Exactly. The perpetual hard-on for Mattis by people on this board overlooks these facts.
The necons will not understand that the decision to go to war or use force is NOT the prerogative of the Pentagon or the generals. The people - through their representatives - will decide. Once decided, the generals then kill and blow up until they are told to stop. But the decision to go, stop, withdraw, etc…are POLTICAL decisions to made via the constitutional process.
So fuck all what the "generals" have to say about Syria, including Mattis. When their opinions are needed to supplement the geopolitical decision-making process, then POTUS will get it from them. After which, they can shut the fuck up.
The days of neocon blood-lust and warmongering are coming to an end.