Six Major Issues Facing the Future U.S. Secretary of Defense

Retired General James Mattis, Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, will likely face a tumultuous period in the coming years as he leads the largest bureaucracy in the U.S. and the world's military machine. The French news agency discusses six key issues that Mattis will confront if his appointment is confirmed. Mattis has a tough stance on Iran, publicly describing it as the 'most hostile actor in the Middle East.' The former commander of Navy SEAL units, who led one of the divisions during the Iraq invasion, has identified Iran as responsible for the deaths of several American troops by Shiite militants in Anbar province. He has also accused Iran of financially supporting extremist networks aimed at destabilizing the Middle East. Donald Trump opposes the nuclear deal with Iran, and Mattis has challenged this agreement as well. He has criticized the current U.S. administration for not countering Iran's military actions in the region and is likely to push for a tougher stance against the Islamic Republic. Defeating the 'Islamic State' Trump has stated during his campaign that he would destroy the 'Islamic State' through bombing and promised to kill the family members of suspected terrorists and torture prisoners from these groups. However, Mattis has told Trump that he does not agree with these methods, and it seems the President-elect has toned down his rhetoric regarding torture. It is unlikely that Mattis will propose a different plan for combating the 'Islamic State' than the Obama administration's policy of bombing the group's positions and arming local groups to fight it. Trump has outlined his foreign policy priorities as 'advancing joint and aggressive military operations to strike and ultimately destroy the so-called Islamic State.' Last year, Trump spoke about sending troops to the region to seize oil fields controlled by this group but has not mentioned this in his official plans. Increasing Military Spending? The U.S. Armed Forces are the most powerful and expensive military in the world, with a significant budget of over $600 billion and approximately 1.3 million personnel. China ranks second in military spending, but its defense budget is about a quarter of that of the U.S. Trump recently stated that his administration would implement 'national and extensive measures to rebuild the country's armed forces.' He seeks to increase the number of personnel, aircraft, ships, and weapons. Mattis will face an increase in active personnel in the U.S. Armed Forces, as Trump's plans will raise the number of ground troops from 450,000 to about 540,000 and the number of U.S. ships and submarines from 308 to 350. Trump also intends to increase the number of aircraft and equip the U.S. Armed Forces with a 'very advanced' missile defense system. Due to these plans for increased military spending, the stock prices of arms manufacturing companies have recently risen. However, Trump's plans for increased military spending require congressional approval. Request for Greater Participation from Allied Countries During his campaign, Trump accused NATO member countries and U.S. allies in East Asia of not paying their fair share for defense agreements that guarantee regional security. However, since winning the election, Trump has backtracked on some of his campaign promises. Mattis's first task will be to clarify to allied countries what the new U.S. government's position is. The U.S. has hundreds of military bases and centers worldwide, with over 200,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in dozens of countries, including about 28,000 in South Korea and approximately 50,000 in Japan. Afghanistan After 15 years since the invasion of Afghanistan and spending billions of dollars, the security situation in the country remains shaky, and Afghan security and military forces are unable to defeat the insurgents. Obama was forced to delay the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, and by the end of his presidency, about 8,400 American troops will still be stationed in Afghanistan. The issue of Afghanistan was rarely raised during the campaign, but Trump indicated a reluctance to engage militarily in other countries in his remarks on Thursday. He stated, 'We will stop the policy of regime change. Our goal is stability, not chaos.' Mattis, who has participated in operations in Afghanistan, has criticized Obama's policy of withdrawing U.S. forces from the country. Russia Trump has publicly praised Vladimir Putin's capabilities as a leader and accused Hillary Clinton of being a 'tool' of America's old enemy. Russia has supported rebels in eastern Ukraine, annexed Crimea, conducted extensive military exercises near Eastern European countries, and has been militarily involved in support of Bashar al-Assad's regime in the Syrian civil war since the summer of 2015. Trump may ask Mattis to find ways to create greater coordination with Russia in the Syrian civil war and elsewhere. Such coordination has been unimaginable for the U.S. Armed Forces until now.