Outgoing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis requested aides at the Pentagon print and share 50 copies of his resignation letter once he returned from a meeting Thursday with President Trump, according to a new report.
In response to Trump’s decision Wednesday to withdraw troops from Syria, Mattis headed to the White House on Thursday and sought to convince Trump to reconsider the move. Mattis had already prepared a resignation letter and after his efforts proved unsuccessful, he requested aides print and distribute 50 copies of the letter, the New York Times reports.
In the letter, Mattis announced that he was resigning on principle and told Trump he should find “a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned” with his, and said he would remain at the Pentagon until Feb. 28.
“One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships,” Mattis wrote. “While the U.S. remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies.
“My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues,” Mattis said. “We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conductive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.”
The Pentagon announced Wednesday that although ISIS had not been overthrown as President Trump had suggested, troops were being pulled out of Syria. The military has received instructions to start withdrawing approximately half of the 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, according to CNN.
