October 24, 2003	Friday	Sha’aban 27, 1424

WASHINGTON, Oct 23: A senior Saudi official on Thursday criticized Gen. William Boykin’s remarks about Islam, calling them “outrageous” and worthy of Osama bin Laden.

“If you switched the religions around,” Adel al-Jubeir told reporters at the Saudi embassy, “the words could have been said by Osama bin Laden.”

Gen. Boykin is facing an internal Pentagon investigation for remarks he made at several church meetings and prayer breakfasts.

Al-Jubeir, a senior advisor to Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, said Boykin only bolster the contention of extremists that the ‘war on terror’ is a war on Islam.

“If true, the remarks are outrageous, insensitive, divisive and unbecoming of a government official. There is no room for such remarks,” said Al-Jubeir.

Asked to comment on Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed’s remarks about Jews, the Saudi official said: “Anytime you speak ill of a people, it is not right.”