From the Waco Tribune:
FORT HOOD — A military mental health doctor facing deployment overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army post Thursday, setting off on a rampage that killed 12 people and left 31 wounded. The violence was believed to be the worst mass shooting in history at a U.S. military base.
The gunman, first said to have been killed, was wounded but alive and in stable condition under military guard, said Lt. Gen. Robert Cone at Fort Hood.
“I would say his death is not imminent,” Cone said.
The man was identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a 39-year-old, eight-year veteran from Virginia. Col. Ben Danner said the suspect was shot at least four times.
The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., when shots were fired at the base’s Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening, Cone said.
This is sad and disturbing on a couple of different levels. First of all, someone awarded the rank of Major in the United States Army took it upon himself to gun down scores of his fellow soldiers today- apparently people he knew personally. This was not some homesick 'Private Pyle' E-2 who just got a Dear John letter from his sweetie and snapped. This was a doctor who was promoted to the rank of Major, not the semiliterate hillbilly or inner-city gangbanger duped by nefarious recruiters that populates the US-Army-According-To-Code-Pink narrative.
Then there's the assertion in the mainstream press that Hasan snapped because he was getting ready to be deployed. Technically true, but that's overlooking one mighty big pachyderm that happens to be in the same room. According to some of his colleagues at the Walter Reed Army Hospital, Hasan gave tacit approval to insurgent and terrorist attacks on American soldiers during arguments while working there. Think about that for a moment- he was in effect giving the thumbs-up to the terrorists and insurgents who were killing and maiming the very soldiers he was supposed to be helping! And kindly refrain from bludgeoning me with that 'You're-saying-Muslims-shouldn't-serve-in-the-military!' strawman. I'm saying that somebody who so readily wanted to see his own country defeated in Iraq and Afghanistan should at least get some closer scrutiny when he took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States like the 12 people he murdered today.
Then there's the physical layout of Ft. Hood itself. I've never been there myself, but if I understand correctly there are no gates or sentries on the roads in and out of the base like a couple of the major Army bases in Georgia (Ft. Benning and Ft. Hood Spring to mind right away). Instead, the respective bases are patrolled by MPs or security guards. Enough major highways cross directly through the base to make putting permanent gates and sentries up an impractical proposition. I suppose some MP's posted at the entrances and stringing up some concertina wire would be a temporary solution during periods of high alert, but basically there would be nothing preventing a determined terrorist from driving onto some military bases with a truck bomb or suicide vest and detonating it once they approach a crowded area [I'm not doing this to give Al Qaeda or Hezbollah any ideas- those vermin may be execrable subhumans, but they're not all stupid either].
Also keep in mind that most military personnel are unarmed while on base- except for the MPs. Typically, the only time soldiers, sailors, marines or airmen are in possession of firearms and live ammunition is when they're on the firing ranges. This came up a few years ago when certain commentators on the left dismissed a plot to attack Fort Dix in New Jersey with pistols, RPGs and automatic rifles as bogus. Their rationale? Machine-gun wielding and tank-driving GI's would've cut the wanna-be jihadis down the second they showed themselves [which demonstrates their ignorance about life in the military]. Had the Fort Dix attack been carried out, the only people who would've been able to shoot back would've been the MPs- likely armed with 9mm pistols- as the weapons are stored in armories at their respective companies when not out on the range.
I'm not sure what else I can add to this- the information that was coming out of Ft. Hood and Killeen, TX earlier today was fast and furious and contradictory (first it was multiple gunmen, then just the one; Hasan and the civilian police officer that shot him were both dead, now it appears they were both alive, etc etc). My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those killed Thursday and I'm hoping for a speedy recovery for the 31 wounded.
As for Hasan, all I can say is make him sorry he survived.
FORT HOOD — A military mental health doctor facing deployment overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army post Thursday, setting off on a rampage that killed 12 people and left 31 wounded. The violence was believed to be the worst mass shooting in history at a U.S. military base.
The gunman, first said to have been killed, was wounded but alive and in stable condition under military guard, said Lt. Gen. Robert Cone at Fort Hood.
“I would say his death is not imminent,” Cone said.
The man was identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a 39-year-old, eight-year veteran from Virginia. Col. Ben Danner said the suspect was shot at least four times.
The shooting began around 1:30 p.m., when shots were fired at the base’s Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening, Cone said.
This is sad and disturbing on a couple of different levels. First of all, someone awarded the rank of Major in the United States Army took it upon himself to gun down scores of his fellow soldiers today- apparently people he knew personally. This was not some homesick 'Private Pyle' E-2 who just got a Dear John letter from his sweetie and snapped. This was a doctor who was promoted to the rank of Major, not the semiliterate hillbilly or inner-city gangbanger duped by nefarious recruiters that populates the US-Army-According-To-Code-Pink narrative.
Then there's the assertion in the mainstream press that Hasan snapped because he was getting ready to be deployed. Technically true, but that's overlooking one mighty big pachyderm that happens to be in the same room. According to some of his colleagues at the Walter Reed Army Hospital, Hasan gave tacit approval to insurgent and terrorist attacks on American soldiers during arguments while working there. Think about that for a moment- he was in effect giving the thumbs-up to the terrorists and insurgents who were killing and maiming the very soldiers he was supposed to be helping! And kindly refrain from bludgeoning me with that 'You're-saying-Muslims-shouldn't-serve-in-the-military!' strawman. I'm saying that somebody who so readily wanted to see his own country defeated in Iraq and Afghanistan should at least get some closer scrutiny when he took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States like the 12 people he murdered today.
Then there's the physical layout of Ft. Hood itself. I've never been there myself, but if I understand correctly there are no gates or sentries on the roads in and out of the base like a couple of the major Army bases in Georgia (Ft. Benning and Ft. Hood Spring to mind right away). Instead, the respective bases are patrolled by MPs or security guards. Enough major highways cross directly through the base to make putting permanent gates and sentries up an impractical proposition. I suppose some MP's posted at the entrances and stringing up some concertina wire would be a temporary solution during periods of high alert, but basically there would be nothing preventing a determined terrorist from driving onto some military bases with a truck bomb or suicide vest and detonating it once they approach a crowded area [I'm not doing this to give Al Qaeda or Hezbollah any ideas- those vermin may be execrable subhumans, but they're not all stupid either].
Also keep in mind that most military personnel are unarmed while on base- except for the MPs. Typically, the only time soldiers, sailors, marines or airmen are in possession of firearms and live ammunition is when they're on the firing ranges. This came up a few years ago when certain commentators on the left dismissed a plot to attack Fort Dix in New Jersey with pistols, RPGs and automatic rifles as bogus. Their rationale? Machine-gun wielding and tank-driving GI's would've cut the wanna-be jihadis down the second they showed themselves [which demonstrates their ignorance about life in the military]. Had the Fort Dix attack been carried out, the only people who would've been able to shoot back would've been the MPs- likely armed with 9mm pistols- as the weapons are stored in armories at their respective companies when not out on the range.
I'm not sure what else I can add to this- the information that was coming out of Ft. Hood and Killeen, TX earlier today was fast and furious and contradictory (first it was multiple gunmen, then just the one; Hasan and the civilian police officer that shot him were both dead, now it appears they were both alive, etc etc). My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those killed Thursday and I'm hoping for a speedy recovery for the 31 wounded.
As for Hasan, all I can say is make him sorry he survived.
According to news reports he was enlisted for 8 years before recieving his commission.
ReplyDeleteAccording to news reports he was enlisted for 8 years before recieving his commission.
ReplyDeleteWas he in any combat zones while enlisted? The MSM's been doing their level best to portray his murder spree as a byproduct of PTSD and by implicatoin make the Army more culpable than the man who pulled the trigger.
His upcoming deploymment would be his first.
ReplyDelete