Battle of the Bilge

The Military Officers Association of America is obviously shocked and saddened by the events at Fort Hood. MOAA extends its sincerest sympathy and condolences to the victims of this tragedy and their loved ones.

Update – 11/10

The Washington Post has obtained a copy of a lecture Major Hasan gave to senior Army officers in June, 2007. You can view the entire presentation on their site here. What is particularly striking is that the lecture was supposed to be on a medical topic and instead it was concerning the history of Islam and the dangers of Muslims in the military. A snippet of the report:

“It’s getting harder and harder for Muslims in the service to morally justify being in a military that seems constantly engaged against fellow Muslims.”

While this is curiously put into quotations in the brief, and while it may hold a certain degree of truth, it appears now that it was Hasan’s own feelings flowing out. Given his actions at Ft. Hood, the following statement, which was presented in the briefing as advice on how to deal with this problem is extremely disturbing:

“Don’t doubt their loyalty to the U.S. – God vs. Country”

Someone should have been doubting Major Hasan’s loyalties.

Rushing to Conclusions

As the shocking events at Ft. Hood unfolded on Thursday, November 5th, there were so many conflicting reports that the truth was hard to come by. This happens in all major world events, as witnessed recently on 9/11, the uprisings in Iran and 2008′s war in Georgia. First reports are almost always wrong, and intricacies and details about the events and people that played roles in those events are blasted at times without proper fact checking or corroboration. The deeply ingrained culture of Ft. Hood with the surrounding area, and the incredibly important place that the installation holds in the hearts of soldiers everywhere, makes this horrifying act a national tragedy that affects virtually all of us.

With this in mind, taking a look at the Ft. Hood massacre only four days from its occurrence is a difficult task. More information will emerge once the investigative parties get do their jobs and piece together some semblance of a narrative. As with the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, this case is unusual in the fact that the perpetrator of the attack survived and will be able to provide motive and other pertinent details to help fill in the gaps of understanding. But until the investigation is complete, rumors will fly and not all the information reported in the media will be relevant or factual. What we are trying to do here is present some information that is strongly supported by multiple sources (no less than three for each) and dismiss others that are not.

What is Known

• The attack occurred in the Soldier Readiness Center of Ft. Hood, where soldiers are prepared for deployments and debriefed upon return
• Using two handguns, the alleged shooter, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army psychiatrist commenced shooting at around 13:35 CST
• Twelve soldiers and one civilian were killed in the rampage, and approximately thirty others were injured
• The shootings lasted for approximately 10 minutes before Major Hasan was incapacitated, but not killed, by police responding to the crisis
• Major Hasan, 39 years old, was born in America to immigrants from the West Bank, and referred to himself as Palestinian by descent. He is unmarried.
• Major Hasan was transferred to Ft. Hood from Walter Reed in July 2009
• Multiple eye witness reports indicate that Major Hasan shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ prior to his rampage, and several sources that knew him over the years have painted a picture of a man at odds with America’s mission in Iraq and Afghanistan
• Despite early reports of multiple shooters and suspects, all indications point towards the act of one person
• Major Hasan is in ‘serious but stable’ condition and is reportedly awake and talking
• Reports indicate that Major Hasan was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan in November

What is Not Known

This list comprises events or information being reported that has not or cannot be known for certain yet.

• Motive – although evidence of Hasan’s opposition to the wars currently underway in Muslim nations and his background have led plenty of commentators to speculate that this was an act of politically motivated terrorism, this has not been determined.
• Interactions/Influences of outside parties such as Al Quada – at this point, no outside group has claimed responsibility for Hasan’s actions
• How Major Hasan managed to get two handguns and multiple magazines of ammunition into the SRC at Ft. Hood
• Although there are reports that internet postings and statements made by Major Hasan had put him on electronic surveillance, it is not known if this information was passed to either Walter Reed or Ft. Hood authorities

Terror, Regardless of Motive

Whether in time it becomes apparent or confirmed that Major Hasan’s actions were motivated by political, ideological, social or personal reasons, the effect it has had remains the same. A base and a nation mourns, and the fact that ‘one of our own’ is the apparent culprit drives the knife in just as deep as it can go. It seems obvious that warning signs and safeguards put in place to prevent an act as heinous as this were ignored, but that may not have been the case once we see the full picture of the day’s events.

This was a terrorist act, by definition, and determining the root cause of it will not change what has happened. Lives are still lost, loved ones are still wounded. Whether this was an act of a man who felt his religious beliefs justified his actions, the act of someone who was fed up with the world and feared or resented his upcoming assignment, or worse still, a senseless act of slaughter by someone whose purpose in the Army was to help brothers and sisters deal with the stress of war, this was a terrorist act.

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