General counseled
for saying it's 'fun'
to shoot enemies
Marine commandant
praises Mattis' service
By Scott Foster
NBC News
Updated: 11:44 a.m. ET Feb. 3, 2005The head of the Marine Corps on Thursday said he had counseled a Marine general who "often speaks with a great deal of candor" — a reference to comments in which the general said "it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot" the enemy in Afghanistan.
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The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Michael Hagee, issued a written statement in response to those comments, praising Lt. Gen. James Mattis' bravery and military experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying that Mattis was trying to reflect the "unfortunate and harsh realities of war."
Mattis, who is now based in Quantico, Va., where he is in charge of the Marine Corps combat development, made the comments Tuesday at a panel discussion in San Diego attended by 200 defense personnel and experts.
Mattis, a former commander of the First Marine Division known for his "off the cuff" remarks, talked about operations in Afghanistan, saying, "You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil ... you know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."
Near the beginning of his speech, which covered military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mattis said, "Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight. You know it's a hell of a hoot. I like brawling."
Hagee stated that "I have counseled him concerning his remarks and he agrees he should have chosen his words mare carefully ... I remain confident that he will continue to serve this nation with dedication and distinction."
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