Marine general to enemy: If you f**k with me, I'll kill you all

With army general David Petreus taking up command of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A), marine general James Mattis, a tough little nut with experience in both Iraq and Afghanistan, will take over at Central Command (USCENTCOM). Mattis is famous – infamous depending on your point of view – for speaking candidly in 2005:

"Actually it's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot," Mattis said, prompting laughter from some military members in the audience. "It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up there with you. I like brawling.

"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis said. "You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

That isn't the half of it, with Mattis in 2003 telling Iraqi adversaries:

I come in peace. I didn't bring artillery. But I'm pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you fuck with me, I'll kill you all.

Anyway, ignore the media bleating about what Mattis once said and instead check out what he's achieved.

Update: Journalist, author and noted language-mangler Antony Loewenstein on Mattis's appointment: Killing people is fun, says head CENTCOM head