Bush distances self from general

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President Bush distanced himself yesterday from the three-star general who has spoken publicly of the war on terror in religious terms, but officials at the Defense Department said the general won't be fired.

The opinion of Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, who serves as deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and special operations, "just doesn't reflect what the government thinks," Mr. Bush told reporters aboard Air Force One yesterday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's chief of staff, Lawrence DiRita, told reporters at the Pentagon yesterday that Gen. Boykin has had a distinguished military career and is not being asked to step down.

Gen. Boykin, who is an evangelical Christian, has been quoted as saying the war against terrorism is a battle between good and evil, with terrorists representing Satan.

His comments first drew fire last week when NBC News broadcast videotaped segments of speeches he had made at Christian functions while in uniform.

In one speech, the general referred to an Islamic guerrilla in Somalia who said U.S. forces would never catch him because Allah would protect him. "Well, you know what I knew, that my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol," Gen. Boykin said.

A native of North Carolina, Gen. Boykin is a highly decorated combat veteran -- earning the Bronze Star, Legion of Merit and Purple Heart -- with years of experience commanding antiterrorism operations.

Speaking with reporters on his airplane yesterday, Mr. Bush said that moderate Muslim clerics he had met with on Indonesia's resort island of Bali had raised concerns about Gen. Boykin.

"Yes, that came up, Boykin came up," Mr. Bush said. "I said he didn't reflect my opinion. ... And I think they were pleased to hear that."