In my first reporting on the Ft. Hood shooting I noted how counter-productive the Army’s regulations seemed in this particular case in which you had an officer desperate to leave the service but who couldn’t because of the service’s financial commitment to him.
NPR’s Liz Halloran has taken up a similar angle in a report on the use of conscientious objector status in similar situations. Apparently, Maj. Hassan contacted the Center on Conscience and War to ask whether the Army might honor such an application from him. The answer was negative for reasons explained in the NPR report. But what I found especially interesting was the Center director’s comment on the damage that was done in Ft. Hood because the service did not have a means to respond to this particular individual’s religious needs and convictions:
McNeil argues that if Hasan’s concerns about fighting Muslims had allowed him a different path in the military — even short of a conscientious discharge — last week’s events may have been avoided.”If he had been told that they were going to put a mark on his record, and keep him from advancing but never deploy him, they would have had an extremely well-trained psychiatrist still working for them,” she says, “and they wouldn’t have a bunch of dead bodies in Fort Hood.”
Is the army so desperate for cannon fodder that they would actually send an obviously mentally ill psychiatrist into combat?
Perhaps this will help answer that question:
The first question that comes to mind here is what kind of inhuman monsters would tear apart any mother, let alone a single mother, and an eleven month old infant FOR ANY REASON AT ALL, let alone to send the mother to a war zone half a world away? The rest of it, as appalling as it is, is just ancillary to that original outrage.
This is so irredeemably outrageous that I did not believe it when I first saw the headline, but Dahr Jamail is someone I know personally, and consider highly credible and reliable based on both past performance and my personal knowledge of his character.
Another article by Dahr Jamail
http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/790/1/
That’s what is happening in our military, that is what it has sunk to.
BTW, Dahr Jamail was subpoenaed in the case of Ehren Wadada, simply because he transcribed and published the transcript of one of Ehren’s appearances. In order to save Dahr (and Sarah Olsen) from their subpoenas, Ehren stipulated to having made the statements (Sarah’s was an interview). Those charges against Ehren were “set aside without prejudice”. Even though his first court martial ended in mistrial and subsequently he was not retried due to double jeopardy, those charges had been set aside and the army COULD have court-martialed him on those charges. Instead they dropped them. Dahr has been one of the leading reporters on resisters.
Notice that there was an option for Dr. Hassan? Yes, he would have faced court martial, but by God, there wouldn’t be 14 people dead AND this rush to painting him a “jihadist” with a backlash against Muslims in general.
There ARE options, there IS an organization and people who will help and support you. Please tell anyone you know who is in a place they don’t want to be in the military to turn to the proper resources. In Dr. Hassan’s case it may very well have saved lives.
“That’s what is happening in our military, that is what it has sunk to.”
I would suggest that this is simply the nature of the military, and it has always been this way. After all, the military is and always has been at its core an authoritarian and coercive body that either recruits or conscripts (mostly) normal young human beings, indoctrinates and trains them to be highly obedient and compliant professional killers and sends them to kill and destroy in the interest of the State. That is and always has been an extremely filthy, ugly, and inhuman business no matter what kind of nice, heroic gloss they try to put on it, and it necessitates a point of view and a set of attitudes and practices that are also filthy, ugly, and inhuman not only toward the victims of their attacks and invasions, but toward their own membership.
I agree Shirin, totally. I DO think however there was a time when it wasn’t as bad as it is now, when there was more “honor” than now (having said that I am a pacifist). Recruitment requirements have sunk drastically, and there is a definite sickening racism involved in these wars on Iraq and Afghanistan-a dehumanizing of the enemy (having said that also-one can refer to WWII and the dehumaninization of the enemy-heck-the Japanese were rounded up for internment camps on the West Coast–so-I do understand what you are saying and agree 100%–just pointing out how those who have enlisted are being treated which certainly is not glossy, pretty, or humane)
I hear what you are saying, Robin, and I wonder whether there was ever really a time when it wasn’t as bad as now, and whether there was ever any “honour”, or whether it is just becoming increasingly difficult to hide its true nature.
As for recruitment requirements falling, it does appear that way. On the other hand, not that long ago the military – or at least the Army – depended almost entirely on conscription, and I would think that this did not result in any higher quality, although there are probably factors there that I am not aware of.
As for dehuminization of the “enemy”, that is as old as militaries, and I really don’t think it’s a whole lot worse now than it was in WW I, WW II, Viet Nam (remember the “Gooks”?), Iraq I, Iraq II, or Afghanistan. Dehumanizing the “enemy” has always been SOP for militaries. It is one of the ways they make it OK for the troops to kill and abuse so many of them.
Allow me if I may to link here to the case of another in the military who sought CO status, was denied, court martialed and served an eight month sentence in Mannheim prison, Germany. NO, this man did not go off the deep end and kill anyone, but I am offering it (only one of the documents I was able to find on his case) so that you can see just what the military does to someone who comes up with this claim after entering. It is the case of Agustin Aguayo
http://global.law.duke.edu/student/act/mootcourt/docs/AguayoREHFIN.pdf
Now NPR is reporting that Dr. Hassan very likely called the Center on Conscience and War. Early reports after the Fort Hood shooting also stated that Dr. Hassan approached the imam at his mosque in Killeen asking him how he should counsel those who may have changed their minds about their commitment and willingness to deploy. In the conversation Dr. Hassan had with his imam the imam states that he told Dr. Hassan “There is something wrong with you”. Granted, the imam is stating Dr. Hassan seemed “disjointed” but was the question pertaining to how he should counsel those whose minds had changed a “wrong question” to ask? Absolutely NOT, because there are hundreds if not thousands of enlisted military grappling with this same question who have actually taken action themselves WITHOUT going off the deep end and killing. But many of these men have sought support from the RIGHT sources, ie IVAW or Courage to Resist.
Here’s the part of the NPR report that Richard is referring to:
“But Hasan’s stated desire to have the military carve out a special conscientious objector exemption for Muslims, and his pursuit of one for himself, likely would have ended before it started.
Why? Because Hasan’s singular focus was on an aversion to fighting Muslims, experts say, and not a proven, deeply held abhorrence to all war — no matter the circumstances or the enemy.”
Read the link above, see? The army also said that Agustin’s beliefs were iffy, but he was a true consciencious objector to all war.
NOW, with these narrow defintions which the military has put in place it is virtually impossible to get out of the military on CO status once you have enlisted, so it truly is a case of BUYER BEWARE. Having said that, the only course open to those wishing to get out of the military after enlisted due to WHATEVER moral/consciencious/religious reason, just about the only options are fleeing (hundreds of resisters in Canada) or face court martial, imprisonment, dishonorable discharge. In the case of Dr. Hassan, what IF he had been pointed in the right direction where he could have had support? What IF he had been listened to and not told, nope, your CO thoughts won’t work, “there is something wrong with you”.
So, Dr. Hassan sought to carve out a space where Muslims in particular could carve out a CO exemption in the case of fighting other Muslims. This was seen as something that couldn’t be done. I ask “why not?” If the person is stating their RELIGIOUS beliefs preclude them from deploying, doesn’t anyone think this should hold water WHATEVER their beliefs are? Certainly we see that there is an organization of Arab Americans Serving in the Military and the founder of that organization is Mulsim. He has not come to this belief, but Dr. Hassan DID. Report after report has stated that he experienced discrimination while in the military as well. Can anyone here possibly imagine him hearing things said by his patients of what they had witnessed from their fellow soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Heck, he more than likely heard stories similar to those told by Winter Soldier. Can anyone POSSIBLY put themselves in his place, the stress he was under, having turned to people for counsel and reaching a dead end? Does this excuse his actions? ABSOLUTELY NOT. However, with the reports coming out of how troubled this man was for a long time, it is also clear that the path he was on was also shared by the military-NO WAY OUT he thought, FORCED to deploy.
My point is that no where thus far have we seen reports that he turned to the organizations who MAY have been able to support him-again-I am not suggesting that it would have worked-but fact is-thus far we haven’t seen that he did. Perhaps he would have cracked anyway because his seemed to have been a bigger project-to carve out an exemption for Muslims. HELLO, I personally find this honorable that he was seeking to help others who were in the same boat as himself. Unfortunately, no, that isn’t a strong enough word, there are now 14 people dead because the military has their “policies”.
Fact is, the military once you are in makes it virtually impossible to get out. The military needs to RE-EXAMINE this policy, human beings are not robots who can be wiped clean of their own convictions in order to service a machine.
Again, please do not try to say I am making excuses for his actions, because I am NOT. This event I see as having far more nuance and factors which attributed to this disaster than what is being reported or commented on.
It is much easier to scapegoat Hasan and portray him as a terrorist or religious nut than to see that he snapped due to many complex factors, most notably extreme mental anguish. His cultural and religious beliefs caused him to identify with the “enemy” causing extreme spiritual and emotional difficulty. It appears also that the military doesn’t want to hear it, whether it is the plea of a young woman having to leave her baby or a man being forced to kill people he does not perceive as his enemies, but as his brothers under God. The military sees its soldiers as killing machines and nothing more.
Robin,
Under conscription, you are forced to serve in the military, immaterial of your personal beliefs. I have a lot of respect and admiration for people who are willing to take the consequences for saying, no I will not go to war and kill another human being who has done nothing to me and the survival of my country is not in question. For example, conscription applied during the Vietnam war and yet, the U.S.’ survival was not in jeopardy. I have a lot of respect for those who took a stand, back then.
Having said that, if you voluntarily join the army, you should be aware that you may someday be called to take part in a war you do not agree with. You should not be allowed to choose which wars you will fight in and which ones you don’t. You can’t run an army that way.
Every country needs an army for times of emergency and to protect themselves against outside aggression. I am grateful for all the young people who are willing to join. It was never my calling because I am much more of a pacifist.
Having said the above, if Hassan had been evaluated and it was determined that he was having a mental breakdown or some variation thereof. They should have done something for him. It was as much to their advantage as it would have been to Hassan.
“…if you voluntarily join the army, you should be aware that you may someday be called to take part in a war you do not agree with. You should not be allowed to choose which wars you will fight in and which ones you don’t.”
We definitely begin to part company here. I agree with the first part, especially since around 2004. However, people in the military have not only a right but a duty to refuse to follow illegal orders. They also have a personal duty to refuse to follow orders that require them to commit an immoral act. The basis of Ehren Watada’s refusal was that his investigation lead him to the conclusion that the invasion and occupation of Iraq are illegal, and he could not take part in an illegal action.
“Every country needs an army for times of emergency and to protect themselves against outside aggression.”
When was the last time the U.S. military was used to protect against outside aggression? More to the point, when was the last time the U.S. military was used as anything other than an instrument of U.S. aggression?
“I am grateful for all the young people who are willing to join.”
Not me. I would be grateful if the military were only used for its ostensible purpose of acting in emergencies, and protecting against aggression, but that has not been the case for a very, very long time. If any offspring or grandchild, or great grandchild of mine ever showed any interest in the military, I would tie them up, and lock them in a room until they came to their senses.
It is also the case that most of these young people you are so grateful to join mainly for economic reasons, often because it is their only option, and many, many of them are pursued relentlessly by recruiters who intentionally deceive them about what they are getting into.
Further, it is immoral to force a person to go into a situation in which they may be required to kill or participate in the killing of people with whom they feel an ethnic, or religious connection. And the very idea of forcing infants to be parted from their mothers for a year or more and live with whomever the mother can find to care of them is a huge outrage, and it violates everything family is all about. And no doubt many of these people who are so eager to rip infants out of the arms of their mothers are the very same ones who scream about family values and blame working mothers for everything that is wrong with the world today. Shall we talk about family values?!
Shirin,
I would never join the military and I do not support war crimes of any type, that is not what I’m suggesting. Of course you should abstain from killing civilian or carrying out any and all immoral act. That was not my point.
I’m not from a military family, I don’t know anyone in the military and no, I would not care for my children to be in the military, if I had any. But, yes, I do belive my country needs a military to defend itself and to come to the help of others, if asked. For that, people have to join, we don’t have conscription.
If you make the military, your career, you will go to war in place that you may not want to be. You may be a Jew and be asked to kills Jews, or Muslim and be asked to kill Muslims, etc… You can’t base your choice, on who’s ok and who’s not. Your decision should not be based on ethnicity but on whether the war is right or not. If that’s a problem for you, DON’T joint the military. Most wars that I’m aware of right now, are morally questionable. Again, you don’t agree with these wars, DON’T join the military, because otherwise you’re going to be pulled into them. If your country does not have conscription, stay out! If it does, and you are against it, be a conscience objector. That was my point. Go out in the street and protest.
I’m not warmonger. I’m not going to debate the value of war with you. You are not picking a fight with the right person here.
“I do belive my country needs a military to defend itself and to come to the help of others, if asked.”
I repeat: When was the last time the U.S. military was used to defend the country or to help others who asked for help (other than huksters and criminals like Ahmand Chalabi, that is?).
“you don’t agree with these wars, DON’T join the military, because otherwise you’re going to be pulled into them.”
When Major Hasan and many others joined the military the United States was not attacking, bombing, and occupying Arab or Muslim countries like it was going out of style. They are not psychics and could not have anticipated what would happen. It is wrong to require them to unwillingly participate in killing their own people.
And once again, you are ignoring many realities, including the manner in which recruitment takes place, which, as I said, is often unrelenting and deliberately deceptive. You are overlooking the age and level of sophistication of most recruits, not to mention the fact that many of them see it, especially now, as the only “job” they can get, and the only way to have a roof over their heads and food on the table. Perhaps you are also unaware of the heavy indoctrination that takes place even before they join the military, and the lies they are told about what these “wars” are about.
There are those who join the military with stars in their eyes thinking they will be helping to “liberate women”, or “bring democracy to the Eyerackians”, or “protect the country” only to find that reality is quite different. Once they come face to face with the ugly, bloody, filthy things they will be ordered to do to their fellow humans and other living things, and to the environment; once they find out that “helping others” really means killing, maiming them, destroying their lives and property, and the very physical and social structures that make human life possible it goes against every human impulse they have, and they are no longer willing to abandon their humanity and sell their souls in this way. They deserve the highest possible praise for having the courage to refuse to take part any more. They are the only real war heroes.
Thank you Shirin, for one of the best statements against the US military and its attendant mentality that I have ever read.
If the US were so concerned about domestic protection against invaders, why did they take so many National Guardsmen and send them to Iraq? I know of one man, age 52, who was a reservist and found himself getting shipped out to Baghdad.
The incredible sin of the military is that it lies to its members, sells them a bill of goods full of bluster about patriotism and freedom, when all it in fact does is further the interests of US corporations overseas. It takes advantage of the poor by promising free college education in exchange for military service. It flourishes at the expense of communities whose economies are hardest hit by recession and whose young people cannot find jobs to support their families.
The US military is a monster; it is about 100 times bigger than the next largest army in the world. It gobbles up tax money in a gluttonous frenzy while the American people can’t even afford decent health care and schools.
Shirin,
When I said that a soldier should not base their decision to fight or not, on ethnicity, I meant it in terms of, you can be sharing your ethnicity with millions of people. In order to be in the military, I believe you have to be a citizen of that country. You do owe loyalty to that country. At any time you can be a conscious objector. I will not be the one judging you as to whether you were right or not. You will be court martial, the result of it, I don’t know.
That is what a conscious objector is, they stand for what they believe in and are willing to take the consequences. We they refuse to take part in war crimes, immoral act, etc They get respect and admiration.
I’m not American, I don’t know their recruiting methods. They may be deplorable, but I can’t help you there. I don’t have solution for you.
Julie, conscientious objectors do not get court martialed, nor do they have to pay consequences. They simply get released from the military. However, it is not easy to be granted conscientious objector status.
As I said, the only war heroes are those who refuse to take part, like Augustin Aguayo, who refused to load his weapon the entire time he was in Iraq, and later refused to go back to Iraq for a second “tour of duty”; or like Ehren Watada; or like any of the by now thousands who have realized the truth, and refused to be part of the U.S.’s aggressions.
Julie,
You wrote: “Having said that, if you voluntarily join the army, you should be aware that you may someday be called to take part in a war you do not agree with. You should not be allowed to choose which wars you will fight in and which ones you don’t. You can’t run an army that way.”
Have you considered the manner in which the young people of our country are recruted? Can you say it is “voluntary” when the recruiting process is an excercise in deciet?
If you will, please read the following http://www.militaryfreeschools.org/
“Every country needs an army for times of emergency and to protect themselves against outside aggression. I am grateful for all the young people who are willing to join. It was never my calling because I am much more of a pacifist”.
I agree, every country needs an army for times of emergency and to protect themselves against outside aggression. My question is what is the “outside aggression” we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan? It has already been proven that we went to war in Iraq based on lies, yet we are still there. What now? Do you honestly believe that our military is there in an altruistic endeavor while the pockets of the military industrial mavens of our country (and Israel’s BTW because many of the weapons we use are purchased from jointly owned companies) are being lined with gold? It is not enough to say that in all wars there will be collateral damage. That is an abstract excuse for our wars of aggression. As for Afghanistan, if history has not taught us that Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires, then shame on us. Why is it that we as Americans can sob about 911 (rightfully so) yet not understand that it is HUMAN to fight for one’s own sovereignty? How can we not understand that Iraqis and Afghanis and ALL people have the same emotions about their own countries and foreign interferance that we do? Are we really that blind and non-listening? Are we really so brainwashed that a part of us believed Donald Rumsfield when he told us that we would be welcomed to Iraq and we still think that they should just say THANK YOU AMERICA, you have destroyed our country, it’s years later and gee,thank you for all you have done?
Unless Americans can but for enough time to understand, walk in the “other’s shoes”, we are a nation of hypocrites.
THIS is what I think was Dr. Hasan’s dilema, he COULD and DID walk in the “other’s” shoes, and the “other” is not our “enemy”-other than he does not accept our largesse in teaching them what they really should be doing, welcoming us with open arms, ignoring the “collateral damage” because after all it is for their own benefit.
No one is saying this, but I will. When I see a person in uniform, say at the airport or such, I cringe. Why? Because that person has volunteered and is willing to do the very things you yourself said they must do Julie, whatever the military tells them to do. Some are coming back scarred, some are coming back bragging about how many “ragheads” they killed. This is a FACT. When Dr. Hasan stated that he believes this is a war on Islam where do you think he got that idea from? Do you REALLY think it wasn’t based on things he has heard said about Muslims in general? My God, I don’t care how much Bush tried to say that the war isn’t any such thing, all you have to do is listen. What about the air force academy and their hooking up with Christian fundamentalists? Am I saying it is a war on Islam? My verdict is out on that one because I DO believe there are those in the military who have this as their agenda, but I certainly believe that it could be construed that way by someone, anyone, be they Muslim or NOT. Dr. Hasan committed a horrendous crime, and it certainly wasn’t up to him to open fire at this center, the center BTW where military write their last will and testaments. I PERSONALLY wish that I could talk these soldiers out of deploying. Would I do what Dr. Hasan did? Of course not! But that is very easy to say for me who is not a Muslim (not the reason he did it!) wasn’t discrimated against and heard discrimination day in and day out, treated those who told him horror stories. Think about it, is it really all that surprising this occurred when he had no way out and was being forced to deploy? There is a breaking point for most individuals. I think Dr. Hasan simply met his.
Again, I am not in any way justifying whatsoever what occurred. If the military leaves no room for conscience, then DO NOT JOIN unless you are willing to put that conscience on a back burner to be trained as a killing machine OR be willing to pay the consequences since those involve court martial and prison time. (Dr. Hassan joined the military long before 911 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan)
One question: What is the difference between alegience to the military/nation/nationalism with the willingness to kill others vs. allegience to your “faith”-as convoluted as it is with the willingness to kill others.
I personally see none. Imperialism is nothing more than secular conquest vs. religious conquest.
Dr. Hasan cracked, and if our nation as a whole does not ask why, we have lost the opportunity to work towards an understanding of humanity.
Robin,
I’m not going to repeat what I’ve already said to Shirin. Overall, I agree with you, other than I don’t believe that your reason to go to war as a soldier, should be based on ethnicity but rather on on whether the war is just or not. Again, if you have an issue with the wars currently being waged, don’t join the military.
I used the example of the Vietnam war because it was the best example I could think of but I’m not American, I’m Canadian. Our recruiting tactics are probably not that different. I’m not sure how deceitful the recruiting is but the reasons given, for your country or mine to go to war is based on misleading propaganda, and fear. Whoever we are to go to war with, any government will make absolutely sure we are convinced of how evil the other people are. Most people don’t believe their governments could be lying to them. I was never for the Iraq war or the attack on Afganistan because of 9/11.
AS for the young people that join the military, they may not realize how bad war can be, but I’m not totally convinced that they are naive about it. It’s too much in the news. It is a carreer choice.
PS I do believe that if you join the military by choice, you are expected to go where you are deployed. That does not mean that you can not take a stand and refuse to do an immoral act, but war is killing. There is a very high probability you will be responsible for the death of innocence people, even if the event that took place was not classified as a war crime. The question is, can you live with it.
“…I don’t believe that your reason to go to war as a soldier, should be based on ethnicity but rather on on whether the war is just or not.”
I don’t believe you are thinking empathetically at all. I wonder whether you would feel that way if you knew that you could be ordered to take actions that could cause the deaths of people who could very well be related to you.
“I do believe that if you join the military by choice, you are expected to go where you are deployed.”
Of course you are expected to do that, and are you saying that if you are ordered to take part in a war of aggression, you should just simply shut up and do it? If so, we certainly do not agree.
“There is a very high probability you will be responsible for the death of innocence people, even if the event that took place was not classified as a war crime. The question is, can you live with it.”
Julie, the question is secondary and totally meaningless if one can live with “it” or not. The question, or rather should I say fact is that your victim/victims are no longer living period.
If I may, if you aren’t familiar with him, suggest the “Blowback” series by Chalmers Johnson. Also, you brought up Vietnam. Go to google video and watch the longest version offered of “Sir, No Sir”. It was the military from within who put an end to our misdeeds there, those who were were not willing to service the military machine anymore when it was NOT defending our country, but rather was fighting only one of many (by this I mean other interventions by the US-CIA coups in Latin America, overthrow of Mousadaq etc.-propping of of dictatorships) of it’s imperialistic illbegotten wars.
As for those who enlist, the reasons are so numerous, financial, education, the idea that you ARE defending your country no matter what they tell you to do, an urge to participate yourself in the killing of the “enemy”, family tradition, and others. Problem is, your victim doesn’t give a flying fig leaf what YOUR reasons are, they are either occupied or DEAD.
I don’t think we should discount the character of the war itself. IMO only a dim Muslim would not see our foreign policy as a “war against Islam.” Then again, I think only a dim person would not see our foreign policy as a “war against human decency.”
I admire people who join the military out of a desire to protect and serve their country, but neither the war in Iraq or Afghanistan was waged to protect us, same as the war in Vietnam. When people blather on about how these soldiers are fighting for our freedom I want to puke all over myself. That said, again, the character of these wars is to drive a foreign population into submission for our own military and economic purposes, are steeped in chauvinism and racism, and there is nothing honorable about serving in either one of them. Soldiers are coming back scarred because they have been made to participate in acts of unspeakable violence against innocent civilians, and anybody who’s not a brainless shill can see that. Seriously. Is it any wonder that Nidal Hassan and others have been driven to the breaking point? To end this rant here’s a quote from Jiddu Krishnamurti: “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”
Here is the US District Court decision denying Agustin’s petition for CO status, wherein you can read their reasoning
(he was court martialed, served time in Manheim Prison, Germany and dishonorably discharged after he fled deployment, jumping out the window of his apartment in Germany when mps came there to force him to deploy-he fled to the US, turned himself in on the 24th day and was arrested in Los Angeles then flown back to Germany to stand court martial)
http://www.objector.org/files/35451190.pdf
AGAIN, I am not seeking to absolve Dr. Hassan of his actions, I am simply giving an example of another who sought CO status after enlisting and what occurred to him.
The trauma that his family went through over this is beyond horrendous. But they had SUPPORT. What Dr. Hassan had was a mixture of “nos” and seeking the WRONG solutions to his dilemma which resulted in this mass murder at Fort Hood.
This is the paneldecision against which Aguayo petitioned for rehearing by panel or en banc (link in your previous post). Has that petition been granted?
Fiddler, no, he was denied his CO status, was court martialled March 2007, although he had been held at Manheim prison since being returned there end of Sept 2006. He was released from prison with a dishonorable discharge in August 2007. He is currently residing with his wife and family (twin daughters-age 13) in Southern California. They went through HELL. They thought about fighting it up to the Supreme Court level, but honestly, I’ve lost track of the case and where it ended-just know he’s home and saw them last in Fall of 2007. I don’t THINK the case went further than that.
Here is a statement from a journalist, Louise Diamond, which really is food for thought, especially considering the fact his call to the Center on Conscience and War (if it was him) concerned carving out an exemption for Muslims serving in the US military in wars in Muslim countries.
“One recurrent theme in the reporting of the Fort Hood shootings is that Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan wanted out of a military that was fighting his co-religionists in Afghanistan and Iraq. If, in some upside-down world, the United States were ever to go to war with Israel, many of us would find it easier to understand if Jewish soldiers had difficulty fulfilling their duties, and would likely make some accommodation for those who conscientiously objected.”
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/78829.html
Fiddler (apologies for coming back, but I erred)-I thought he was released in August 2007 (probably because I saw him in Sep), but actually at his court martial in March he was ordered to serve 49 more days, so a total sentence of eight months-the judge granting him time served since he had been in Manheim prison since Fall 2006. He recieived a bad conduct discharge. Could Dr. Hassan have taken this road had he turned to the right resources and had support? We’ll never know……..it takes COURAGE to resist and face the consequences. Murdering your fellow soldiers certainly is not an option (death by cop as you inflict punishment against your percieved enemy-the US military-is obviously the tragic choice he made-however, he was only partially successful-YET-should he recieve the death penalty)