U.S. general: Homosexuality is immoral

CHICAGO, March 13 (UPI) -- Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, stopped short of apologizing for remarks he made on gays in the military.

Pace issued a statement Tuesday clarifying what he told the Chicago Tribune. In an interview he said he supports the military's "don't-ask-don't-tell" policy and said that the gay lifestyle is immoral.

Pace said the remarks reflect his personal opinion.

"I should have focused more on my support of the policy and less on my personal moral views," Pace said.

Pace told the Tribune's editorial board he does not want to see the Pentagon changing rules to allow openly gay soldiers to serve.

"As an individual, I would not want (acceptance of gay behavior) to be our policy, just like I would not want it to be our policy that if we were to find out that so-and-so was sleeping with somebody else's wife, that we would just look the other way, which we do not. We prosecute that kind of immoral behavior," Pace said.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" bill into law. It states gays and lesbians may serve only if they keep their sexual orientation private and do not engage in homosexual acts and commanders are forbidden from asking about soldiers' sexual orientation.