Islamic Radical Goes on Shooting Rampage at Fort Hood
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/soldiers-kille ... id=9007938
12 People Killed and 30 Wounded in Fort Hood Shooting
Suspected Gunman, Identified as Major Nidal Malik Hasan, Survived Gunbattle
By EMILY FRIEDMAN, RICHARD ESPOSITO, ETHAN NELSON and DESIREE ADIB
Nov. 5, 2009 —
Twelve people have been killed and 30 wounded in a shooting spree at a Texas military post in a murderous rampage that officials believe was carried out by an Army psychiatrist who was about to be deployed to Iraq.
The suspected gunman was identified by ABC News as Major Nidal Malik Hasan. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, told Fox News that military sources informed her that the gunman was about to be deployed to Iraq. Sources tell ABC News that this would have been his first deployment.
The shooter was initially reported to have been killed, but Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone told a late night news conference that the suspect was wounded and in custody. The officer emphasized that there was only one gunman.
Two other soldiers were taken into custody, but were later released.
Hasan allegedly opened fire and killed 12 people on the post before he was shot.
Among the wounded was a female police officer who exchanged gunfire with Hasan and shot the suspect.
Cone called the attack "a terrible tragedy, stunning." He said the community was "absolutely devastated."
President Obama called the Fort Hood shootings a "horrific outburst of violence."
"It is difficult enough to lose" soldiers overseas, but it is "horrifying that they should lose their lives at an Army base in the U.S.," he said.
"My prayers are with the wounded and the families of the fallen," said the president.
The Senate and the House of Representatives held a moment of silence this evening for the victims of the Fort Hood massacre, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry ordered flags be flown at half mast until Sunday.
Cone said the motive for the attack, which took place just after 1:30 p.m. CT, is unclear.
Hasan's cousin Nader Hasan said that she believed it was his upcoming deployment combined with the wartime horror stories he heard from his patients that set him off. Hasan had recently hired an attorney to help him get out of the military.
According to the suspect's cousin, Hasan was also harassed after 9/11 because of his ethnicity, and was called a "camel jockey."
According to sources, Hasan, who is either 39 or 40, attended the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. He graduated in 2003 with a degree in Osteopathy and later finished his residency as a psychiatrist.
In 2009, Hasan completed a fellowship in Disaster and Preventive Psychiatry at the Center for Traumatic Stress.
He was promoted to major status in May, according to the Army Times.
Fort Hood, located just 60 miles north from Austin, is the largest U.S. military installation in the world, and has suffered the greatest number of casualities of all American bases in the war on Iraq.
The base is a 340 sq. mile facility located in Killeen, Texas and is home to the 1st Cavalry Division, which was one of the first groups of soldiers deployed to Iraq.
Cone said that a gunman entered a facility known as the Soldier Readiness Facility, where soldiers who are preparing to deploy go for last minute medical check ups and dental treatment. Sources told ABC News that the soldiers gathered there were getting ready to deploy to Iraq.
The gunman used two handguns, Cone said. He wasn't sure if the shooter reloaded the weapons during the attack.
"The gunman opened fire and essentially due to the quick respond of the police forces was killed," said Cone.
The shooter was killed by civilian law enforcement and one police officer died in the shootout, Cone said.
The gunman's suspected accomplices were taken into custody in an adjacent facility known as the old SportsDome Complex.
Fort Hood Went on Lockdown After 12 Shot Dead
Schools on the base were also placed on lockdown. A message on Fort Hood's public affairs office Web site read, "Organizations/units are instructed to execute a 100 percent accountability of all personnel. This is not a Drill. It is an Emergency Situation."
According to a source on the base, it is rare for firearms to be on the base because they are locked up.
Homeland Security said it is still gathering information and that the "Army is taking the lead" as of now. FBI agents from Waco and Austin, Texas, are being deployed to the scene.
An army spokesman said that unit commanders have been instructed to account for all of their personnel.
"The immediate concern is to make sure that all of our soldiers and family members are safe and that's what commanders have been instructed to do," said Jay Adams of First Army, Division West, located at Fort Hood.
The CounterTerrorist Unit said they have "no word" yet on whether this incident was terrorism-related.
At least six victims are being treated at the Metroplex Hospital five miles away. Area hospitals are all requesting blood donations to treat victims.
According to icasulaties.org, 483 soldier deaths from Fort Hood since war started. Fort Hood has suffered more deaths in Iraq than any other US home base.
Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures
Re: Islamic Radical Goes on Shooting Rampage at Ford Hood
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-ma ... 1_sold.php
Army major and recent convert to Islam was behind shootings at Fort Hood
By Bill RoggioNovember 5, 2009 4:30 PM
A gunman opened fire on US soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, the largest US military base in America. Initial reports indicate the attack took place at a readiness center where soldiers prepare to deploy overseas. According to initial reports, 12 people, including the shooter, a soldier named Major Nidal Malik Hassan, have been killed, and more than 30 have been wounded. Two other suspects were arrested for involvement in the attacks; initial reports indicate the men are US soldiers. Sources report that the shooter was a psychiatrist and that his nickname was "Abduwali."
The Pentagon is urging the media not to speculate on the motive for the attack. ABC News' Brian Ross described Major Malik Nidal Hassan as a recent convert to Islam. Given that the attack took place at a center where troops go to prepare for deployment to Iraq and was committed by a soldier who is a recent convert to Islam, the obvious assumption could be made that this was some form of an Islamist terror attack. Time, and the two suspected accomplices, if they were indeed involved in the attack, will tell.
Daveed Gartenstein Ross, a Long War Journal/Threat Matrix contributor and the Director of Foundation for the Defense of Democracies' Center for Terrorism Research, said this about the attack:
"One important aspect of this case will be assessing whether Major Malik Hassan and his accomplices were acting out of religio-political motivations, or whether there was another cause to the shooting. In Asan Akbar's 2003 grenade attack on fellow soldiers, he was very upfront about why he did it. Until the motivation is known, we won't know if this was an act of terrorism; but if it was terrorism, understanding the process of radicalization that they went through will be critical."
Daveed is an expert on the radicalization process, you can read his recent radicalization study here.
Some notes on the attack:
• Initial attacks, which began at about 1:30, appear to have taken place place near the Howze Theater and the Development Center, where US soldiers line up to prepare for deployments. Other clashes were reported near the PX and a softball field.
• Major Hassan, the shooter, was killed; two other soldiers thought to be involved in the attack have been captured. The identities of the two suspects have not been disclosed.
• The gunman apparently used two handguns.
• The base is under lockdown.
• About 500 soldiers have been assigned to support law enforcement.
• Forth Hood has about 65,000 soldiers.
Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-ma ... z0W3SjIONA
