In 2017, then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis took to the podium to address the escalating pace of US military operations targeting the Islamic State, delivering measured assurances that his Pentagon leadership would prioritize both operational effectiveness and adherence to established rules of engagement — explicitly pledging to safeguard civilian lives throughout the campaign. That carefully calibrated, institutionally grounded posture stands in sharp relief against the inflammatory rhetoric emanating from current Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whose public statements on Iran have drawn widespread condemnation for their reckless, performative aggression and conspicuous absence of strategic discipline […]
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