Muslims Call for Pentagon
Action over General's Remarks
Washington, DC: The Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called on the Pentagon
to discipline a top general who earlier said it is "fun to
shoot some people." At a public event in San Diego, Calif.,
Lt. Gen. James Mattis said: "Actually, it's a lot of fun to
fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot...You go into Afghanistan,
you got guys who slap women around for five years because
they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got
no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to
shoot them." The audience applauded the general's remarks.
Mattis leads the 1st Marine
Division in Iraq. He is based in Quantico, Va. "We do not
need generals who treat the grim business of war as a sporting
event," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. "These disturbing
remarks are indicative of an apparent indifference to the
value of human life." Awad urged that "appropriate disciplinary
action" be taken against Gen. Mattis. In 2003, CAIR called
for similar action against Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, who
told church audiences that he is in "the army of God" and
claimed Muslims worship an "idol." A Pentagon investigation
of Boykin's remarks concluded that he violated regulations
by failing to make clear he was not speaking in an official
capacity and did not obtain prior clearance for the remarks.
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