Political Correctness at the Pentagon

[Adam's Apple]

Coughlin Backed
By Bill Gertz, Washington Times
January 11, 2008

Some Pentagon and military leaders, along with lots of working-level officials, are quietly rallying to support ousted Joint Staff counterterrorism analyst Stephen Coughlin.

Pentagon officials said a number of generals and admirals who share Mr. Coughlin's well-reasoned assessment of the Islamic law underpinnings of Islamist terror are voicing support for the lawyer and former military intelligence official.

Mr. Coughlin was fired as a Joint Staff contractor after his confrontation with Hasham Islam, a special assistant to Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, was reported here last month.

Mr. Islam, a Muslim, referred to Mr. Coughlin as a "Christian zealot with a pen" during the meeting several weeks ago, a slur rejected by Mr. Coughlin's supporters.

Critics of Mr. Coughlin are spreading word — falsely — that he is being let go because he talked out of school to the press. One official suggested the action was due to budget cuts.

But defense and military officials supportive of Mr. Coughlin said the real reason is that critics, like Mr. Islam. want him sidelined because they oppose his hard-to-refute views on the relationship between Islamic law and Islamist jihad doctrine. Those views have triggered a harsh debate challenging the widespread and politically correct view of Islam as a religion of peace hijacked by extremists.

for full article:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080111/NATION04/958738459/1008

Another article on Coughlin's firing:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080111/EDITORIAL04/346804216/1013

 

[Gunny]

Coughlin Backed
By Bill Gertz, Washington Times
January 11, 2008

Some Pentagon and military leaders, along with lots of working-level officials, are quietly rallying to support ousted Joint Staff counterterrorism analyst Stephen Coughlin.

Pentagon officials said a number of generals and admirals who share Mr. Coughlin's well-reasoned assessment of the Islamic law underpinnings of Islamist terror are voicing support for the lawyer and former military intelligence official.

Mr. Coughlin was fired as a Joint Staff contractor after his confrontation with Hasham Islam, a special assistant to Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, was reported here last month.

Mr. Islam, a Muslim, referred to Mr. Coughlin as a "Christian zealot with a pen" during the meeting several weeks ago, a slur rejected by Mr. Coughlin's supporters.

Critics of Mr. Coughlin are spreading word — falsely — that he is being let go because he talked out of school to the press. One official suggested the action was due to budget cuts.

But defense and military officials supportive of Mr. Coughlin said the real reason is that critics, like Mr. Islam. want him sidelined because they oppose his hard-to-refute views on the relationship between Islamic law and Islamist jihad doctrine. Those views have triggered a harsh debate challenging the widespread and politically correct view of Islam as a religion of peace hijacked by extremists.

for full article:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080111/NATION04/958738459/1008

Another article on Coughlin's firing:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080111/EDITORIAL04/346804216/1013

Political correctness is alive and well in the DoD. It sucks. Walk into any Federal building. It's like walking into a tomb. A bunch of soul-less automatons walking around, not looking right nor left, and afraid to voice an opinion on anything.

I didn't realize how bad it was until I had occasion recently to do some work in the Federal building here. The guy I was working with made the same observation above, and I was kind of surprised that I hadn't really noticed it being 7 years removed from Federal service.

Brought back a few memories ... like spending my last deployment going into port with my troops instead of other SNCO's or officers in their PC, "official" liberty uniform of dockers, topsiders and polo shirts. They were all too busy being perfect in every way to have any fun.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

I can attest to that 100 percent from my involvement with several govt agencies. Diversity training, sensitivity training, so much bullshit that it makes your head spin.