Jesus' General

Eleanor Clift wonders whether the leaked Rumsfeld memo was a case of the defense secretary lashing out at the White House or somebody lashing out at him. Toward the end, she touches on Rummy's charming underling General Boykin, who believes that God overturns elections, Muslims worship an idol, and that Satan is the real target in the War on Terror.

In a speech that Boykin regularly gives, he tells the story of an aerial photo he took over Mogadishu that, when it was developed, revealed a black smudge over the city. Rather than accept the mark as a thumb print from whomever processed the film, Boykin became convinced that it was a sign of the evil hanging over the Somali city.

Sheesh. Many have risen to the general's defense about his remarks, arguing that he has the right as an American to hold whatever religious beliefs he wants. And that's true as far as that goes. He is similarly free to believe that a giant tin-foil helmet will block the Mothership's transmissions from activating the dilithium chip implanted in his neck. Either way, you don't want him babysitting your kids, much less being deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence.

Robert Marus, writing for the Associated Baptist Press, has more:

Speaking in June 2002 at First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow, Okla., he described an aerial photo he had taken over the city of Mogadishu during the 1993 conflict in Somalia. Noting strange black marks in the sky, the general claimed they were evidence of a demonic presence over the city.

"Ladies and gentleman, this is your enemy," he said. "It is the principalities of darkness. It is a demonic presence in that city that God revealed to me as the enemy."

Boykin has said that radical Islamists hate the United States "because we're a Christian nation;" has described the U.S. Army as "a Christian army;" and has said that President Bush was appointed by God "for such a time as this."

Call me a bigot if you like, but methinks General Boykin needs a psychiatric evaluation.