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Victory in Afghanistan is possible, Mattis says

WASHINGTON — The general chosen to lead U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that victory in Afghanistan was possible and expressed optimism that troops would start coming home in a year.

Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, the tough-talking Marine who helped lead the invasion of Iraq, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he supported the strategy in Afghanistan laid out by President Obama and Army Gen. David Petraeus.

If confirmed as expected, Mattis would replace Petraeus at Central Command and oversee U.S. military operations across the Middle East, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Iran. Petraeus left the plum assignment to take over combat in Afghanistan after Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal was fired.

“We will have some bad days ahead, but so long as we hold fast and adapt faster than the enemy, the enemy’s situation will continue to worsen,” Mattis told lawmakers.

Mattis defined success in Afghanistan as propping up an Afghan government that is stable enough to keep “extremists” from using the country as a terrorist base.

Republicans used the confirmation hearing to press Mattis on Obama’s decision to begin pulling troops out of Afghanistan next year. Mattis said he supported the decision because the deadline is contingent upon security conditions at the time.

“It’s a date when a process begins,” Mattis said. “It’s not a hand-off of a hot potato.”

Mattis also defended the U.S. relationship with Pakistan. Internal military documents leaked this week suggest that U.S. officials have long regarded Pakistan as an untrustworthy partner against militants who use the country as a safe zone.

Mattis called the leak “grossly irresponsible” and said he believes that cooperation with Pakistan on counterterrorism is at an “all-time high.”

The U.S.-Pakistan relationship is “trending in the right direction,” he said.

Mattis said he is probably most concerned about Iran, including its desire to enrich uranium that could be used to build a nuclear bomb.

DISCUSS: MATTIS HEARING