WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — A retired U.S. lieutenant general who made comments denigrating Islam has withdrawn from speaking at a West Point prayer breakfast after a veterans' advocacy group protested his invitation.
VoteVets.org told Army chief of staff Raymond Odierno (oh-dee-EHR'-noh) in a letter Monday that allowing retired Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin to speak at the U.S. Military Academy next week would be contrary to Army values and disrespectful to Muslim cadets.
Boykin is a former senior military intelligence officer. He has been criticized for speeches he made at evangelical Christian churches beginning in January 2002. He said America's enemy was Satan, God put President George W. Bush in the White House and one Muslim Somali warlord was an idol-worshipper.
Boykin later issued a written statement apologizing and said he didn't mean to insult Islam.
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