Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq who will soon take control of Central Command, has found himself embroiled in the “ ongoing conflict over religious proselytizing in the U.S. military.” .” Petraeus’ published endorsement of an Army Chaplain’s Spiritual Handbook for Military Personnel, in which he says “it should be in every rucksack for those times when soldiers need spiritual energy,” has led a watchdog group to call for Petraeus’ dismissal and court martial. The book’s author now claims that the endorsement wasn’t meant to be published:

But the endorsement - which has spurred a demand by a watchdog group for Petraeus’ dismissal and court martial on the grounds of establishing a religious requirement on troops - was a personal view never intended for publication, the book’s author now says.

“In the process of securing … comments for recommending the book I believe there was a basic misunderstanding on my part that the comments were publishable,” McCoy said in an Aug. 19 email to Military.com. “This was my mistake.”

Mikey Weinstein, the head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, says that it “strains credulity” that Petraeus didn’t know his private written endorsement of the book had been public since last year. But Petraeus’ spokesman Col. Steven Boylan says Petraeus was unaware because he has been in Iraq since February 2007.

The mixing of religion and our military should offend the most spirtual amongst us. His sick excuse, "I didn't know he'd publish it" is beyond belief.

He needs to go. However, if the Wrong Wing can tolerate the embarrassment of BushCo, they can tolerate anything.

AlterNet

And how scary is that?

Was this an order he made, or just a statement?

Did the military actually put the book in "every rucksack"?

I doubt it actually happened. I assume people believing in the Constitution interceded. But, does it matter?

This is the person Bush/McCain said should make the decision on whether our children could come home from Iraq or if more children should go. Don't you hope he'll: A. follow the Constitution, and B. not be so stupid as to think Atheists would cost us a battle?

Don't you at least hope?

Yes to both!

Of course it matters.

This is a very good general. Perhaps in the past while stuck in some foxhole religion helped him and he believes it would make his troops better but the system didn't allow it. It worked the way you want it to.

He still is a good general. When you throw out good generals because of some liberal's atheist's feelings you are making a mistake.

It is a bullsh*t article with a bullsh*t conclusion.

That is my Biden impersonation for the day. You Dems have done yourself proud on that pick.

What has he done that would indicate he's a good general?

Being the general in charge when a war is won qualifies him as good. Go ahead, give us a chorus of how we are losing. The tide has turned. The loser is not this general, it is his critics. He got the job done.

Petreaus refuses to claim victory in Iraq. He would say you're very premature to claim that we've won.

And, if we've won, why do we still have troops there? Why not bring them all home right now?

What is won? Seriously! The mightiest military force the world has ever known topples a third rate dictator and somehow you can see victory as ever having been in question? Was there ever even a shadow of a doubt that we would win? What is won?

In 2003 victory was measured by the blossoming of democracy in the middle east. Mission accomplished?

Civil war and sectarian strife still rages, we are paying the enemy not to kill our soldiers and you claim that the war is won? What is winning? The factions are more entrenched than ever, the mass of the people are without power, employment or a future and you call that winning? Don't dare try to change the subject by accusing me of hating America and wanting us to loose. The question is, has been and will remain what does it mean to win in Iraq?

If circumstances don't live up to expectations no problem, just lower the standards.

Objective verifiable reality exists. Join us.