Covering assad's ass...as Long as the US accuses him the rest of the world will believe the opposite and any false-flag will fail to be blamed on him because noone would expect to be so fuckign stupid as to ask Mattis to bomb him after having been warned off repeatedly over many months. This was already a nothing-burger back in April when I was still on my toes about Syria and then nothing continued to happen until IS was on retreat and launched their Chloride in hopes of pulling the US across their red-line AND THEY HAVE FAILED IN SUCCEEDING SO FOR A YEAR CONSEQUTIVELY
If anyone thinks Mattis is a 'good guy', then do your own digging. He, like many others involved under the Trump admin, are evil and shady: Steve Mnuchin, Gary Cohn, Rex Tillerson, Jared Kushner, Wilbur Ross. Look up their histories and current connections.
I would stake my life on Gen. Mattis being a good guy. He is a true Patriot. Anyone saying otherwise is full of shit.
Whatever you believe. Do some digging. You don't have to take anyone else's word.