Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff Generals at the White House, October 23, 2018. -
Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP / SIPA
“I would have preferred to eliminate him.
I had made sure everything was planned.
On Tuesday, the US president admitted to having considered assassinating Bashar al-Assad after the chemical attack on civilians attributed to the Syrian regime in April 2017.
In an interview with Fox News Tuesday morning, Donald Trump assured that it was his former Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis, who opposed it.
“Mattis didn't want to do it.
Mattis was a largely overrated general, and I parted ways with him, ”said Donald Trump.
"I would have rather taken him out" - Trump says he wanted to assassinate Bashar al-Assad, but Mattis stopped him pic.twitter.com/pUcFTSW2w9
- Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 15, 2020
" No regrets "
Eventually, Washington retaliated by firing several dozen Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian military base.
In September 2018, the American president had on the contrary affirmed that he had never discussed with his Pentagon chief the possible assassination of Bashar al-Assad, denying the version reported by journalist Bob Woodward in his book
Fear
.
Jim Mattis had announced on December 20, 2018 that he was leaving his post, criticizing in particular the diplomatic strategy of Donald Trump after the announcement of the withdrawal of American troops in Syria.
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