Former U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says America “needs to
engage more in the world and intervene militarily less,” AP reported on
Tuesday.
Mattis, a retired Marine general, spoke on Monday night at a
previously unannounced speech before a Ramadan lecture series in honor of Abu
Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
According to a report in the state-linked newspaper The
National, Mattis stressed that “Iran’s behavior must change.” However, he
stressed that unilateral action is not the way forward with Iran and that the
“military must work to buy time for diplomats to work their magic.”
Speaking about America in general, Mattis said: “America will
frustrate you at times because of its form of government, but the UAE and
America will always find their way back to common ground, on that I have no
doubt.”