Mattis Visits Middle East, Africa

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April 2017

Travels with Jim Mattis, Secretary of Defense

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis traveled to the Middle East and Africa to reaffirm key U.S. military alliances, engage strategic partners and discuss cooperative efforts to counter destabilizing activities and defeat extremist terror organizations.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with troops at the Resolute Support Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 24, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis speaks with Afghan Minister of Interior Affairs Mohammad Jahid and Afghan Minister of Defense Abdullah Habibi

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis speaks with Afghan Interior Affairs Minister Taj Mohammad Jahid and Afghan Defense Minister Abdullah Khan Habibi at the Resolute Support Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 24, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 24, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis shakes hands with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the Resolute Support Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 24, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis greets Army Command Sgt. Maj. David Clark, left, Resolute Support senior enlisted leader, and Army Maj. Gen. Christopher Haas, Resolute Support deputy chief of staff for operations, at the mission's headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 24, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Army Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr., right, commander of NATO's Resolute Support mission, in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 24, 2017. The secretary's senior military assistant, Navy Rear Adm. Craig S. Faller, and senior advisor, Sally Donnelly, also participated. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with troops stationed at Camp Lemmonier, Djibouti, April 23, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis hosts a joint news conference with Marine Corps Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, commander of U.S. Africa Command, at Camp Lemmonier, Djibouti, April 23, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh at his presidential palace in Djibouti, April 23, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Djiboutian Defense Minister Ali Hasan Bahdon at the presidential palace in Djibouti, April 23, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis speaks with Army Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command, right, and Army Maj. Gen. Ralph Groover at Centcom's Forward Headquarters at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, April 22, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis attends a bilateral meeting with Qatari Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah in Doha, Qatar, April 22, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Army Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command, at Centcom's Forward Headquarters at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, April 22, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the Sea Palace in Doha, Qatar, April 22, 2017. Sitting to Mattis' left are his advisor, Sally Donnelly, and Dana Smith, U.S. ambassador to Qatar. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with troops stationed at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, April 21, 2017. Mattis is visiting the Middle East and Africa. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with troops assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 21, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem, April 21, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis walks with Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who hosted an enhanced honor cordon for Mattis at the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 21, 2017. Mattis is the first cabinet member from the new administration to visit Israel. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, April 21, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and other Israeli officials in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 21, 2017. U.S. Embassy photo by Matty Stern | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman hold a news conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 21, 2017. U.S. Embassy photo by Matty Stern | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrives in Israel, April 20, 2017. The secretary is scheduled to meet top Israeli government officials during his visit. U.S. Embassy photo by Matty Stern | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis walks with Egyptian Defense Minister Sedki Sobhy, who hosted an enhanced honor cordon for Mattis at the Defense Ministry in Cairo, April 20, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Egyptian Gen. Ayman Abdel Hamid Amer lay wreaths at the Unknown Soldier Memorial.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Egyptian Gen. Ayman Abdel Hamid Amer, commander of the Central Military Zone, lay wreaths at the Unknown Soldier Memorial in Cairo, April 20, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Marines during his visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 19, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 19, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis speaks with Army Gen. Abdulrahman bin Saleh al-Banyan, chief of Saudi Arabia's Joint Staff, after arriving at King Salman Air Base, Saudi Arabia, April 18, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

Saudi leaders welcome Defense Secretary Jim Mattis as he arrives at King Salman Air Base, Saudi Arabia, April 18, 2017. DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brigitte N. Brantley | Flickr Album

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Videos

Mattis, Resolute Support Commander Speak to Press

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Mattis: U.S. Stands by Afghan People After Taliban’s Heinous Acts

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In Kabul, Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had stern words for the recent Taliban attack on an Afghan military base and mosque, in which more than 100 people were killed. Story

U.S.-Djiboutian Relationship Strong and Strengthening, Mattis Says

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with troops stationed at Camp Lemmonier, Djibouti.

The meeting between Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Djiboutian President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh went to the heart of the U.S. relationship with the African nation, the secretary said, describing it as strong and strengthening. Story

Mattis Reinforces U.S.-Qatari Strategic Partnership

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Travel Locations

Location Links

Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Israel

Qatar
Afghanistan
Djibouti

ABOUT THE SECRETARY

Jim Mattis became the 26th defense secretary Jan. 20, 2017. During more than four decades in uniform, he commanded Marines at all levels, including in combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a joint force commander, he commanded U.S. Joint Forces Command, NATO's Supreme Allied Command for Transformation and U.S. Central Command.

Biography