Comments on: Hasan Charged with 13 Counts of Murder

By: Shasta

Shasta — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:06:12 +0000

Fuad Kamal runs a covert operation with the code name “Anaara Media” which recruits Islamic militants internationally. Fuad Kamal is an explosives expert, munitions expert and is trained in the martial arts. He is a dangerous individual with a high level of sophistication and training.

By: htom

htom — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:04:33 +0000

I’d like him charged with treason, too. As Grim pointed out, a psychologist murdering about-to-deploy troops would have know the effect that would have on their morale, and that damage is treasonous.

By: Joel Rosenberg

Joel Rosenberg — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:39 +0000

I’m trying to think why the prosecutors even might want to charge Hasan with a terrorism crime when they’ve got more than a dozen counts of murder that, from this remove, appear to be slam dunks.

That said, there are two obvious and very different explanations: one is that Hasan, inspired by his religious beliefs, decided to murder a bunch of people; the other is that Hasan, having decided to murder a lot of people, chose to frame it in terms of his religious beliefs.

In either case, though, he’s a murderer, and from this amateur remove, the charges appear pretty straightforward — why would the prosecutors want to complicate their job by claiming that it was done to give aid and comfort to enemies or as terrorism? The penalties do top out with the DP, already.

About the only reason I can think to go with additional charges would be in a hopeless attempt to avoid the tealeafing from Rachel Maddow and company — the notion that since they didn’t charge terrorism, it was just some sort of isolated incident. That may be of some minor political benefit, but it isn’t the prosecutors’ job.

By: The News Factor: updated headlines 11-13-09

The News Factor: updated headlines 11-13-09 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:17:43 +0000

[...] Hasan Charged with 13 Counts of Murder [...]

By: attorney

attorney — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:41:56 +0000

That said, I agree that it is important to keep in mind that he was religiously motivated. I just don’t think anyone is ignoring that angle, except maybe a very limited number of people in the atheist blogosphere. Everyone else is firmly in “OMG MUSLIM!!” mode, because it attracts eyeballs and sells to the masses.

By: Dustin

Dustin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:48:54 +0000

I’m amazed that someone is insisting there isn’t even ANY good evidence to suggest terrorism. Terrorism is a concept that doesn’t have an agreed upon definition, and it’s politically charged enough that some people will go nuts trying to over or under define it. It’s an unwinnable argument until we can come up with a definition, first. Though I think honest people know what it is, fairly easily.

The guy, who has ’soldier of allah’ on his business card, shouted ‘allah akbar’ while shooting people, so anyone disagreeing with the existence of a religious motive is simply dishonest.

This guy was a hermit and a weirdo, but we can’t get inside his head. It’s clear that Cyrus is not familiar with Islam. Shouting Allah Akbar is obviously a statement that Islam is the correct way of life. Therefore, he is telling people to ’submit’ to his way of life, as he executes non believers. That’s terrorism. I’ve looked at four definitions, and it meets each one. This cannot reach the level of proof, since we’re talking about his thoughts, but to say there’s no good evidence is quite strange.

Allah Akbar means something more than God is Great. It means a particular religious concept is the only one acceptable. Combined with violence, and it’s probably an attempt to coerce through violence.

By: DRJ

DRJ — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:37:20 +0000

Let’s set aside whether this was terrorism, Cyrus. Would you agree it appears Hasan killed because of his religious beliefs?

By: Cyrus Sanai

Cyrus Sanai — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:13:40 +0000

There’s no good evidence to date that Hasan is a “terrorist.” Mass murder, even mass murder that the killer believes is divinely ordered, is not terrorism.

Terrorism is a strategy and tactic which seeks a political goal, either a change in government policy or a regime change, through commission of indiscriminate public attacks.

Killing fellow soldiers just because one has decided that America is an enemy of one’s religion is, in and of itself, not terrorism. It may be genocide; it may be a hate crime; it may be treason.

Now, it could be the case that investigation will uncover some political aim, but so far it looks like this Hasan is more akin to his namesake Hasan Akbar, who is on death row for killing two fellow soldiers in Iraq.

By: Alta Bob

Alta Bob — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:06:25 +0000

From the “No Sh*t” Department. Actual LA Times headline:
“Fort Hood suspect’s contact with cleric spelled trouble, experts say”

Comment by MikeHu — 11/12/2009 @ 3:24 pm

What makes me laugh is that the times needed experts to come to this conclusion.

By: Fort Hood Shooter Charged with 13 Murders « Cynical Synapse

Fort Hood Shooter Charged with 13 Murders « Cynical Synapse — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:38:20 +0000

[...] US Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) spokesman announced “MAJ Nidal Malik Hasan has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder in connection with last week’s shootings at Fort Hood,” said Chris Grey, a CID [...]