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Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned from Donald Trump’s administration after Trump announced that he would withdraw troops from Syria, ignoring the advice of top officials. The Washington Post reports that the resignation was came surprise:

The retired Marine Corps general’s surprise resignation came a day after Trump overruled his advisers, including Mattis, and shocked American allies by announcing the withdrawal. In the process, Trump declared victory over the Islamic State, even though the Pentagon and State Department for months have been saying the fight against the group in Syria isn’t over.

The Atlantic reproduced Mattis’s resignation letter:

I believe we must be resolute and unambiguous in our approach to those countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with ours. It is clear that China and Russia, for example, want to shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model—gaining veto authority over other nations’ economic, diplomatic, and security decisions—to promote their own interests at the expense of their neighbors, America and our allies.

Multiple news outlets, including the New York Times, have pointed out that Mattis was the last of the officials to try to reign in Trump: “His departure leaves the Trump administration without one of the few officials viewed as standing between a mercurial president and global tumult.”

In an op-ed, the NYT editorial board writes that Trump’s decision benefits Russia, damages the GOP, and appears to have been made entirely without consulting his team.

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