Tag Archives: fort hood

Report: Fort Hood Attack Enabled by Political Correctness

As noted at the Christian Science Monitor,

A Senate report on the Fort Hood attack suggests that the Army failed to heed warnings about the prime suspect because it was wary of singling out a devout Muslim.

The article and report seem to implicate that a fear of being accused of racial profiling may have discouraged pursuing what should have been “red flags.”  (This has long been discussed.)  The Senate solution:  Call it what it is.

The enemy — Islamist extremists — must be labeled correctly and explicitly, the report said, in order for the military Read more

Former DoD IG Warns on Chaplain Vetting

Former Department of Defense Inspector General Joseph Schmitz has reportedly written a letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein (Chair of the Intelligence Committee) highlighting concerns with Chaplain-vetting in the US military.  He particularly emphasized the Islamic Society of North America and Louay Safi, whose direct role with the US military has been discussed here before.  (The investigation of Safi by NCIS was apparently handed to the Army, who dropped it because he was a civilian.)

Interestingly, this is not the first time this issue has been raised.  In fact, the Army’s report on the Fort Hood massacre made similar implications.

Via the Army Chaplaincy blog and FoxNews.

The Moral Wounds of War, Good and Evil

Chaplain (Cmdr) Gordon Ritchie addresses an infrequently discussed but increasingly important subject in today’s military:  the moral wounds of war.

In a time in which suicides are on the rise and the military is seeking moral leadership, something that often gets left out is the “moral injury” to those who must wage war at the call of their country.

The character of man recognizes, even if unconsciously, the incongruity of the value of life and the necessity of death in war.  Solace is found in knowing that one’s Read more

Military Base Hosts See You at the Pole

Religious freedom in the armed forces — something the US military takes very seriously — sometimes goes beyond the servicemembers that most are apt to think of.  In the case of Fort Hood, Texas, it also applied to the children.  As noted by the Army news release:

Students and staff from Fort Hood’s Smith Middle School took part…in an event known as “See You at the Pole” Sept. 22.

SYATP is an annual, student-led global day event that draws students from across the world to their school’s flagpoles to pray for their nation, schools, students and teachers, according to the website.

More than 20 students and faculty members took part bringing their own prayers and a group prayer.  Read more

US Soldier Calls Training “Propaganda Against Islam”

SPC Zachari Klawonn, who has previously voiced vague complaints of mistreatment in the military because of his Islamic faith, recently gave an interview to the Arabic language channel of al Jazeera.  The segment was reportedly titled “The Right In America Declared War On Islam Inside and Outside America.”  In the interview, Klawonn has nothing positive to say about the US military — even as he wore the uniform on-screen:

Interviewer: …How can you be talking about suffering when the military establishment claims that it is the most open toward minorities toward women, and toward all those who suffer in society in general?

Zachari Klawonn: …The reality is that there is a sense of Islamophobia and there is a big misunderstanding of the Islamic faith and that contributes to people’s negative notions coming into the military.  Also the training we get and the information we are subject to constitutes propaganda against Islam.

He also demurred, again, when asked to specify how he had been mistreated:

Interviewer: …Can you give us some examples of the harassment you are talking about, which you experienced personally?

Zachari Klawonn: Sure, I received numerous disrespectful comments and even harassment to my personal property from an array of soldiers, even in some instances from the command itself.

Interestingly, according to CNSNews, Klawonn “informed” his commander Read more

US Military Muslims Called to Arms by Terrorist

Anwar al-Awlaki, the Muslim cleric associated with Maj Nidal Malik Hasan and the massacre at Fort Hood, has apparently called on US military Muslims to “follow the example” of Hasan.

“What Nidal Hassan did was heroic…and I call on all Muslims serving in the US army to follow his path.”

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the US is actively hunting Awlaki; he is reportedly on a “capture or kill” list.

Hasan May Face Death Penalty

Maj Nidal Malik Hasan’s attorney, John Galligan, has told the press he has received notice the military plans to present evidence of “aggravating factors” to the Article 32 hearing which will determine the judicial course of the case.  According to Galligan and others, the only reason to include such factors would be to support a capital sentence.

Hasan faces 13 counts of premeditated murder, among other charges.

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