Another Chapter in the Saga of the Army Officer Allegedly Removed for His Teachings on Islam

Lt. Col. Matthew Dooley. Source: Fox

Some might recall Lt. Col. Matthew Dooley, the decorated Army officer who says he was fired last year from his position as a war college instructor because of his teachings about jihad and Islam. Now, he's suffered another setback in his career: he's been rejected as commander of a combat battalion.

The Washington Times reports that Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, chief of U.S. Central Command, ordered Col. Dooley’s name to be removed from the list of candidates for the position. The Times adds:

News of Col. Dooley’s setback has emerged as some researchers of radical Islam are criticizing the Obama administration for downplaying the Islamic connection in a string of attempted and successful terrorist attacks, including the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15.

Mr. Thompson, [his attorney and] president of the Thomas More Law Center in Michigan, said the blame for Col. Dooley’s treatment ultimately belongs to ArmyGen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gen. Dempsey publicly condemned Col. Dooley’s teachings and set into motion investigations that resulted in his firing.

“When he entered West Point, Matt Dooley’s ultimate goal was to one day command a battalion,” Thompson said. “But after 18 years of hard work, family sacrifice, six deployments and outstanding officer evaluations, Matt’s dream was shattered by Gen. Dempsey."

Thompson continued, "Yet, despite Gen. Dempsey’s personal attacks on LTC Dooley, a command review board consisting of generals and colonels voted to retain LTC Dooley on the list for battalion command. But political correctness once again dominated the Pentagon."

"Gen. Lloyd Austin, the Army’s Vice Chief of Staff, directed that LTC Dooley’s name be removed from the Command List. Sadly, a principle of leadership — loyalty to the men who are loyal to you — is once again ignored. And violation of that principle in this case not only results in a miscarriage of justice to a loyal and patriotic officer, but deprives our nation of a proven combat commander.”

A spokesman for Gen. Dempsey previously told the Times that Col. Dooley’s instructional materials were “academically irresponsible.”

Dooley’s troubles began to arise in late 2011 when a letter sent by 57 American Islamic organizations -- two of which are "tied" to the Muslim Brotherhood, as the Times puts it -- was sent to then President Obama’s counterterrorism adviser and now CIA director John Brennan.