Farrakhan Assails Bush for Sending Troops to Gulf

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan on Thursday accused President George Bush of being “spiritually blind” and said the Bush Administration was furthering the “erosion” of American families by sending young fathers and mothers to Saudi Arabia for possible military action.

“I am seeing television film of young men holding bottles in their babies’ mouths because their wives are off somewhere in the Middle East,” Farrakhan told reporters in Century City. “It is not right that this government should be destroying families.”

He referred to Operation Desert Shield as an effort by Western powers to “preserve the lifestyles of the rich and famous.”

Farrakhan made the remarks at a news conference called to discuss his group’s “Save the Family Day” rally scheduled for Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.