Marine general: It's 'fun to shoot people'

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/03/general.shoot/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A three-star Marine general who said it was "fun to shoot some people" should have chosen his words more carefully, the Marine Corps commandant said Thursday.

Lt. Gen. James Mattis, who commanded Marine expeditions in Afghanistan and Iraq, made the comments Tuesday during a panel discussion in San Diego, California.

"Actually it's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot," Mattis said, prompting laughter from some military members in the audience. "It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up there with you. I like brawling.

"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis said. "You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

Mattis' press office has not yet responded to a request to answer questions about his comments.

However, the Marine commandant, Gen. Michael Hagee, defended Mattis, calling him "one of this country's bravest and most experienced military leaders."

he's a marine. it's what they do.

Reply 2 - Posted by: miceal, 2/3/2005 6:40:33 PM

Liberals with their panties in a wad once again. Heaven forbid this WARRIOR telling it like it IS! There is NO DOUBT in my retired military mind which side of the "us or them" equation these vacuous dolts are backing.


Reply 3 - Posted by: Thucydides, 2/3/2005 6:44:05 PM

Thank God there are still men like this in America and in our military.


Reply 9 - Posted by: TiminPhoenix, 2/3/2005 7:11:12 PM

These people wouldn't understand a warrior for the life of them.

Most liberals are not at all sincere in their support of the troops. It's just a tactic. For the few that do actually care in a way, it's not truly support.

They don't feel gratitude for a mission well done, it's more akin to the pity one feels for some loveable mutt that has gotten itself trapped in a stormpipe.

There is no respect at the heart of a liberal because respect is built upon a foundation of understanding. You have to understand the worth of something, of someone to respect it.

For them to understand a warrior and how they have to have that "hard corps" "grease your tracks with their guts" mindset is like asking a four year old to explain fission.


Reply 12 - Posted by: pomom, 2/3/2005 7:29:39 PM

I heard the comments by this on Brit's show tonight as I was fixing dinner. Made me proud.


Reply 14 - Posted by: sepcodale, 2/3/2005 7:38:59 PM

Sounds like a good candidate for 2008 presidential race. I would vote for him.


Reply 15 - Posted by: The Captain, 2/3/2005 7:40:15 PM

"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis said. "You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

Damn straight, Devil Dog. The General got it exactly right. Especially when it's a bunch of cowardly raghead terrorist clymers who get their jollies from slapping women around, not to mention murdering people whose only crime was to go to work, go our for pizza, take an airplane ride, etc. Oh yes, when it comes to trash like that, by all means shoot 'em all and let God sort them out...


Reply 17 - Posted by: micktexan, 2/3/2005 7:42:16 PM

Hey, I have to admit I was smiling as I popped off the Viet Cong as they tried to get through our barbed wire. I have NO regrets...about those that died, or smiling! Call me sick, but it reminded me of shooting turtles out of the stock tank pond on the ranch......


Reply 29 - Posted by: Pam DeVries, 2/3/2005 8:51:24 PM

My tough as nails, wonderful, adorable father-in-law was asked by his Dr. what he did in the Marines. He simply replied 'killed people...and I was good at it.' Because he was good at it I have this precious man in our lives. Thanks Dad.


Reply 33 - Posted by: FunOne, 2/3/2005 9:45:02 PM

I think it's great when someone truly enjoys his work.

This generally means he does exceptionally well at it.


Reply 34 - Posted by: Rumblehog, 2/3/2005 9:49:52 PM

I suspect our snipers over there enjoy doing their jobs very much. Especially when they get to take out a raghead aiming an AK at one of our guys.

Suck it up and move along little girls. It's a big bad ugly world outside Starbucks.


Reply 40 - Posted by: bighambone, 2/3/2005 10:24:57 PM

Obviously the man is a warrior, not a nun!


Reply 44 - Posted by: mjolnir, 2/4/2005 1:30:35 AM

Well, some people need killin'.

has ever ACTUALLY killed anyone in war, or even served in the
military? The VAST majority of people who served and killed the
enemy are NOT "happy" about it, or joke about it later, nor did they
enjoy it. Most suffer nightmares and PTSS for years and years, perhaps
even the rest of their lives. The ones that like killing are usually
psychotic or sociopathic, and most commanders want them out of their
unit as fast as possible.

And that's coming from my father, a (relatively moderate) Republican.

I'm sure this'll look great on AL Jazeera tomorrow.

Between this and Abu Ghraib, All we are doing is proving Bin laden right.

It's fun to "liberate" ragheads. :shrug:

HARRISON FORD is going to play him in some movie.

Gag me!

On edit--and he wasn't making it up, either! http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=61132

Producers at Universal Pictures are developing what would be Hollywood’s first feature film about the war in Iraq, with actor Harrison Ford ready to portray a US General in the movie, the studio said on Friday.

The movie would be based on the upcoming book No True Glory, an account of the battle for Falluja by Bing West, a Marine veteran and ex-US assistant defense secretary now covering the war as a foreign correspondent. A Universal-based production company, Double Features, recently optioned movie rights to the book, which will be adapted by West and his son, Owen, a veteran Marine rifleman. The book is due out in May from Bantam, a unit of the Random House.

Ford, 62, would play Maj Gen James Mattis, the US Marine commander ordered to lead an assault on Falluja after four American contractors were lynched. Although Ford is “attached” to the project, he is not under contract. ...

I wonder if they will show dogs eating corpses, marines shooting unarmed terrorists and blowing up houses with women and children in them?

Fun killing people? What sort of person finds that fun and says so on TV?

Ted Bundy and other serial killers.

of sickness is there in this country that this guy would be applauded. My father was a combat vet of WW II, and he didn't come back and say stuff like this.