JAMES MATTIS/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis was right to disagree with President Donald Trump over his plan to withdraw US troops from Syria, a top civilian official at the Pentagon told congressional lawmakers on Wednesday [2-6-19]. Appearing before the House Armed Services Committee for a hearing on the Pentagon’s counter terrorism strategy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict Owen West was asked point blank by Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton whether his former boss was wrong to oppose the President’s decision. ‘Mr. West, your former boss, Secretary Mattis, disagreed with the President’s plan to withdraw from Syria. Do you think he was wrong?’ Mouton asked. ‘No, sir,’ West responded after a short pause. It was a brief, yet frank moment of acknowledgment by West, who currently serves as the principle civilian special operations and counter terrorism adviser to acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan who has steered clear of appearing to contradict the President since taking over Mattis following his resignation in December.”
–Zachary Cohen, “Mattis right to disagree with Trump on Syria, top Pentagon official says,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, February 6, 2019 4:23 pm