A United States army general violated Pentagon rules with speeches in which he described the war on terror as a Christian battle against Satan, and he should be punished, according to an inspector-general's report revealed today. The Department of Defense's watchdog agency said Lieutenant General 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 by the Pentagon. Boykin sparked 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".

Boykin was obliged to clear the speeches, given "the sensitive nature of his remarks concerning US 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.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/19/1092877131893.html?oneclick=true


From Aftermath News
Top Stories - August 20, 2004