A senior military intelligence official who cast the U.S. war on terrorism in starkly religious terms during speeches to church groups has asked for an examination of his past speaking activities amid a backlash from Muslim groups and political leaders.
 Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Photo: Los Angeles Times) |
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today at a Pentagon briefing he thought an official look at Army Lt. Gen. William Boykin’s remarks would be “appropriate.”
A Pentagon spokesman, Air Force Lt. Col. Ken McClellan, told WorldNetDaily he did not know at this point what the nature of that examination would be.
“It is unclear whether it would be a review, an assessment or an investigation and whether it would be done by the Army, the [Department of Defense], or both, or what the scope might be,” he said.
At a news conference last week, Rumsfeld offered praise for the three-star general as an officer with an “outstanding record in the United States armed forces.”
The defense secretary said today he had not seen Boykin’s remarks at that time, and since then he only has viewed a difficult-to-hear videotape broadcast by NBC News and so remains “inexpert on precisely what he said.”
Boykin, the new deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence, is under fire for published reports of comments made during talks to evangelical Christian groups, including his conviction America is a Christian nation at war with radical Islam.
In June, Boykin spoke from the pulpit of his own church in full uniform about his confrontation with a radical Muslim warlord in Somalia, stating, “Well, you know what I knew, that my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol.”
The highly decorated former head of U.S. Army Special Forces also was quoted as saying, “We’re a Christian nation, because our foundation and our roots are Judeo-Christian and the enemy is a guy named Satan.”
According to an investigation by the Los Angeles Times, Boykin also said, “We in the army of God, in the house of God, kingdom of God have been raised for such a time as this.”
Not a ‘zealot’
In a statement issued Friday, Boykin, who is involved in the search for Osama bin Laden, apologized for any offense he caused but did not retract his remarks.
“I am neither a zealot nor an extremist, only a soldier who has an abiding faith,” he said.
“I do believe that radical extremists have tried to use Islam as a cause for attacks on America. As I have stated before, they are not true followers of Islam.”
The Washington, D.C.-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, however, known for its support of the terrorist group Hamas, continues to press for Boykin to be reassigned.
“This apology should be appreciated, but the question is do we want a person with extremist views … in this position in the war on terror,” said Nihad Awad, CAIR’s executive director. “If he continues to be there, it sends a very negative message to the Muslim world.”
Boykin is in charge of assessing America’s intelligence needs in the war on terrorism.
Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and John Kerry of Massachusetts chastised Rumsfeld and President Bush for not criticizing Boykin. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., said “it is outrageous that someone who holds such extreme, closed-minded, zealous views would be allowed such a prominent position in our military.”
In the general’s defense, Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., has written a letter to Rumsfeld asking he not discipline Boykin because it would discourage the free exercise of religion.
The letter, signed by a number of other House members, asserts personal faith is of “vital importance” in making decisions.
CNN reported Boykin’s apology originally included a promise to no longer speak at religious events, but Pentagon lawyers and press officers advised that the language be deleted.
The written statement was to say “the sensitivities of my job today dictate that further church speeches are inappropriate.”
Other excluded language, according to CNN, included:
- “I believe that God intervenes in the affairs of men, to include nations, as Benjamin Franklin so eloquently stated. Yes I believe that George Bush was placed in the White House by God as well as Bill Clinton and other presidents.”
- “As a Christian, I believe that there is a spiritual war that is continuous as articulated in the Bible. It is not confined to the war of terrorism.”
- “The evidence that this nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles is undeniable. We are a nation of many cultures and religions but the evidence of our foundation is historic.”
On the last point, Boykin’s published statement was stronger, asserting, “My references to Judeo-Christian roots in America or our nation as a Christian nation are historically undeniable.”
