Suspect, Devout Muslim From Va., Wanted Army Discharge, Aunt Said

[tekisui]

Source: Washington Post

He prayed every day at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, a devout Muslim who, despite asking to be discharged from the U.S. Army, was on the eve of his first deployment to war. Yesterday, authorities said Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, a 39-year-old Arlington-born psychiatrist, shot and killed at least 12 people at Fort Hood, Tex.

In an interview, his aunt, Noel Hasan of Falls Church, said he had endured name-calling and harassment about his Muslim faith for years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and had sought for several years to be discharged from the military.

"I know what that is like," she said. "Some people can take it, and some cannot. He had listened to all of that, and he wanted out of the military, and they would not let him leave even after he offered to repay" for his medical training.

more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/05/AR2009110505216.html?hpid=topnews

[tekisui]

1. Suspect Was ‘Mortified’ About Deployment to War

Source: NYT

WASHINGTON — Born and reared in Virginia, the son of immigrant parents from a small Palestinian town near Jerusalem, he joined the Army right out of high school, against his parents’ wishes. The Army, in turn, put him through college and then medical school, where he trained to be a psychiatrist.

But Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the 39-year-old man accused of Thursday’s mass shooting at Fort Hood, Tex., started having second thoughts about his military career a few years ago after other soldiers harassed him for being a Muslim, he told relatives in Virginia.

He had also more recently expressed deep concerns about being sent to Iraq or Afghanistan. Having counseled scores of returning soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder, first at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and more recently at Fort Hood, he knew all too well the terrifying realities of war, said a cousin, Nader Hasan.

“He was mortified by the idea of having to deploy,” Mr. Hasan said. “He had people telling him on a daily basis the horrors they saw over there.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation had earlier become aware of Internet postings by a man who called himself Nidal Hasan, a law enforcement official said. The postings discussed suicide bombing in a favorable light, but the investigators were not clear whether the writer was Major Hasan.

In one posting on the Web site Scribd, a man named Nidal Hasan compared the heroism of a soldier who throws himself on a grenade to protect fellow soldiers to suicide bombers who sacrifice themselves to protect Muslims.

“If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers because they were caught off guard that would be considered a strategic victory,” the man wrote. It could not be confirmed, however, that the writer was Major Hasan.

more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/us/06suspect.html

[Egnever]

17. There is something wrong with people who join the armed forces

But don't want to be deployed to a war zone.

I will never understand that. I would have joined when i was younger and likely could have gotten in a full 20 without seeing any sort of action but I didn't because when it came down to it I didn't want to bo ordered to kill people. I took a very serious look at both the Navy and the Air force when i was 18 but stopped short of joining simply cause I knew if it came to it I would have a hard time holding up my part of the bargain.

It seems almost like stealing to me to join and then balk when ordered to a hot zone. As if you didn't know that was the purpose of the military when you joined.

[Rhiannon12866]

18. +1

Unfortunately, a lot of the young kids who join probably don't think much about that. The well-produced commercials and patriotic recruiters don't exactly emphasize that part of the contract. My friend sent cards and e-mails to her friend's 18-year-old son in Iraq. He joined up expecting to be sent to Japan or England (can't remember) to learn about computers. Surprise, this scared kid ended up in Baghdad. Most of us here wouldn't be shocked to learn that this happened, but apparently this 18-year-old and his family didn't expect it... :shrug:

[Raineyb]

19. Being in the armed forces for a long time was not unlike having a regular 9 to 5

So unless he joined recently your comment comes across as rather ignorant.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tekisui]

3. Jeezus, who said it did?

[dkf]

6. Obviously its not ok, but it also says the Army ignored a real problem.

I predict the military is going to take a good look in the mirror over this.

[BrklynLiberal]

8. As they should..It was recommended by one of Rachel's guests.

[ThomCat]

10. I doubt it. Our military has never missed an oportunity to

miss an opportunity. :(

I predict that we will see a lot of public relations work, a lot of spin, and the military will say they are making changes, but a look back in a few months will find that nothing has changed.

[Lex]

9. Not one person has said it did make it OK.

nt

[tekisui]

4. AP sources: Authorities had concerns about suspect

The Army psychiatrist suspected of carrying a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, had come to the attention of authorities six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats, law enforcement officials said Thursday.

The postings appeared to have been made by Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was killed during the shootings at the Army post incident that left least 11 others dead and 31 wounded. The officials say they are still trying to confirm that he was the author. They say an official investigation was not opened.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case.

One of the Web postings that authorities reviewed is a blog that equates suicide bombers with a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades.

"To say that this soldier committed suicide is inappropriate. Its more appropriate to say he is a brave hero that sacrificed his life for a more noble cause," said the Internet posting. "Scholars have paralled (sic) this to suicide bombers whose intention, by sacrificing their lives, is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers."

Military officials said Hasan, 39, had worked for six years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, where he had received a poor performance evaluation. He transferred to Fort Hood in July.

The officials, who had access to Hasan's military record, spoke on condition of anonymity because such records are confidential.

Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said Hasan was about to deploy overseas, but it was not known whether he was headed to Iraq or Afghanistan.

more: http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1101187&lang=eng_news

[DemBones DemBones]

7. AP article I read said feds planned to seize his computer

quote from AP article I read at Yahoo:

But, more recently, federal agents grew suspicious.

At least six months ago, Hasan came to the attention of law enforcement officials because of Internet postings about suicide bombings and other threats, including posts that equated suicide bombers to soldiers who throw themselves on a grenade to save the lives of their comrades.

They had not determined for certain whether Hasan is the author of the posting, and a formal investigation had not been opened before the shooting, said law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the case.

One of the officials said late Thursday that federal search warrants were being drawn up to authorize the seizure of Hasan's computer.

They could have written that last sentence better. Does it mean they were about to seize his computer before the shooting spree or were the warrants drawn up afterwards? Tomorrow we'll presumably find out more.

[NYC_SKP]

5. I suppose he could have claimed "gayness" and been removed.

That seems to work elsewhere.

pardon my use of humor in a tragic situation to make a valid sardonic point.

It's a sad state of affairs when someone on the verge of mayhem is not allowed to leave, while others who wish to serve honorably are forcibly removed.

NYC_SKP

[starroute]

11. Starting to sound like Columbine, take 2

Harassment, looking for a way out, not having any way out. It's the American way of life.

[Pavulon]

13. This piece of shit is an officer and an adult with options

not some 18 year old kid with no choices who wants to play badass on hitlers birthday. He has an MD which he wanted to earn money with. Whatever his motivations, religion, fear, or just being an asshole he cant blame being fucked with in the army. EVERY person in the army has been fucked with at one point or another. Things that would NEVER be said in the real world are said in the military.

He should have blown his brains out or moved to canada, hope he spends the rest of his short life climbing the walls in some shitty prison.

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

21. Thank you.nt

[Dreamer Tatum]

15. Nah, it's just the relentless pursuit of equivocation

This guy was a fundie teabagger until his name came out, now it's the World Series of Mitigating Factors.

For those who were here in 2002 for the DC Sniper story, it's pretty much the same story.

[Codeine]

22. The condemnations would be endless

and excoriating if he had turned out to be a Christian fundie. But now it's all about excuses and apologia.

Freepers were salivating at the possibility that he was a Muslim, and DU simultaneously salivating at the possibility he was a Jesus freak. Two sides of a filthy coin. Fuck all religion.

[proteus_lives]

12. What a useless asshole.

He's picked on and wants to change careers so he kills a crowd of people?

Well, enjoy military prison d-bag until they stick the needle in.

[951-Riverside]

14. Gee why didnt he just refuse to go?

Was it really necessary to murder and injure dozens of innocent people?

Gee I wonder how many of those people he murdered and injured actually called him names?

What a self centered prick. Shame on the family for trying to justify this and shame on the Military for allowing that cowardly sack of shit to continue serving despite his internet postings and warnings from other members of the Army.

[2Design]

16. some of the hateful comments here sound like they are from non-DU people n/t

[depakid]

20. Nah- just the typical outrage addicts venting

give it long enough, and they'll start trying to one up each for the most gruesome fate.