Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that likened homosexual acts to adultery and said the military should not allow gays to serve openly in the armed forces, regrets his remarks but didn't offer an apology as many demanded.

When asked by an interviewer of Chicago Tribune about the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that allows gays and lesbians to serve if they keep their sexual orientation private and don't engage in homosexual acts, Pace said that he believes "that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts," Pace said in the audio recording of the interview posted on the Tribune's Web site.

"I do not believe that the armed forces of the United States are well served by a saying through our policies that it's OK to be immoral in any way," Pace added. "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."

In a statement Tuesday, Gen. Pace said he should have focused more in the interview on the Defense Department policy about gays — and "less on my personal moral views."

Pace's staff members said earlier that the general was expressing his personal opinion and did not intend to apologize.

The remark drew a harsh condemnation from members of Congress and gay advocacy groups.