He directed that sentiment toward "guys" in Afghanistan "who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil."
"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," he said. The commandant of the Marine Corps at the time "counseled" Mattis over his remarks and released a statement saying he should have chosen them "more carefully."
Mattis, a seasoned war veteran, is best known for leading troops into the bloody battle of Fallujah in Iraq in 2004.
As Gates announced Mattis as his choice, he also explained in more detail the media policy for the U.S. military.
He said he does not want to "impinge" or "impede" the flow of information to the press. "This is not my intent, nor will I tolerate it," Gates said.
He said he concluded several weeks ago, following a series of incidents spanning two administrations in which senior defense officials got into trouble over comments in the press, that the military needs "greater coordination and discipline."
Gates said he does not view the media as the enemy. "This is not about you. This is about us," he said.
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