Posted on 08/19/2004 1:02:28 AM PDT by Happy2BMe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Army general violated Pentagon rules by failing to properly clear speeches in which he described the war on terror as a Christian battle against Satan and should be punished, according to an inspector general's report obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.
The Department of Defense's watchdog agency said Lt. Gen. William Boykin, a top-ranking intelligence officer, used official data in some of the 23 religious-oriented speeches he gave after January 2002 which should have been cleared.
Boykin touched off a firestorm last October after giving speeches while in uniform in which he referred to the war on terror as a battle with Satan and said America had been targeted "because we're a Christian nation." He said later he was not anti-Islam or any other religion.
Boykin was obliged to clear the speeches, given "the sensitive nature of his remarks concerning U.S. policy and the likelihood that he would be perceived by his audiences as a DOD spokesman based on his official position and his appearance in uniform," the report said.
Boykin, an evangelical Christian, violated other rules by failing to issue a required disclaimer at the speeches that he was not representing official Pentagon policy, it said.
He also failed to report his receipt of one travel payment exceeding $260 from a non-government source, said the report, which was submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The report said Boykin did make "good faith efforts" to consult legal advisers about his speaking activities and that should be considered when the Army Secretary assessed the seriousness of the violations.
"We recommend that the Acting Secretary of the Army take appropriate corrective action with respect to Lt. Gen. Boykin," the report said.
The investigation did not focus on whether the substance of Boykin's remarks was appropriate for a senior Pentagon official or whether it compromised his fitness for performing his duties.
A Pentagon spokeswoman had no comment on the report, or what type of punishment the general would face. "That report has not been released. At this point it would be inappropriate for me to comment," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jane Campbell.
Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American Islamic Relations welcomed the report's findings but said they came too late to prevent damage to the image of the United States and the U.S. military in the Muslim world.
He said his group supported Boykin's right to free speech, but not his speeches while in uniform.
"He's free to have views on Islam that are objectionable. We don't like it, but he has that right, just not as a representative of the U.S. military," Hooper said.
Muslim groups and U.S. lawmakers condemned Boykin's comments when they were reported last fall and President Bush said the remarks "didn't reflect my opinion."
At the time, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld praised Boykin's "outstanding record" and refused to reprimand the general, who played a role in a 1993 clash with Somali warlords and the ill-fated hostage rescue attempt in Iran in 1980.
Since then, Muslim groups also raised questions about what role Boykin, deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence, may have played in creating U.S. military interrogation policy amid a scandal over the abuse of prisoners in Iraq.
Boykin issued a written apology last October to anyone offended by his remarks, but did not take any of them back.
He's being given the bum rap for being politically incorrect.
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A travesty of justice on an American patriot. I cannot comprehend why after the whole world knows Islam's intent and hatred for the "Crusaders" that the President would sit still and let this happen.
Onward Muslim Soldiers - ping.
He was right on the money
A $1 fine should do it.
He used poor judgement and you can bet he'll not see four stars.
I wonder what these people are going to do when Jesus "rules all nations with a rod of iron".
I'm sure an ex-Delta Force commander has seen Satans handywork up close and personal.
That may be true. But he's also a man with extremely poor judgement.
"Gen. William Boykin is a true patriot and American hero of the first order."
Truth is the first casuality of war. Interesting what, all of Hillry's armchair generals in their "pink/red" uniforms all over the tube speaking directly against the President in the midst of a war.
In worldly perspective, maybe - but I believe he'll see greater rewards than the four stars in return for his witness....
Could be, but, could he not have made the same comments while in a civilian suit? A 2LT learns there are certain things you don't do while in uniform. If Boykin forgot those lessons, he should have been paying attention in GO Charm School when he was selected for BG.
That's their main problem right there. He was calling evil what it is and they can't stand it because he's an evangelical Christian in a leadership position.
May G-d help us if Muslims are ever in high positions. They have too much influence/power as it is.
Hope he hangs tough.
We are exactly being targeted because we are a nation of Christians.
Does the politically correct crew think for one minute that if we were under control of radical islam and its intolerance of Christians that we would have as a nation suffered the countless attacks over the last 30 years by those we have given money and power to simply because they are sitting on oil we need which by the way is sitting below Christians too, just on opposite sides of the earth and ideology.
I'm very pleased you are not the president.
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Would it have been better if the general had never openly expressed his opinions about Islam?
Perhaps Islam should go into protected minority status after all . .
It would have been better if he'd cleared his speech before making it in uniform, or if he'd just worn a suit and spoken as a private citizen.
He expressed his opinion of Islam while in uniform. Said opinion of Islam is not the official position of the United States of America. That is what got him into trouble.
When you wear the uniform, you are not speaking for yourself, you're speaking for Uncle Sam. I understood that little fact of life as a Marine NCO. I am disappointed that a three-star general did not understand that.
He's 100% correct, and I support him fully.
Keep on keepin' on, Gen. Boykin!
Muslim terrorists operating for the sake and glory of Islam and Allah while wearing their uniforms in broad daylight bothers me much more than a Lt. Gen. speaking out against it.
Islam is the scourge of the earth and is a direct threat to the national security of this country.
The fact that the good general was in uniform at the time he made the statement caught your attention and rightly so.
If he had been targeting something that wasn't a direct threat to the United States and if his statement was purely a personal political view, then I could give you that.
But it wasn't. He was openly, publicly and urgently (especially by the fact that he was in uniform when it happened) alerting Americans to the very real and urgent danger that Islam is to the safety of all Americans.
His being in uniform when he warned America is all the more appropriate.
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