— Domani Spero
Francis Regan of San Francisco, CA has started a petition to nominate General James Mattis, USMC, Ret. to be the next Ambassador to the Russian Federation. Below is part of his justification:
Ambassador McFaul resigned last month to return to Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, leaving us without a dedicated official envoy to Moscow. We need an Ambassador to advocate for regional stability and economic confidence. We need an Ambassador right now to be a stone in the Putin administration’s shoe, always present and felt with every step. This is not something we should expect of either the Secretary of State or the Deputy Chief of Mission in Moscow, who each have other responsibilities.
Finally, we need an Ambassador with a detailed knowledge of existing US capability across every agency and department; a proven ability to deliver finely calibrated messages in volatile situations; and a keen awareness of the ability and willingness of our allies to stand beside us under any given set of circumstances.
Ambassador McFaul and General Mattis have been colleagues at the Hoover Institution for the past six weeks, where they have undoubtedly been talking through this Ukraine crisis as it has unfolded from unrest, to the shooting of protesters, to the ouster of President Yanukovych, and finally to an undeclared Russian invasion of Crimea.
As of this writing, the petition has 50 signatories. Some of the reasons given by the supporters are below:
- Because I’m a Marine and I know Mattis takes zero shit.
- Because General Mattis is a badass.
- Because I’m begging you, with tears in my eyes…
- Because Gen. Mattis has a zero-tolerance for bullshit.
- I know General Mattis personally & professionally and he is by far the answer and the patriot to what this country is facing at this time.
One supporter of this petition which is addressed to President Obama states his reason as, “Because this guy unlike the President has a set of balls.”
Obviously, that’s really going to help.
In 2013, Gen. James Mattis, known to his troops as “Mad Dog Mattis,” retired after 41 years of military service. Business Insider called him “an icon of sorts in the Marine Corps, arguably the most famous living Marine” and collected some of his unforgettable quotes. Take a look.
- Sheila Gwaltney , the current Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy Moscow; was deputy chief of mission during Amb. McFaul’s tenure; was consul general in St. Petersburg from 2008 to 2011. We understand that she is scheduled to rotate out this summer with Lynne M. Tracy, current DAS for South and Central Asia as the next DCM.
- Pamela Spratlen , U.S. Ambassador to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, who is a former No. 2 at the embassy in Kazakhstan and former consul general in Vladivostok, Russia.
- Rose Gottemoeller , undersecretary of state for arms control and international security. She just got confirmed on March 6, 2014.
Who else are you hearing?
* * *
Related articles
- Legendary General James Mattis Explains What’s Happening In The Middle East Right Now (businessinsider.com)
- General James Mattis: Dealing With The Middle East Has ‘Halfway Driven Me To Drink’ (businessinsider.com)
- Putin doesnt see America as weak, former U.S. ambassador to Moscow says (star-telegram.com)
- Russia’s Duma Ratifies Crimea Annexation (rferl.org)
- U.S. Ambassador to Moscow Michael McFaul Blogs Farewell (diplopundit.net)
- McFaul Departure Leaves Void During Ukraine Crisis (thecable.foreignpolicy.com)
- If not Carney, then who will be nominated for Russia post? (washingtonpost.com)
You must be logged in to post a comment.