U.S. Secretary of defense James Mattis announced, at the end of February, to withdraw, to allow sufficient time for the Transition to stay. Now, US President, Donald Trump announced to replace him for the year, for the time being, by Deputy Patrick Shanahan. He was making "our very talented Deputy Minister of defense," Shanahan from 1. January the acting Minister of defense, informed Trump via Twitter.
As the reason for his resignation was given Mattis differences with the President. In a letter he wrote: "you have the right to a defence Minister whose views are more in line with their views." It was therefore the right step to resign.
the Decisive factor, apparently, was to be deducted Trumps decision-making, U.S.-troops from Syria. The decision was, and is, in the US government and also the Republicans in Congress highly controversial.
Mattis should have made it clear. He fears, like many others, that with the withdrawal of troops of Russia and Iran in the field in Syria and the Power of regime leader Bashar al-Assad will be strengthened. Trump had established the end of the military engagement in Syria, the jihadist organization IS defeated.
according to media reports, the US President intends to get back probably half of the approximately 14 000 US soldiers from Afghanistan.