James 'Mad Dog' Mattis, retired U.S. commander, rips Obama's 'unguided' ISIS strategy

Famous Marine says policy ‘replete with half-measures’

Two retired U.S. commanders say President Obama still does not have a winning strategy for defeating the Islamic State group after three years and billions of dollars invested in the cause.

Retired Gens. James “Mad Dog” Mattis and Anthony Zinni were asked by Time magazine Tuesday to assess the U.S.-led coalition’s efforts against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. Neither man was convinced the president had a winning long-term strategy.

Mr. Mattis, who led U.S. Central Command from 2010 to 2013, told the publication that Mr. Obama’s efforts are “unguided by a sustained policy or sound strategy [and] replete with half-measures.”

Mr. Zinni, who held the position from 1997 to 2000, was even more blunt.

“It’s a bad strategy, it’s the wrong strategy, and maybe I would tell the president that he would be better served to find somebody who believes in it, whoever that idiot may be,” the former four-star general told the magazine.

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