Mattis Cancels Planned Trip to Israel

Outgoing Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who announced his resignation Thursday in a letter to President Donald Trump, has canceled a planned trip to Israel next week.

According to Axios, Mattis was scheduled to meet with Israeli officials about Syria and Iran.

Trump announced Wednesday that he is pulling all 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria, saying the Islamic State (ISIS) has been defeated. It was that decision that reportedly prompted Mattis to resign.

Mattis pledged to remain in his Pentagon post for two more months, which he said would provide Trump the opportunity to nominate a successor and have that person be confirmed in the Senate.

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