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Sunday, April 15

What's worse than a former real-estate developer acting like a general?

A civilian secretary of defense who treats him as his commander-in-chief.

It took a waiver of the National Security Act of 1947, which calls for a seven-year waiting period before retired military persons can be nominated to U.S. Secretary of Defense, to allow James Mattis to take on the role; that's because he'd retired from the U.S. military in 2013. 

The point is that the Secretary of Defense is a civilian and so should not to treat President Donald Trump or any U.S. President as his commander-in-chief. 

Blame has been directed by critics at various governments and the media for the war crime committed by President Trump in ordering unprovoked strikes on Syrian government targets -- and by the way it is an 'official' war crime. But I think a considerable share of the blame goes to retired military persons working in high positions in a U.S. administration who continue to treat the President as a military commander -- the supreme commander, no less. Currently the observation would apply to CIA Director and nominee for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as well as Mr Mattis. 

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