US General Calls Gays Immoral

Gay rights groups yesterday criticised the head of the US joint chiefs of staff, General Peter Pace, over an interview in which he described homosexuals as "immoral".

Aides to Gen Pace insisted he was not planning to apologise. But he later put out a statement that he described as a clarification.

In a taped interview accompanying an interview in the Chicago Tribune on Monday, Gen Pace said: "I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts. I do not believe that the armed forces of the United States are well served by saying through our policies that it's OK to be immoral in any way."

The US policy towards gays and lesbians in the military, known as "don't ask, don't tell", is that they are allowed to serve as long as they do not volunteer they are gay and nor should they be asked about their sexual orientation.

The Pentagon said yesterday that Gen Pace supported the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. In a fresh statement, he said: "I should have focused more on my support of the policy and less on my personal moral views."