WASHINGTON: Muslim-Americans, especially those of Arab origin, are increasingly frustrated by the Pentagon's failure to discipline a top US general who said Muslims do not worship "a real God", and say it raises questions about whether the so-called war on terrorism is not a war on Islam.
Army Lt Gen William Boykin, head of military intelligence, touched off a brief firestorm last October after publicity about speeches he gave while in uniform that referred to the "war on terrorism" as a battle with "Satan" and said America had been targeted "because we're a Christian nation".
In one speech, Gen Boykin, an evangelical Christian, belittled a Muslim fighter who said Allah had protected him from US forces. "I knew ... that my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol," said Gen Boykin, a much-decorated veteran of covert military operations.
Since then, an internal investigation into the affair has worked its way slowly through the Pentagon bureaucracy. A spokeswoman said there was no deadline for its completion.
"I don't think the administration understands how much damage Boykin has done," said James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, an advocacy group. He cited a recent poll that showed Arab-Americans in four key US states would choose Democrat John Kerry by a wide margin over Mr Bush if the election were held now.
"They could stop the haemorrhaging at any time, but they allow this to continue to occur so the wound continues to stay open," Mr Zogby said. "It's just not taken seriously."
At the time, President George Bush said Gen Boykin "didn't reflect my opinion", but the Pentagon said there were no plans to fire the general. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called Gen Boykin - who played a role in the 1993 clash with Muslim warlords in Somalia and the ill-fated attempt to rescue US hostages in Iran in 1980 - "outstanding".
NO DISCIPLINARY ACTION: Sources familiar with the investigation said the general would probably not face disciplinary action, noting that officials had signalled that Gen Boykin's remarks fell into a "grey area" in rules governing the public speeches of military personnel.
However, the report is expected to recommend the rules be tightened to prevent future incidents, and it may suggest that Gen Boykin should have used more discretion, the sources said.
Defence officials said the Pentagon Inspector General's office had sent a draft report to Gen Boykin for his review several months ago, standard procedure in such cases. His comments will be included in the final report.
Gen Boykin's remarks - and the administration's perceived lack of action about them - have fuelled Arab-Americans' growing disappointment in the administration over its handling of the invasion of Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and civil rights issues at home, Mr Zogby said.
Already raw emotions flared again after news that US soldiers had abused Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison, near Baghdad. Yvonne Haddad, professor at Georgetown University's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, said the administration's failure to promptly discipline Gen Boykin smacked of hypocrisy.
"When somebody says anything against blacks or Jews, they are immediately relieved of their jobs," she said. The lack of disciplinary action against Gen Boykin has undermined the campaign - aided by hundreds of millions of dollars in Arabic language media programmes - to promote the country's image in the Middle East, she said. -Reuters
