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[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] hello all, many of my foreign friend have wondered how and why bush became president of the united states even though he lost the general election. i knew how and explained it frequently, but could not understand nor explain why. general boykin, thank god, has clarified all of that: -----General Boykin said God had selected George W. Bush as president. "Why is this man in the White House?" he asked. "The majority of Americans did not vote for him. Why is he there? And I tell you this morning that he's in the White House because God put him there for a time such as this.".... any interest in joining his crusade? contact the revs. jerry falwell or frank graham if you are unable to reach our boy-king george. tony October 17, 2003 THE MILITARY Rumsfeld Says Anti-Islam Aide Is 'Outstanding' By REUTERS ASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (Reuters) — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld declined on Thursday to criticize a senior Pentagon intelligence official who has told evangelical gatherings that Muslims worship an "idol" and not "a real God," and instead praised the general's "outstanding" military record. Lt. Gen. William Boykin of the Army, deputy under secretary of defense for intelligence and war-fighting support, has used speeches at churches and prayer breakfasts to portray the American battle with Muslim radicals as a fight against "Satan," saying militant Islamists sought to destroy America "because we're a Christian nation." NBC News broadcast videotapes of General Boykin, an evangelical Christian, giving a number of speeches while wearing his military uniform at religious functions around the country. In one speech, the general recalled a Muslim fighter in Somalia who said American forces would never get him because Allah would give him protection. "Well, you know what I knew — that my God was bigger than his," General Boykin told his audience. "I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol." At a Pentagon briefing, Mr. Rumsfeld declined to answer when asked whether it was appropriate or advisable for a high-ranking Pentagon official to make such remarks in public, and did not say whether he would investigate. "We do know that he is an officer that has an outstanding record in the United States Armed Forces," Mr. Rumsfeld said. "There are a lot of things that are said by people in the military, or civilian life, or in the Congress, or in the executive branch, that are their views, and that's the way we live," Mr. Rumsfeld said. "We're a free people." "Saddam Hussein could do it pretty well, because he'd go around killing people if they said things he didn't like," he added. "The only thing I would say is there is a very wide gray area on what the rules permit," said Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "At first blush, it doesn't look like any rules were broken." In another speech, General Boykin said God had selected George W. Bush as president. "Why is this man in the White House?" he asked. "The majority of Americans did not vote for him. Why is he there? And I tell you this morning that he's in the White House because God put him there for a time such as this." Describing America's fight with Islamic extremists, General Boykin also said: "The enemy is a spiritual enemy. He's called the principality of darkness. The enemy is a guy called Satan." General Myers said that if a member of the military was speaking "in a private capacity, it's probably appropriate not to wear a uniform, but there are always exceptions to that." He noted that he has spoken at a prayer breakfast in uniform. Mr. Rumsfeld also reminded reporters that Bush has said "the war on terrorism is not a war against a religion." The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based civil rights group, called General Boykin's comments "bigoted," and demanded that the Pentagon reassign him. "Putting a man with such extremist views in a critical policy-making position sends entirely the wrong message to a Muslim world that is already skeptical about America's motives and intentions," said Nihad Awad, the group's executive director. Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company | Home | Privacy Policy | Search | Corrections | Help | Back to Top _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk