Original subtitles

Not only have we captured Saddam Hussein, we have also captured or killed

all of his most trusted lieutenants.

And I want to introduce two men who have been key to this success.

Major General Earl Watson of the United States Marines and General Mohammed

Jabra of the Iraqi Army. As of today...

These two outstanding generals are assigned to lead the joint task force

with capturing all remaining high -value targets.

Ladies and gentlemen, General Watson and General Jabra.

General Jabra, General Jabra.

Could you give us the Iraqi point of view on relations with the U .S.

I speak for all Iraqi people when I say that our trust in your military has

grown as our nation grows more secure.

On a personal level, I've had many late -night cups of coffee with General

Watson, and I found it to be quite agreeable, though perhaps a little

with American football.

General Watson.

General, are you confident you're the right man to be working so closely with

General Jabra and the other Iraqis, given your hostile attitude toward their

religion?

I don't know what you're talking about.

General, I was at the Alexandria Baptist Church yesterday when you gave your

guest sermon.

You described Islam as a second -rate religion and said we're doing battle

the devil.

What I said in church and what I believe is simply that the United

States is engaged in a global war against evil.

General Watson, are you admitting to this accusation?

This media frenzy over General Watson has reached from Norway to Zanzibar.

Zanzibar, folks.

Belief. It doesn't do us any good anywhere.

International community is already suspicious of our motives.

I agree the general may have chosen his words poorly.

However, what he said is not entirely false.

We are at war with a decidedly evil people. General Watson sounded like he

equating evil with Islam.

Well, that's not what he said, but that's how some of our allies and

going to interpret it. Well, if we're going to reassure them that the general

not a fanatic, we need to know what else he said.

Did he really call Islam a second -rate religion?

Well, the last I checked, church sermons were protected by the constitutional

provisions for freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Military personnel are not as free as other Americans, Commander.

The DOD, IG, and the Marine Corps have requested Jag investigate the General's

remarks. We'll get right on it, sir. I'm not eager to see General Watson get

burned. He's a courageous officer, and he's proved vital in our

counterinsurgency efforts.

Mr. Secretary, in order for us to reassure our allies, or anyone

else for that matter, our investigation needs to be independent of any undue

pressure. Of course, A .J.

And I'd like to say that I'm glad the general will be investigated by someone

Muslim heritage.

I think that'll enhance our credibility.

Sir, I don't feel comfortable having my cultural background factor in my

assignments. Well, Colonel, I've come to learn that religion is a factor in

everything.

Good luck.

And do me one little favor.

Don't talk to the press.

When you're on patrol in Baghdad or manning a rocky checkpoint, what do you

think would be the most important phrase to know?

Yes, Captain.

Stop or I will shoot.

Yes, Admiral.

Actually, that means stop or I will release the mice.

What you want is... Oh,

people, let's try and get that right. But I think there's another phrase when

Iraq you would find to be very important.

And that is... We are here to help you.

Very good, General.

I'll quit while I'm ahead. Let us thank Amir Sattar for her expert assistance.

I want you to have everything in your notebooks fully digested by 0800

Dismissed.

Aye, sir.

Thank you, Amira.

You're welcome, General.

General. Sir.

Lieutenant Colonel McKenzie, I'm Commander Rapp over at Headquarters Jag.

Colonel. Hello, sir. Commander.

I was told to expect a visit. Please, have a seat. Thank you, sir.

What would you like to know?

Well, sir, why don't we start with what you said at the church?

According to Jill Waddington, the CNN reporter, you called Islam a second

religion. I don't recall my exact words. I suspect Mrs. Waddington exaggerated.

But I probably did say something like that, yes.

You're offended.

We're listening.

Commander, I'm aware that in this morally relativistic age, I am supposed

declare every religion equal, and Christianity is no better than

But I believe that any religion that doesn't accept Jesus Christ as our

is not following the true path. If that makes me insensitive, then so be it.

Well, sir, you're certainly honest, but you're essentially dividing the world

into Christians and infidels. That's not a word I would use, Colonel. Sir, did

you, as the reporter claims, state that this country is presently doing battle

with the devil?

Commander, whether you believe the devil is real or just a metaphor, wouldn't

you agree that an evil force was behind 9 -11?

Well, that would be difficult to deny, General.

Sir, in your guest sermon, did you equate Islam with evil?

No, but there are certain aspects of Islam that trouble me.

The religion has a warrior streak that is too easily appropriated as a

justification for holy war and terrorism.

In all fairness, sir, Islam explicitly condemns terrorism. And Christianity has

been misused to justify everything from enslaving Africans to massacring

American Indians.

That's true, Colonel, and I condemn that as well. But Ms. Waddington only

mentioned part of my sermon.

What was the other part, sir?

that all the world's peoples are our brothers and sisters, and it is our

Christian duty to protect them from tyranny and violence.

But don't trust my recollection of the sermon, Commander. Ask the people who

heard me speak.

General Watson was recommended to me by a minister in Norfolk. The general gave

a guest sermon there last year. Were you happy with the guest sermon the general

gave this past Sunday?

I don't see what all the fuss is about.

His message was, everybody is your neighbor.

And you have to love thy neighbor as thyself.

I've been the secretary here since 1972,

having missed a single Sunday service since the start. Then you heard General

Watson's sermon.

You won't tell Reverend Owens everything I said, will you? Not if you don't want

me to. To be honest, I felt kind of uncomfortable.

General Watson came down pretty hard on Islam.

What exactly did he say?

He said Muslims believe it's their religious duty to conquer the infidels.

said most Muslims are good, peaceful people and very religiously observant.

he never indicated that Islam was somehow evil?

Absolutely not.

He said all religions are second to Christianity, but we should respect

He never exactly called Islam evil, but he said according to opinion polls, most

Muslims support the terrorists.

He emphasized most Muslims hate the terrorists.

He even mentioned some opinion polls to that effect.

He went on like that for over an hour. Then he was going to do a slideshow.

Thankfully, the projector broke down.

Unfortunately, the projector broke down, but I could have listened to General

Watson forever.

He was inspiring.

A true man of God.

My father was a Navy chaplain since before I was born.

Thank you.

I never heard him once say a single negative word about another religion.

no matter how we handle this, we'll offend a lot of people.

You okay?

Yeah, I'm fine, except I could use some help on this case. I'd be glad to. Just

let me know if I get overly sanctimonious.

You, Sturgis?

Oh, boy.

What? I was hoping this would go away.

I'm being investigated.

For what?

We have another cultural insensitivity case. Commander Turner stands accused of

anti -Korean bias.

That surprises me, sir. Last fall, Commander and Lieutenant Yee were

interrogate some North Korean submariners. Lieutenant Yee claims the

attitudes caused the Navy to lose valuable intel.

I want you to investigate.

I've never heard the commander make any anti -Korean or anti -Asian remarks,

sir. Well, if these allegations prove true, I want them documented. But if

they're false, I want Turner's record cleared. Understood?

Yes, sir.

What?

I was in the same position a year ago, sir. I had Commander Turner's

professional future in my hands.

Well, fortunately, he survived that experience.

Barely, sir.

Well, he'll do fine. That'll be all. Yes, sir.

So what do you got on General Watson? We've talked to seven people who heard

guest sermon last Sunday, sir. And each one has a different story. But taken

together, they indicate General Watson publicly denigrated Islam. The evidence

is highly ambiguous, sir. Do you two ever get tired of disagreeing? Yes, sir.

Sir, if the colonel is correct, General Watson is guilty of conduct unbecoming.

Not only that, his public statements may be undermining our war on terrorism.

Sir, I think we're being roped into a politically correct witch hunt. Some

overly ambitious TV reporter makes exaggerated claims. Suddenly we're all

jumping through hoops. Well, Commander, you're going to need a 12 -foot ladder

for this one. I taped this about 10 minutes ago.

some stunning new developments in the story.

Two and a half years ago, CNN shot footage of a church service at a Marine

base in Virginia.

That footage never aired at the time. But when the current controversy

our new staff was able to locate the tape. The speaker you're about to see is

Marine General Earl Watson.

Our nation is under attack from men who believe, as the Koran says, that you

must fight the unbeliever wherever you find them.

We are locked in a worldwide struggle.

And our enemy thinks that we are soft.

Well, they are about to find out that we are a mighty Christian army and we will

win this holy war.

General Watson has been awarded two silver stars and a purple heart.

He served his country with distinction for 25 years.

He knew the rules, sir. As a high -ranking officer, you've got to watch

tongue.

I'll bet you enjoy that part of the job, don't you, A .J.? At any rate, a court

of inquiry has been convened to examine General Watson's conduct.

I think that's a wise decision, sir.

Yes, and I want to keep it closed to the press.

Minister, you are aware that a court of inquiry can recommend anything from a

complete exoneration to a court -martial.

I'd tell you the result that I'm hoping for, but I guess to avoid impropriety,

I'd better hold my tongue.

Bet you enjoy that part of the job, don't you, sir?

Oh, yeah.

I realize we can't stop people from being prejudiced, but there's no excuse

shooting off your mouth and alienating half the world. So when it comes to

prejudice, don't ask, don't tell.

Colonel McKenzie, Jill Waddington, DNN. We've already met. Who authorized you to

be in the building?

I have a meeting with the Public Affairs Office.

Why is this inquiry being held in private? With all due respect, Miss

Waddington, we have nothing to say.

Is Jack attempting to whitewash General Watson's actions?

The PAO's office is upstairs.

Colonel, because your general acted inappropriately, is that a reason to be

angry with the press?

How did she get onto General Watson in the first place?

She said she was driving past the church and she just happened to see General

Watson's name on the message board out front.

That sounds convenient.

You think she had a source?

I'll have to peen her phone records.

The general apparently used slides during his talks. We should get a hold

those, too.

I feel a little hypocritical.

I'm being investigated for prejudice, and here I am going PC on the General.

Your case is totally different than General Watson's. Both of us could have

careers destroyed.

Sturgis, there's no way you're guilty. You're far too obsessively rational to

prejudiced against anyone.

Thanks, I think.

Besides, I'm sure Lieutenant Roberts will determine there's nothing to it.

What is investigating?

I thought you knew.

Our nation is under attack.

from men who believe, as the Koran says, that they must fight the unbeliever

wherever they find them.

Members of the court, this quote is often used to prove that Islam is a

religion.

It's taken totally out of context. It actually refers to a war 1 ,500 years

between a small Muslim community and the local tribesmen who were torturing and

killing them. I will grant the general may have misinterpreted the Koran.

However, that has little to do with the issue at this court of inquiry.

The general in uniform and in public has been feeding false stereotypes about

Islam. Let's watch the rest of it, Colonel.

We are engaged in a worldwide struggle.

And our enemy thinks that we are soft.

But they are about to find out that we are a mighty Christian army and we will

win this holy war.

The terrorists don't represent Islam any more than the Ku Klux Klan represents

Christianity. The general refers to a mighty Christian army, a holy war.

Our president has been very explicit that this is not a religious war. Our

president also used the word crusade, which has a definite religious subtext.

Religion is a part of life. Our leaders need to feel they can speak without

censoring their every word. This kind of loose talk endangers our national

security. There is no evidence that a few inappropriate words will have any

impact whatsoever.

It's bad enough that some radical Islamists are talking holy war. We don't

our own generals following suit.

Now, the Arab street is watching this. A few more tapes like this, and Osama

won't need to make his videos anymore.

Gentlemen, I gave this sermon five days after 9 -11.

We were pulling bodies from the rubble. Our nation was under attack. I wasn't

paying attention to the niceties of speech.

Did you clear your comments with public affairs in advance?

Public affairs had a lot on its plate at the time.

Were you aware the media would be at this church service?

No, I flew in from Tampa the night before.

But when you arrived at the chapel and saw the TV news crews, why didn't you

moderate your comments?

I believe the general has answered their question, sir. 9 -11 was not a time for

moderation. Emotions were running high.

Yes, it was a crisis situation.

Exactly when we need our military leaders at their best.

Sir,

we need that press release this afternoon.

Apple letters to the editor saying that General Watson deserves a Medal of

Honor. The other half say he should be hung upside down by his coat.

Well, we are a divided country, sir.

Fortunately, we Americans have one thing in common.

Bad traffic?

Baseball. Actually, sir, I'm not much of a fan.

I've fired people for less coats.

Sir, I told Secnav we'd fax it to him by 1500.

Very well.

You take shorthand, right?

Yes, sir. I took a course last summer.

I must say I found it much more enlightening than my Psychology 101

Okay.

The formal inquiry into General Earl

Watson's conduct is expected to be completed by the end of this week.

In the meantime, may I suggest that we set aside all our religious differences

and instead concentrate our efforts on bringing a...

Major League Baseball came back to the fine city of Washington, D .C.

I don't think that will fly, sir.

Why don't I work on a first draft and then bring it in to you, sir?

Thanks, Coates.

You're welcome, sir.

Tell me something, Arm. Were you offended by the General's comments about

A lot of things offend me, Mac. It's what gets me going in the morning.

Seriously. Look, do I agree with all of General Watson's views? No.

However... The general has spent his life protecting our freedoms. Now we're

trying to take away his right to freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

Colonel? Now, doesn't that offend you?

What is it?

Jill Waddington's cell phone records.

Prior to visiting Alexandria Baptist Church, she spoke on the phone twice

Marine corporal.

Sorry.

This is for you, Lieutenant.

I understand you're the point man on the Lieutenant Yee investigation.

It's not something I requested, sir.

I put together all my papers for you on the matter.

You bruised them at your leisure.

Thank you, sir.

Don't you worry about it, Lieutenant.

I'm sure you'll do a fine job.

Ma 'am, is there any way to keep my identity a secret?

What are you concerned about, Corporal Homo?

No one likes a whistleblower, ma 'am.

That's why I asked Miss Waddington not to tell anyone about me. And how did you

meet Miss Waddington?

I met her at Parris Island.

She was doing a story on boot camp.

So a couple weeks ago, when I heard that General Watson was getting a high

-profile assignment from CENTCOM, I decided to call her. And why was that,

Corporal?

Ma 'am, did you know that speech they're showing on TV from after 9 -11?

Well, I was there.

And it upset you?

Yes, ma 'am. I'm a Muslim.

What were you doing at a church service, Corporal? It was not a church service,

ma 'am.

It was an interfaith service, ma 'am. That's how it was advertised in the

command plan of the day. As a time for all Marines to come together, no matter

what their religion, and pray together.

And that's why you went there?

Ma 'am, when 9 -11 happened, a lot of off -colored comments got thrown around.

Rag had this, and Towel had that.

I thought this service would be a chance to worship with my fellow Marines and

feel solidarity.

Is that the way it worked out, Corporal Humlode?

No, ma 'am. When General Watson started trash -talking Islam, it seemed like my

country was turning against me.

That must have been distressing.

Ma 'am, I'm getting out of the Marine Corps next month.

Now, I don't blame my decision on General Watson, but his speech sure

make me want to re -enlist.

Corporal, were you the only non -Christian at the service?

There were at least two other Muslims and two Jews that I knew of, ma 'am, and

they were all very upset also.

Does counsel for the party have any questions?

Yes, I do.

Corporal Hammoud, did you ever hear General Watson say anything questionable

other than that one time?

No, sir, but I didn't have much contact with him. So then would you agree that

there are many Muslims serving in the Marine Corps who are happy?

I do know several Muslims who are relatively content, yes, sir.

So then there is no anti -Muslim sentiment that pervades the Marine

I'd say when it comes to anti -Muslim prejudice, the Marine Corps is about the

same as the rest of society, sir.

But our leaders shouldn't be out there fanning the flames, sir.

When 9 -11 happened, we were all in a state of shock.

To some extent, that excuses General Watson's actions.

However... The General disobeyed military regulations by delivering a

potentially inflammatory speech in front of the press, in uniform, without

getting it cleared beforehand.

Furthermore, there is some evidence that he has continued a pattern of

questionable remarks since then.

General Watson, your rhetoric has damaged our nation's relations with our

allies. Your outspoken views disrupted good order and discipline within the

Marine Corps.

This court of inquiry recommends that you be charged with dereliction of duty

and conduct unbecoming an officer, and that these charges be disposed of at

general court -martial.

All the major American networks in Al Jazeera will be covering the court

-martial. By the time this is over, sir, General Watson's controversial

statements about Islam will be seen by hundreds of millions of people. Why

we just accept the fact that some of our leaders have strong opinions and that's

what makes them great leaders? Great leaders don't actively promote the clash

civilizations. Mac, that was the media's doing.

General Watson merely stated his belief that God is not neutral in the struggle

between freedom and terrorism. No, I think God would prefer it if people

throw his name around quite so much.

Good morning, everybody.

Mr. Secretary.

As you were.

I just dropped by to thank the Admiral for keeping the investigation of General

Watson so quiet.

Sir, there is no way... Just kidding. Just kidding, A .J. At this point, we'll

just let the chips fall where they may.

Let's show our allies and our enemies American military jurisprudence at its

finest. Yes, sir.

Colonel McKenzie, who are you planning to have testify?

Actually, Mr.

Secretary, I was thinking of calling you.

General Watson is charged with speeding up the flow of intel to all field units

that are tracking top -ranked terrorists.

Sir, have the General's comments about Islam affected his ability to fulfill

mission? Now that they've been publicized, they could have a negative

yes. In what way?

Objection calls for speculation.

It's well within the witness's field of expertise.

Overruled.

The general allegedly said that we're engaged in a war against Islam. That

make some Iraqis less likely to cooperate with our military.

Mr. Secretary, could this endanger the safety of our troops in the field?

Objection, Your Honor. Again, overruled.

In general, when we don't have cooperation, the safety of our troops

issue. Sir, have general statements given ammunition to Islamic extremists

their efforts to gain new recruits? They could have, yes.

And now the general statements affected Muslims in the United States military.

I can't imagine they're too happy about it.

They didn't sign up to be in a Christian army. They signed up to be American

servicemen and women.

Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

You're welcome.

Aside from Marine Corporal Hamoud, have any other Muslim servicemen ever

complained about General Watson?

According to headquarters Marine Corps, there have been no other complaints.

Have the general's words had any clear and direct impact on the war on

terrorism? There's been no direct impact that I could quantify.

Have the general statements inflamed any moderate Muslims and caused them to

pick up the bloody sword of jihad?

Not to my knowledge, Commander.

How has the general performed in his mission to capture Saddam Hussein and

Baathist loyalists, sir?

Admirably. He was instrumental in the capture of over 45 of the targets in the

famous deck of cards.

Do you feel, Mr. Secretary, removing General Watson from his assignment would

negatively impact the war on terrorism?

You could definitely make that argument.

You have calls from the Anti -Defamation League, the Council for Islamic

Relations, the American Association of Churches.

Coach, in the 1930s, do you know who the most famous Jew was?

Albert Einstein, sir. More famous than Einstein.

Sigmund Freud.

More famous than Freud.

I give up, sir.

Hank Greenberg.

Hank Greenberg, sir? A .K .A.

Hammerin' Hank.

Hall of Fame first baseman, left fielder, led the Detroit Tigers to four

Series.

Figures this would be about baseball, sir. Hank Greenberg did more to combat

anti -Semitism in the 30s than any other man.

When you're rooting for a Jewish guy to hit one over the fence, it makes it

harder to hate Jews.

Don't you know what this world needs?

Stockings that don't run, sir. A Muslim who can hit 60 home runs.

But we have had famous Muslim athletes, sir.

Muhammad Ali, Kareem Abdul -Jabbar.

Oh, I know, I know, but it's not baseball.

Petty officer, may I ask you for a minute? Is something wrong, ma 'am? In

office.

Petty officer, we have a question.

Is Meredith's marriage to the Admiral on or off?

Sir, I don't think I'm at liberty. We need to know for sure, Jennifer,

one of us is going to embarrass ourselves by asking.

Incurring the Admiral's wrath, which we don't want. I hear that.

Sir. We have to know if the wedding is on so that we can all make plans.

Sir, the Admiral has never told me anything directly.

You know something.

Yes, sir, I do.

And those are two words the Admiral won't be saying.

Americans, for some reason, can't seem to tell the difference between real

and the terrorist perversion of Islam.

When I saw the General's sermon on television, I was disturbed.

Why is that, General Jabra? I've always admired General Watson.

I've fought beside him, I've trusted him with my life.

Now I learn that he despises my religion.

My feeling was, in a sense, he despises me. Did your fellow Iraqi military and

police officers have similar reactions?

Some of them heard the general. It didn't really bother them. They said it

just words.

How did the other Iraqi officers react?

Many Iraqis, including military officers, are saying, you see what these

Americans think of us?

No wonder the reconstruction is going so slowly that they don't really give a

damn. Thank you.

You're a witness.

General, are the Iraqi people grateful that Saddam Hussein and his cohorts are

gone? No question.

Are they aware of General Watson's role in that, sir? They know that the general

has been effective in bringing torturers and murderers to justice.

Well, do you feel the Iraqi people, in the light of everything General Watson

has done, could forgive his comments?

I can only speak for myself, Commander.

Oh, please do, sir.

When I saw the general's comments on television, the ones that have been

verified, he made them right after 9 -11.

For that reason, I am willing, as you would say, Cut him some slack.

Also... Also what?

I do not wish to offend.

However, I sometimes personally feel as though Christianity is a very odd

religion.

You have a father, a son, a Holy Ghost. What is this?

One God, three Gods, what?

So, if I find your religion a little bizarre...

I can't get too angry with you for finding mine equally strange.

Today's witnesses were a mixed bag for the prosecution.

In fact, some foreign observers question whether the prosecution is actually

trying to win this case, since it could prove embarrassing for the government.

Thank you, Jill. Well, that we agree on.

Listen, I need your witness list for tomorrow.

Still working on it.

Mac, you know... Skip it, huh? I'm not interested in the deal. Neither am I. In

fact, I think you should have the charges dropped.

Dream on.

All you have are statements the general made right after 9 -11.

And the ones he made at the Alexandria Baptist Church less than one month ago.

There's no objective record of his statements, Mac. You call witnesses to

testify that he attacked Islam and the church. I'll call witnesses who remember

the exact opposite.

I believe Commander Turner is racially biased against Koreans.

And you believe that this bias restricted your ability to gather intel?

It did, Lieutenant.

In what way?

A North Korean submarine crew was rescued by one of our attack subs.

Commander Turner allowed a sailor to antagonize a North Korean skipper, who

became mentally agitated.

Then Commander Turner supported him being tied up.

That shut him down completely, rendering him useless as an intelligent source.

I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I don't understand how racial bias comes into

Commander Turner made statements which...

suggested he had little respect for Koreans.

I believe this attitude motivated his treatment of the North Korean skipper.

It says here in your file that when you were a child, a black man robbed and

shot your father in this convenience store.

Yes. Did that affect your opinion of Commander Turner?

Commander Turner didn't shoot my father, Lieutenant.

No, but I spoke with your father yesterday about the man who did shoot

he referred to the assailant as a nigger.

Have you ever used that word, Lieutenant?

No. How do you feel about your father using that word? I do not approve,

Lieutenant. But you understand why he speaks that way?

Yes. Did what happened make you angry, Lieutenant?

At times.

As angry as your father?

Lieutenant, you have had six months to think about your accusations.

Can you honestly tell me that you haven't at least once during that time

questioned your motives?

Sturgis, we need to establish a continuing pattern of anti -Islamic

That would be good.

Maybe we should call witnesses from the church in Alexandria.

We need some kind of physical evidence to back them up.

Anybody can claim someone else made prejudiced remarks.

Not much weight that should really carry.

I understand Lieutenant Yee is topside.

I'm sure it's going to be all right.

Racial issues are so subjective.

How do you know for sure I'm not anti -Korean?

How do I know?

Well, for one thing, you don't have a continuing pattern of anti -Korean

remarks.

What is on your computer?

These are the slides the General couldn't show in Alexandria because the

projector broke down.

I'm not sure where this is.

Maybe Baghdad? Maybe he showed these at one of the other churches he spoke at

recently. Anything we can use?

Depends on the commentary he gave when he ran the slides.

These are the same slides General Watson showed at my church in Baltimore five

months ago. For the record, Reverend Haynes, what does this slide show?

Our Lord Jesus Christ.

And this next slide shows?

The devil.

And how about this one?

It's a map of the world with the Muslim countries in red.

Why did General Watson put this slide right after the devil?

Objection calls for an opinion.

I'll allow it for now.

Overruled.

He was making a point that in these Muslim countries, the devil is fighting

power.

And when he made this point, was the general wearing a Marine Corps uniform?

Yes, he was.

Did the general explain the significance of this light?

It is a photograph that the general took of Baghdad on fire.

Why did he say he included this one?

When I invited the general to speak at my church, I wasn't aware

what his views were.

What did he say?

That if you look closely enough in the smoke, you can see the devil.

Exactly where would that be, Reverend Haynes?

I really don't know, Commander.

Do you have a moment, sir? Come on in, Lieutenant.

Heard you had a good day in court.

Sometimes you get lucky.

I have some information, sir.

Just been informed that Lieutenant Yee has decided to drop all charges against

you.

What did you say to him, Lieutenant?

Oh, nothing special.

Actually, I got him to think a little bit more about what he was saying, sir.

Also, I threatened to punch his lights out.

I appreciate that, Lieutenant.

Sir, there was no way I was going to let you down this time.

I believe that God is with us every day.

He gives us signs.

And the reason we pray is so that we can see these signs and understand God's

will for us.

And one of these signs appeared to you in the smoke over Baghdad.

Commander, I believe that in the middle of that fierce battle, when my life

and the lives of thousands of others were in danger, God allowed me to see

face of the devil.

But you think I'm a nut, don't you? No, no, I don't, sir.

I have no doubt that in war some people have very intense spiritual experiences.

Unfortunately, we live in a profoundly anti -religious culture.

Have you been watching the news, Commander?

No, sir. I have.

It's a mistake, General. They're going out of their way to make my religious

belief look foolish.

Sir, tomorrow in your testimony, you're going to need to play down some of your

more controversial views.

I refuse to lie about what I believe in. General, like it or not, we need to

counteract the bad press you've been getting.

Commander, I hate to take personal credit for deeds I've done in the name

Jesus, but perhaps there is one potential witness that might be of some

My husband, Eman, was in a unit commanded by General Jabra and General

What happened to your husband, Mrs. Sattar?

He was killed in a fedayeghin ambush.

How did you meet General Watson, ma 'am?

He came to our house to show his respect.

Then he found out I have breast cancer and the Iraqi hospital could not help

What did the general do?

He said that the United States owed my family because my husband fought so

bravely. So he brought me to this country.

I live in an apartment owned by his church. The church pays for my

Why did he do that, Mrs. Sattar?

Because he is a good man.

Has General Watson ever tried to convert you to Christianity?

General Watson and his fellow church members drive me to a mosque every

night for services.

Thank you, Mrs. Sattar, and I hope you recover fully, ma 'am.

Thank you.

The government has no questions for this witness, Your Honor.

I can't change what I believe, and what I believe is that we are engaged in far

more than a physical battle. We are fighting for the good of mankind.

Have your beliefs ever interfered in the performance of your duties, sir? On the

contrary, Commander, my beliefs have given me the courage to go out on the

line and risk my life.

Have you ever mistreated personnel under your command who didn't share your

beliefs, sir?

I tried to treat people of every religion as if they were my brother and

Is that why you brought Mr. Tatar to this country for medical treatment, sir?

Yes.

Have you had problems with Muslims under your command in the past, sir?

I've commanded Muslims and Jews and even Buddhists. The only problem I had was

when the Buddhists kept beating everybody in poker.

Why did you talk about your religious beliefs in public, sir? I talked about

religion in churches.

It's enough we can't pray in our schools now. I hope we haven't gotten to the

point where a Christian man can't express Christian views while speaking

a Christian church.

Thank you, General.

General Watson, when you speak in churches, are you acting as a private

or as a spokesman for the United States military?

As a private citizen.

Well then, why wear your military uniform, sir? Doesn't that give people a

impression?

Colonel, I always make it clear that I'm giving personal witness.

Wouldn't it have been much more clear if you had chosen to wear civilian dress?

The congregations understood that my opinions were my own.

Sir, did you ever clear your speeches with the chain of command or public

affairs as required by regulation?

These were church sermons, not public speeches. Well, they became very public,

didn't they, General?

That wasn't my choice, Colonel. You spoke in front of a ZNN camera crew at

interfaith service.

The service took place in a Marine chapel.

I assumed it was a regular church service. As far as speaking in front of

crew, that was a mistake, especially since some of my statements were

mischaracterized by the media.

Well, let's talk about your statements, sir.

Did you say, as Reverend Haynes testified, that in all these Muslim

the devil is fighting for power?

I believe the devil is fighting for power all over the world.

Well, then why single out the Muslim countries?

I wasn't criticizing Islam per se, but we'd be foolish not to recognize that

terrorists we're fighting are Muslims.

So what exactly are you saying about Muslims, sir? Objection. The general's

personal beliefs are not on trial here. No, but his public statements expressing

them are overruled.

Please answer, sir.

I believe the vast majority of Muslims are good people.

But I also believe that Islam, throughout history... has frequently

some of its practitioners to declare jihad, and that is what is happening

What does jihad mean, sir?

Holy war.

General, are you aware that jihad actually means to struggle or strive for

something, such as the welfare of one's fellow human beings, and is often used

in a totally peaceful context?

That's not how I've heard it used, Colonel. Sir, are you aware that Islam,

Christianity and Judaism, only considers warfare justified if it's in self

-defense or to liberate people who are suffering from persecution and tyranny?

I'm not aware of that, no. Are you aware that Islam, again, like Christianity

and Judaism, has rules about war that prohibit killing children, women, the

elderly, and other non -combatants?

That's not the way the enemy's acting, Colonel.

Sir, are you aware that Islam specifically prohibits suicide,

bombing?

And why are they doing it? Because they are not following Islam any more than

Timothy McVeigh was following Christianity.

Objection. Counsel is testifying now, Your Honor.

Withdrawn. General, don't you think that you should know a little more about

Islam before you start discussing it in public? Your Honor, while the General

may not be an expert in comparative religions, that has little to do with

court -martial. Your Honor, General Watson has spread false, hateful

against another religion, and in so doing, has hurt our image abroad,

contributing to the erosion of support within the Arab world, and possibly

increased risk for members of the U .S. military. Your Honor, save it for

closing arguments.

Do you have any more questions for this witness?

Just one, Your Honor.

General Watson, based on your experiences as a military officer, do

that your statements on Islam aided the war on terrorism or damaged it?

Colonel, I have devoted my life to the service of this country, and I believe I

still have much to give.

You want to take me to task for being intolerant of Islam. Well, I asked you

be tolerant of my beliefs.

All I ever did was speak honestly from my heart.

For that, I do not think I should be relieved of my duties in the Marine

Defendant and counsel will rise.

Will the senior member please announce the findings?

Major General Earl Watson, United States Marine Corps.

On the charges and specifications of dereliction of duty and conduct

an officer, this court -martial finds you not guilty.

General Watson, while this court has found you not guilty, I intend to

to the convening authority that you be formally counseled and ordered not to

assert your beliefs in public forums.

Despite your impassioned statement,

the right of free speech in the military must be balanced with the primary

mission of defending our country.

There is no place for inflammatory remarks about religion in today's Marine

Corps.

This court is hereby adjourned.

No hard feelings, Colonel. We're all serving our country in different ways.

This was the scene today near Fallujah, where at least 18 Marines had been

killed in a suicide bombing.

A previously unknown group called the Fire of Allah claimed responsibility for

what they called a glorious victory in this holy war.

Their message was delivered in an audio tape, which was left anonymously at the

Al Jazeera headquarters in Cairo.

If you'll excuse me. This is the deadliest single attack on American

since the war in Iraq began over one year ago.

Well, this is why we need men like General Watson.

Or not.