The extraordinary resignation letter that Defence Secretary Jim Mattis handed to a surprised President Donald Trump was not just a product of two years of accumulating frustration with an impulsive boss, but an outline of the strategic hazards facing the next Pentagon chief. He implicitly criticized the president's unwillingness to stand up to Russia or take a stronger stance against Chinese assertiveness. "I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours," Mattis wrote. "In addition to the frayed state of US relations with NATO, Mattis' successor also is likely to face other hazards hinted at in his resignation letter. In fact, there may be no historical equivalent to the circumstances of Mattis' departure.

Source: Economic Times December 21, 2018 22:41 UTC