However, a legal hurdle
must be overcome before he can be appointed.
Under US law, a retired
officer must be out of uniform for at least seven years before he or she can
serve as defence secretary.
Republican-controlled
Congress will have to approve legislation bypassing the requirement so he can
take up the role.
Source: www.bbcnews.com
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