Fort Hood Shooting Was Terrorism, U.S. Says

[Purveyor]

Source: REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The shooting rampage at a U.S. Army base in November was "an act of terrorism," an Obama administration official said on Friday, as the Pentagon ordered an overhaul of protocols to spot threats within the military.

Reviews ordered on Friday by the Pentagon and White House exposed shortcomings in both intelligence and oversight before the November 5 shooting, which authorities blame on a military psychiatrist.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said his department was still "burdened by 20th century processes and attitudes mostly rooted in the Cold War," and needed to do more to combat self-radicalization.

"Our counterintelligence procedures are mostly designed to combat an external threat such as a foreign intelligence service," Gates told reporters at the Pentagon, adding there was not enough focus "on internal threats."

Major Nidal Malik Hasan faces 13 counts of murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder for the rampage at Fort Hood Army base in Texas.

The case has drawn criticism after it became known Hasan had been in contact with a Muslim figure sympathetic to al Qaeda.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60E5TA20100115

[Catshrink]

1. That should make Rush & the Beckerhead happy

probably not.

[ck4829]

2. So was the Jim Adkisson shooting, the Keith Luke spree, George Tiller assassination,

the Holocaust museum attack, the 2009 Pittsburgh police shootings, etc.

But don't expect the government or the liberal media to call them that anytime soon.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Has Congress enacted a law against "terrorism" and defined it?

There's homicide and then there's terrorism. What are the elements of the latter which distinguish it from the former?

[angstlessk]

4. so, basically it is a crime with an added dimension, like a hate crime..a crime never the less

it is a crime..the crime is murder/attempted murder and the extenuating circumstance is terrorism? ...Same as a hate crime.

[lib2DaBone]

5. Once again..Al Qaeda, translated, means "the List" ...

Al Qeada is a group (a list) of tribal fighters recruited by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in 1981 (when he was the Dir of CIA) to fight against Russia in Afghanistan.

If Robert Gates could CREATE Al Qeada.. he can UNCREATE them ...now.

OF COURSE the govt says Ft. Hood was terorism.. how else is Michael Chertoff (an citizen of Israel) going to get his multi-billion dollar contract for body scanners? And how is our current govt going to control the movements of Ameriicans?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123101746.html

[Purveyor]

6. how else is Michael Chertoff going to get his multi-billion dollar contract for body scanners?

I rarely believe in coincidences and your point is well taken with me...

[24601]

26. Right, Obama is going to go out of his way to enrich Bush's cabinet? n/t

[shawcomm]

7. God, he looks like death warmed over.

[shadowknows69]

11. Fuck, if only. Evil bastard will probably live to 120 like all evil bastards seem to.

[winyanstaz]

23. It is also arabic slang for "The Toilet."

[Common Sense Party]

24. I thought Al Qaeda meant "the base"

As in "All your Qaeda belong to us."

[Igel]

25. Yes.

qa'ida = base. It's a word known to lots of students of the language because qawa'id, the plural ("bases") is also the word for grammar (i.e., the things that the language is based on).

Some have tried to say it means 'database' and that's it's primary meaning in order to say that there's no such thing. That's now how UBL used it when he announced the group's formation, nor how people who have called themselvse members use it, of course. It's trying to get around the issue by means of a pun.

"You're under arrest for breeding pitbulls and staging dog fights. We have a search warrant to search for dogs."
"Man, my dogs are tired! Just let me be."

Then the word goes out that the police have arrested somebody for having feet, and it's a police conspiracy to try to argue that the guy was involved in dogfighting--even if he did have 30 pitbulls, 8 of which had dogbites healing.

This kind of confusing the word for the thing is fairly common when you really, really want to deny something because the thing's inconvenient.

[timeforpeace]

8. "An Obama Administration official said"

[shadowknows69]

12. Yeah, that passes for journalism these days. Sad, isn't it?

[anonymous171]

9. How is attacking a military base terrorism? nt

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

13. It would seem like a very strategic target if one wanted to make a point about security.

[shadowknows69]

10. Coming to a military near you! DADT for Muslims.

[Soylent Brice]

14. i wouldn't be shocked in the least. n/t

[demigoddess]

15. it was one guy in over his head and scared to death of being sent to war

nothing new except that he is a muslim. Usually guys like this go home and kill their wives. I guess some people just like it better when military men take their stress out on their wives and kids instead of going to the base where someone might be carrying a gun.

I know, I am a lifetime military brat. Grew up with this kind of stuff happening all around. It is nothing new. Damn republicans should get a clue.

[bikingaz]

16. Man-made disaster ?

I thought terrorism was not longer the operative word

[struggle4progress]

17. Pentagon Report on Fort Hood Details Failures (NYT)

y ELISABETH BUMILLER and SCOTT SHANE
Published: January 15, 2010

WASHINGTON — A Pentagon review released Friday portrayed a systemic breakdown within the military that permitted an Army psychiatrist, now charged with killing 13 people, to advance through the ranks despite concerns from his superiors about his behavior ...

The review recommended that “several officers” be referred to the Army for possible punishment for not properly supervising Major Hasan, but it did not provide names or a specific number. The Associated Press and The Los Angeles Times, which first reported the findings early Friday, said that as many as eight midranking officers could face reprimands ...

The Pentagon review, titled “Protecting the Force: Lessons From Fort Hood,” was conducted by Togo D. West Jr., a former secretary of the Army, and Adm. Vernon E. Clark, a former chief of naval operations ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/16/us/politics/16hasan.html

[struggle4progress]

18. Pentagon inquiry: Supervisors discounted Fort Hood suspect's worrisome behavior (WaPo)

By Craig Whitlock
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 16, 2010

... The review determined that supervisors of Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, the Army psychiatrist charged in the Nov. 5 attack at the Texas military post, bungled his performance reviews by excluding instances of erratic behavior in treating patients and signs that he might be growing sympathetic to suicide bombers ...

The report did not name the officers or specify how many should be held accountable. But West said that "we have no doubt the Army will be able to isolate any individuals" who could face disciplinary action, based on detailed information about Hasan's career that was included in a confidential addendum to the report.

The report also said that Hasan was granted a top-level security clearance in February 2008 but that his background check did not include interviews with co-workers, supervisors or Hasan himself ...

At a news conference, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said the review found that military supervisors are often slow to act when personnel under their command exhibit suspicious behavior outside the realm of their official duties. He also said the military's ability to guard against internal threats is still geared toward uncovering Cold War moles instead of detecting religious radicals ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/15/AR2010011502010.html?hpid=moreheadlines

[struggle4progress]

19. Fort Hood aftermath: Some Army officers’ careers may be over (CS Monitor)

By Gordon Lubold Staff writer / January 15, 2010

... Army officials are also conducting an investigation, which will probably result in discipline for some officers over the next month or so. Investigators are looking at several allegations against the officers.

As part of that probe into the shootings, Army investigators will continue discussions with those unidentified officers next week. By next month, investigators will forward to Army leadership their recommendations for disciplinary action, according to a senior defense official.

Disciplinary action could include letters of reprimand that would effectively end some careers. But no criminal charges are expected, says the official, who asked not to be named because the individual was not authorized to speak publicly on a sensitive issue.

Other mistakes may fall into the category of administrative failings. In and of themselves, these mistakes would not amount to substantive oversights. But they would indicate that officers failed to implement government policies that might have flagged Hasan as a potential problem ...

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2010/0115/Fort-Hood-aftermath-Some-Army-officers-careers-may-be-over

[struggle4progress]

20. Fort Hood Shooting Report: Warning Signs Were 'Missed' and 'Ignored' (ABC)

Eight Officers Could Be Disciplined; Gates Calls Failures 'Significant'
By LUIS MARTINEZ, MATTHEW MOSK and KAREN TRAVERS
Jan. 15, 2010

... In an 86-page report released Friday, Defense Department investigators determined that the procedures in place meant to head off violent behavior are "outdated" and "incomplete" ...

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE

... The report looked at issues specific to the Fort Hood case – such as signs that were missed that the alleged shooter was becoming radicalized -- and broad systemic problems that suggest the military is not doing enough to protect against violent outbursts ...

Among the findings were that background checks remain insufficient, and there are inadequate systems in place to look for signs of violent behavior immediately before or after a deployment ...

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/fort-hood-warning-signs-missed/story?id=9572844

[struggle4progress]

21. News Wrap: Fort Hood Report Could Lead to Discipline (PBS)

REPORT AIR DATE: Jan. 15, 2010

LISTEN: MP3

... TOGO WEST: Do we want commanders in the mosques? No. Do we want anybody there? No. But what we want is commanders' awareness of what's happening in their units and what's happening to their people ...

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/north_america/jan-june10/newswrap_01-15.html

[riderinthestorm]

22. I'll say it, it was considered un-PC to target Muslims.

And the Army bent over backwards to try to be politically correct with this Hasan.

The Army was/is desperate for Arab personnel and they didn't use common sense here. What's infuriating is that they'd keep a guy like Major Hasan in, but kick out real patriots who just happen to be gay.