On a summer morning in a desolate corner of Iraq’s western desert, Jim Mattis learned he’d narrowly evaded an assassination attempt.
A Sunni Arab man had been caught planting a bomb on a road shortly before Mattis and his small team of Marines passed by. Told the captured insurgent spoke English, Mattis decided to talk to him.
After Mattis offered a cigarette and coffee, the man said he tried to kill the general and his fellow Marines because he resented the foreigner soldiers in his land. Mattis said he understood the sentiment but assured the insurgent he was headed for Abu Ghraib, the infamous US-run prison. What happened next explains the point of the story.
You've reached your daily free article limit.
Subscribe and support our veteran writing staff to continue reading.
On a summer morning in a desolate corner of Iraq’s western desert, Jim Mattis learned he’d narrowly evaded an assassination attempt.
A Sunni Arab man had been caught planting a bomb on a road shortly before Mattis and his small team of Marines passed by. Told the captured insurgent spoke English, Mattis decided to talk to him.
After Mattis offered a cigarette and coffee, the man said he tried to kill the general and his fellow Marines because he resented the foreigner soldiers in his land. Mattis said he understood the sentiment but assured the insurgent he was headed for Abu Ghraib, the infamous US-run prison. What happened next explains the point of the story.
“General,” the man asked Mattis, “if I am a model prisoner do you think someday I could emigrate to America?”
In Mattis’ telling, this insurgent’s question showed he felt “the power of America’s inspiration.” It was a reminder of the value of national unity.
Read the whole story from Business Insider.
Featured image courtesy of DoD
Leadership Under Fire: Recent Dismissals of Two High-Ranking Military Commanders
The Space National Guard: Will It Become a Reality Under Trump?
Taleghan 2 Obliterated: How Israel is Thwarting Iran’s Homegrown Nuclear Threat
How The Air Force Plans to Fly F-22s Into 2060s
F-35 Pilots Describe Aircraft, Weapons, Electronics & Computing
Join SOFREP for insider access and analysis.
TRY 14 DAYS FREEAlready a subscriber? Log In
COMMENTS
You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article.