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| Fort Hood shooting: an attack by the enemy within |
| 2009-11-08 |
| The murderous killing spree carried by Maj Nidal Malik Hasan will be seen by many Americans as a terrorist attack from an enemy within rather than the act of a lone madman. It will take weeks to assess all the reasons Hasan acted. But the evidence of his devout Muslim faith, antipathy towards women, arguments in favour of suicide bombing and opposition to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars point to a religious and political motivation at least in part. The United States has grown sadly used to mass shootings. This case, however, is shockingly aberrational. The fact that it was unarmed soldiers cut down on an Army base in Texas makes it an attack on the nation rather than on a group of random victims. Many of Mr Obama's supporters were deeply worried that as the first black president he would be especially vulnerable to an assassination attempt by a white racist. When the issue of his fiery, anti-American former pastor Jeremiah Wright threatened to derail his campaign, Mr Obama was eloquent in addressing the issues of racism, black anger and white fear. The atrocity at Fort Hood is an altogether more difficult subject for Mr Obama to address. Mr Obama played down his Muslim background on the campaign trail for fear of being portrayed as un-American. At one point, young Muslim girls in hijabs were moved from a campaign stage to prevent Mr Obama being filmed with them as a backdrop. Since winning the White House, however, he has referred to himself as "Barack Hussein Obama" as a way of presenting himself abroad as uniquely placed to build bridges with Islam. While he will rightly want to avoid fuelling any backlash against Muslims and to resist being seen to jump to conclusions, if he avoids any reference to the evidence of religious and political motivation then he will be accused of trying to avoid inconvenient truths. Relatives of Hasan are already claiming that the ultimate reason – they have stopped short of suggesting it was a justification – for the Army psychiatrist's action was that he was mocked by fellow soldiers for his Muslim faith. That claim, when juxtaposed with the apparent reluctance of the military authorities to take action against Hasan despite his praise for suicide bombings, is potentially incendiary and could bolster those Americans calling for a less tolerant attitude towards Islam. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #15 Read Churchill. 'River Wars' |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2009-11-08 14:02 |
| #14 Now we put everything into a dreamland perspective in order to protect ourselves from mental pressure of difficult choices. |
| Posted by: MIke N. 2009-11-08 12:34 |
| #13 A dream that one day the people of the World will understand that Islam is not a religion such as the concept understood in the West---it's an ideology of robbery and murder given superficial religious trappings. Once upon a time we did. Read Churchill. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-11-08 12:32 |
| #12 So it was a University project. Damn. |
| Posted by: MIke N. 2009-11-08 11:02 |
| #11 he wasn't. As much as I'd like to tack Hassan to the Zero's coattails, that one's not valid: participant in a Homeland Security Policy Institute's presidential transition task force last year. The task force was not officially affiliated with the White House. It was a project of the Homeland Security Policy Institute, an independent thinktank housed at George Washington University, aimed at drafting policy recommendations for the incoming Obama administration. According to the task force's May 2009 report [pdf], a "Nidal Hasan" from the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine was a task force event participant. Other participants included Senate and House staffers, Department of Homeland Security officials, Defense Department officials, and reporters for Politico, the Washington Post, and the London Times. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-11-08 10:56 |
| #10 I believe we will learn more about Major Hasan and what our government may have known about him prior to the shooting. I doubt any of what we learn will be reassuring. I would like to add that it is my sincerest hope that if additional information comes out it hurts our presidents chances at another term. A question for other 'Burgers. Has anyone seen in the MSM anywhere that this shitbag was one of the people that worked on Obamas transion team on Homeland Security? |
| Posted by: MIke N. 2009-11-08 10:49 |
| #9 After tall the 'T' word is becoming as offensive as the 'N' word. Except when referring to people as Teabaggers or Nazis. Then it's de rigueur of the state and party sponsored media and talking points. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2009-11-08 08:03 |
| #8 I wonder if the timing of these murders corresponds in any way with the DC Sniper being put down on Tuesday? |
| Posted by: BrerRabbit 2009-11-08 07:39 |
| #7 I believe we will learn more about Major Hasan and what our government may have known about him prior to the shooting. I doubt any of what we learn will be reassuring. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-11-08 05:58 |
| #6 Calling it that would be so un-Politically-Correct. After tall the 'T' word is becoming as offensive as the 'N' word. And (at least according to the MSM) just as 'racial'. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-11-08 05:43 |
| #5 Please someone in government...just call it what it is, a cruel ACT OF TERRORISM! |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-11-08 05:14 |
| #4 I've a dream. A dream that one day the people of the World will understand that Islam is not a religion such as the concept understood in the West---it's an ideology of robbery and murder given superficial religious trappings. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-11-08 04:10 |
| #3 no on internment camps. if they are dangerous enough to inter, they should be deported outright. |
| Posted by: abu do you love 2009-11-08 01:47 |
| #2 Since winning the White House, however, he has referred to himself as "Barack Hussein Obama" as a way of presenting himself abroad as uniquely placed to build bridges with Fixed it. |
| Posted by: Woozle Uneter9007 2009-11-08 01:15 |
| #1 I will say it. I for one, have no problem with internment camps. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2009-11-08 00:22 |