Why 'Mattis in charge' is a formula for disaster

By Anne Applebaum Columnist June 23 at 8:08 PM

“It’s all under control: Mattis is in charge.” That, or words to that effect, is what U.S. national security officials have been telling European allies in recent days. Don’t worry. There won’t be any surprises. The defense secretary is making all the big decisions.

A similar message is being repeated in Washington. This month, Jim Mattis told a Senate panel that the president had given him the authority to make all of the ground-level military decisions in Afghanistan, including decisions about troop deployment: “I will set the U.S. military commitment,” he said. No one was surprised. It’s now common knowledge that the president does not read complex security briefings, so the decision to hand off to his top commander has a certain logic.

To many, this solution is appealing. Certainly some of the Europeans who have heard this form of reassurance feel better, and probably a lot of Americans do, too. After all, the world is dangerous. A U.S. strike plane shot down a Syrian government fighter jet this week and the Syrian government has promised to retaliate. Tensions are high on the Korean Peninsula. The war in Afghanistan isn’t over.

With so many crises on the horizon, it seems like a good time to leave competent military experts in charge. Except that it isn’t — because it never is.

On the contrary, “Mattis in charge” is a formula for disaster, but not because Mattis is flawed or experts are bad. Mattis is a remarkable public servant, and experts are fundamental to good government. There should be more of them. Their input should be valued and respected. The Trump administration’s failure to use them, especially in foreign policy, will someday be remembered as one of its most catastrophic failures.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/why-mattis-in-charge-is-a-formula-for-disaster/2017/06/23/614a9182-5822-11e7-b38e-35fd8e0c288f_story.html