RSS Feed MenuOne thing not being mentioned openly about the Fort Hood massacre of 13 American soldiers and the wounding of 30 others, is whether this was a version of suicide bombing.
That is, was the suspect, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, something of a Jihadist “sleeper” intent on replicating a suicide bomber to maximize his opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?
We don’t know … yet … but it’s a spectre so alarming one hardly dares contemplate its possibility.
All that is acknowledged about Maj. Hasan (he was promoted last spring) is that he’s a Muslim whose parents are Palestinian immigrants and that he got his medical degree and psychiatric training through the army. Also, he was “quiet and reserved” (as all loony killers seem to be) and dreaded being assigned to go to Iraq.
Well, he needn’t worry about that any more — he ain’t going anywhere.
Also stressed, as if it had anything to do with his actions, is he felt harassed and mocked because of his religion — something that is difficult to swallow, considering he was an army officer, and army officers are not usually picked on by bullies.
Hasan may well be a mental case who simply broke — but why he felt required to kill fellow soldiers if he wasn’t ideologically, politically or religiously motivated remains a puzzle.
Also puzzling is how he managed to shoot so many people with two handguns, one of which was a machine pistol. The soldiers he shot were unarmed in a building doing administrative tasks, while in an adjoining auditorium 140 troops were gathering for college graduation ceremonies.
A police woman apparently returned Hasan’s fire, wounded him, and was herself wounded. Brave woman. Hasan was initially reported killed.
Fort Hood has had its share of incidents over the years, and is the world’s largest military base — temporary home for 45,000 soldiers, including many returned wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan, some of whom were Hasan’s patients for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
One who knows Fort Hood well is Canadian Gen. Walter Natynczyk, Chief of Defence Staff, who, in 2004, was Deputy Commanding General of III Corps at Fort Hood, and served in that capacity in Iraq when the Canadian government was refusing to join the American war there.
The “coincidence,” (if that’s what it is) of an American officer going berserk at Fort Hood who just happens to be a devout Muslim, is disquieting, to say the least.
‘ALLAHU AKBAR!’
Soldiers reported the gunman shouted “Allahu Akbar!” — an Arabic phrase for “God is great!” — before opening fire.
It brings to mind the incident in June at a Little Rock, Arkansas, recruiting centre where a convert to Islam who had changed his name to Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, shot and killed one American soldier and wounded another.
And remember the infamous British shoe bomber Richard Reid was a convert to Islam, as was American John Walker who joined al-Qaeda and was captured in Afghanistan. At least Hasan wasn’t a convert. But is he a deep-cover terrorist? Dunno.
Everyone hopes Nidal Hasan is not a jihadist but a mental case — as he seems to be, judging from the shock and dismay expressed by his family. The FBI is treating the shootings as a crime and not terrorism.
One hopes they are correct, and not taking the easy way out as they did when they labeled the 1993 World Trade Center bombing as a “crime” and not as “terrorism.”
Originally published in the Toronto Sun November 7, 2009.
JohnMcC // Nov 7, 2009 at 11:06 pm
For what it’s worth, today’s NYTimes reports “Preliminary Inquiry Finds No Link To Terror Plot”.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/us/08investigate.html?hp
Which of course does not exactly answer the question raised above. We have learned many times the last few decades–since Charles Whitman climbed to the top of the Texas Tower–the seriousness of the pathology of the isolated, angry male. Add a war and his Islamic religion–big trouble.
Apparently the FBI had noticed an internet post exculpating suicide bombers with the same name as Maj Hasan attached. I have not heard that they shared this with his chain of command. Possibly this was another example of what the 9/11 commission called ’stove piping’ of intelligence.
If so, perhaps we’ll learn sooner or later that possessing intelligence is nothing without sharing it.
mlindroo // Nov 8, 2009 at 7:30 am
> Also stressed, as if it had anything to do with his actions, is he felt harassed
> and mocked because of his religion — something that is difficult to swallow,
> considering he was an army officer, and army officers are not usually picked on by bullies.
I don’t quite understand this argument! If he was “quiet and reserved” and his religion was not popular, isn’t it possible that his PEERS or SUPERIORS mocked him for it? I am not saying they did, but it does not sound impossible to me.
MARCU$
JeninCT // Nov 8, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Jihadist or Mental case? Are the two mutually exclusive? Maybe he’s a jihadist mental case? Is any murderous jihadist truly sane?
sinz54 // Nov 9, 2009 at 11:25 am
This breaking news just about answers the question:
Officials: U.S. Aware of Hasan Efforts to Contact al Qaeda
Army Major in Fort Hood Massacre Used ‘Electronic Means’ to Connect with Terrorists
By RICHARD ESPOSITO, MATTHEW COLE and BRIAN ROSS
Nov. 9, 2009 —
U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda, two American officials briefed on classified material in the case told ABC News.
It is not known whether the intelligence agencies informed the Army that one of its officers was seeking to connect with suspected al Qaeda figures, the officials said.
Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) said the CIA had, so far, refused to brief the intelligence committees on what, if any, knowledge they had about Hasan’s efforts.
CIA director Leon Panetta and the Director of National Intelligence, Dennis Blair, have been asked by Congress “to preserve” all documents and intelligence files that relate to Hasan, according to the lawmaker.
Hoekstra said he is “absolutely furious” that the house intel committee has been refused an intelligence briefing by the DNI or CIA on Hasan’s attempt to reach out to al Qaeda, as first reported by ABC News.
Once again,
We failed to connect the dots.
JeninCT // Nov 9, 2009 at 11:58 am
“Once again, We failed to connect the dots.”
With devastating consequences.
wrs10 // Nov 9, 2009 at 1:53 pm
This is quite informative too:-
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/6526030/Fort-Hood-gunman-had-told-US-military-colleagues-that-infidels-should-have-their-throats-cut.html
08 Nov 2009
Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the gunman who killed 13 at America’s Fort Hood military base, once gave a lecture to other doctors in which he said non-believers should be beheaded and have boiling oil poured down their throats. ……………………
AbuAisha // May 7, 2011 at 12:38 pm
I would like to add some comments to the present overall topic of Terrorists and the actions of Maj Nidal Malik Hasan, and any other acts carried out in the the name of so called Islam.
Firstly, I want to say I am a Muslim and I consider my self to be a revert not a convert as muslims we feel we are born into the faith of the oneness of GOD who’s name in the arabic equivalent is ALLAH meaning a GOD which has no partners or associates.
To believe in all of the Prophets, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and a succession of many others with Muhammad being the last of them.
Also, to believe in all the books which were sent down to all the prophets the Torah, the Gospel, etc , of course we are at difference with the authenticity of the Bible in its entirety.
Now, after stating the basic principles which a muslim must believe in order to be a muslim I would like to begin my comments.
Anyone, whatever his or her position or title maybe must follow the tenets of Islam according to the way it was demonstrated to the mankind according to Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and all the Prophets.
There is a authentic narration from among the things he said we call Hadith, these are the written explanation of what the Prophet (PBUH) said and did.
In one of these narrations he said “Anything newly introduced to the religion is a innovation and every innovation is a misguidance and every misguidance will be in the hell fire.
After 20 years of being muslim I have found nothing documented in the sayings or the actions of the Prophet (PBUH) saying it is lawful to hurt, kill, or mame anyone who is not directly showing forms of aggression towards you.
In fact it is narrated that in the treaty of Hudybayyah, the treaty was broken by the Meccans and the companions of the Prophet wanted to retaliate and fight but the Prophet said no, that the treaty must be honored.
Having traveled and lived abroad among muslims in a muslim country, what I find exists are frustrated people who are mislead due to the misdealings of the political agendas on the table at hand.
Eloquent speakers utilize and capitalize on their frustrations and channel them in a path of deviance, misinterpeting and giving them misguidance instead of guidance.
As the saying goes every cause has a reaction and when a person is treated in a ill mannered way he or she doesnt like it, they want fair treatment and human rights.
I see wrong on both sides of the table, I see aggression on both sides we are not the policemen of the whole world, though I dont like to see people like the present leaders who are Tyrants who torture and humiliate the people, and deny them the right to speakout openly when they are oppressed.
I am not for that either but I feel we dont need to go 8000 miles away to tell anyone to cut their grass and we have not cut our own.
Excuses as far as being harassed or stigmatized and dealt with in a unfair manner I have a list of them, nine years FBI harassment, including a lie detector test, which I passed, job discrimination,
the list goes on.
But, at the end of the day it doesn’t entitle me to go and hurt or mame or kill anyone that has done nothing to me, as far as the mistreatment I recieve, you have the example of Prophet Job PBUH.
My tests or hardship are nowhere near what he PBUH had to endure.
So, to summarize my expressions we have the right to collectively organize ourselves and speak out against any ill treatment or discriminations and if we dont get results we must be Patience and the one who sends the winds and the rains can change the situation when HE sees fit.
I would like to apologize if my post was a bit lengthly as I wanted to elaborate on some important points.