"Allahu Akbar": Ft. Hood General Says Hasan Shouted "God Is Great!" Before Shooting (VIDEO)

FORT HOOD, Texas -- The base commander at Fort Hood says soldiers who witnessed a shooting rampage that left 13 people dead reported that the gunman shouted "Allahu Akbar!" before opening fire at the Texas post.

Lt. Gen. Robert Cone told NBC's "Today" show on Friday that suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, made the comment, which is Arabic for "God is great!" before the rampage Thursday that also left 30 people wounded.

Military officials say they are still piecing together what may have pushed Hasan, an Army psychiatrist trained to help soldiers in distress, to turn on his comrades.

Cone says Hasan was not known to be a threat or risk.

Hasan was shot four times during the rampage. Cone says he is hospitalized in stable condition and that military officials will interrogate him as soon as possible.

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Comments

[Marjiecanuck]

Muslims allegiance is to Islam. Democratic / secular countries should accept this and have military enrollment policies accordingly or face the consequences. It is unfortunate that every terrorist / violent act by muslims is justified by even the so called moderates , citing the crime was commited because of the victimization of the perpertrator or Muslims at large .
There are non muslims poor and suffering ,all over the world, but they dont have a daily indoctrination of how they are the victims at the hand of non believing fakirs who want to destroy Islam . Its this kind of brainwashing./ preaching that is the cause of violence. Why should Islam presume every man / woman is born a muslim , Why cant Islam preach muslims to love all human beings ?
Historically Islam has spread from aiwith violence and coercion, and this violence will never end.

[ohiomark]

Whether Major Hasan was a part of a terrorist group or just an "Army of One", this still should be treated as a terrorist attack.

Having said "Allahu Akbar" and being a Muslim is just part of the puzzle.

Tim McVeigh, also a member of the military, was considered a terrorist and his deed was a terrorist attack.

Stop being so "politically correct" and call it what it was.

[knerd]

I have to concur with Michael Moore on this one.
After a shooting like this it's very important that no one jump to conclusions and take out any revenge against doctors or phsychiatrists.

[ibsteve2u]

Me, I think the genius at the Pentagon who assigned Hasan as a PTSD counselor for soldiers returning from Arabic lands should leave the military's employ and run for President in 2012 on the Republican ticket with Palin as his or her running mate.

[slvrfox857]

I think it should be noted that the vast majority of people who carry out these types of attacks are white, and other than Klebold and Harris, I have never, ever, ever seen the media report what the shooter shouted as he began shooting. Why now? This will only feed hysteria about Muslims.

[radscientist]

Wow, really? Apparently, you've never watched coverage of another mass-shooting besides Columbine. They ALWAYS report every word these killers utter before and during the attack in attempt to shine a light on why they committed such a heinous attack. Many of them remain stoic during the assault, but it not uncommon for a killer to speak, and what they say generally informative about their state of mind and motive.

[radscientist]

And so do you think it should be noted this guy is white too?

[biggduude]

Assuming this report is correct and assuming that he was motivated by jihad, this highlights the same problem our troops face every day. There is no effective way to distinguish between a peaceful muslim and a jihadist until it's too late. Much the same problem our soldiers faced in Vietnam.

[ibsteve2u]

Tell that to the Republicans...they think that it doesn't matter what religion or ethnicity anybody is; once you buy them, they stay bought.

Wrong.

[mheister]

Does the US military require its psychiatrists to be in regular counseling? This is SOP in the civilian world, because the emotional stress of the profession is well-recognized within the profession.

If it doesn't, that's where the lapse occurred. If it does, then those protocols need to be re-evaluated in light of this this man slipping through the cracks.

[Smirk]

Good point.

[ccoppe]

If I hear or read another media report about how this man was "harrassed" I am going to puke. There is nothing that can mitigate what he did. NOTHING!

My father was one the first corps of African-American officers in President Truman's post-World War II integrated Armed Forces. Harrassment doesn't begin to describe what he went through. On one occassion, two Mississippi rednecks enlisted men attempted to beat him up as he walked back to his base from town in Korea. Unfornately, they didn't know of his training as an infantry combat instructor. Needless to say, they lost big time.

That was the only time my father found it necessary to defend his life from brother soldiers. However, there were many more challenges throughout his long and distinguished military career where he had to assert his right to promotion. He did it by hard work and excellence in leadership that garnered him the loyalty of his troops and the admiration of his commanding officers.

This man, Hasan, is a coward. He was never a soldier or an officer. These are not labels or titles. They represent a state of mind. His family is ill-advised to continue voicing the meme that his personally perceived harrassment may have contributed to this murderous rampage. They must resolve themselves to this fact: Your son and brother is a monster. He used his religion as an excuse to harbor resentment, hide his cowardice and harm his brother and sister soldiers.

[evil goat]

This was a fantastic post.

[Memphis Blues Again]

Hear hear! Thank you to your grandfather for his service to our country. I'm sorry for what he had to go through. I agree. Hasan is a coward.

[ibsteve2u]

While I understand your anger and outrage at these deaths, ignoring the cumulative effects of harassment is done at the peril of our entire society.

From shootings in our schools that our the consequence of bullying, to violent retribution for racially-based harassment, to sexually-based harassment in our military academies...NO individual, young to old, is immune to the effects of constant harassment.

People flip, given enough pressure...it is a well-known consequence. Yes, I agree he shouldn't have done it for ANY reason...on the other hand, if he WAS constantly harassed, then there are others who are NOT guilt free.

[TexanSimms]

If I was harrased to the point I couldn't take it anymore, I'd probably kill myself first before I killed anyone else. And.............I would sort of snap, rather than prepare for it by giving out my personal effects to others including my book of worship.

[ccoppe]

I find it impossible to muster sympathy for this man.

He had every advantage within the military system and our society. In fact, his ability to go to a southern university like Virginia Tech he owes to people like my father and mother. They absorbed the bitter stings of racism and hatred, quietly insisting on their full rights as citizens of this country. He stands on their shoulders. Without them and millions of others across the racial spectrum of American society. Hasan would have had little or no chance of receiving an undergraduate degree at Virgina Tech -- it would still be a segregated institution of higher learning.

The only thing about this man I can perceive is that he refused to stand up for himself when faced with instances of resistance or harrassment. He chose victimhood and failure -- despite the advantages of education and class afforded him by his position in the military. He had no use for the concept of "soldiering on." He is just a coward -- cloacked by an advanced medical degree and an officer's commission -- who brought sorrow to the Army family and this country.

[SeesBeyond]

Great post!

[Rosewren]

Your father was probably mentally and emotionally stable but this doctor doesn't come across that way. Red flags were waving about him months perhaps even years ago but they were actions taken or said to different people at different times and perhaps were never looked at collectively. Lots of people who have known mentally impaired people are stunned when that person breaks down and does something horrible. But when they look back they can see the warning signs that may have been too subtle to notice by themselves at the time. Plus mentally healthy people don't go about evaluating other people's actions as to whether they are signs of mental instability.

[ibsteve2u]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/06/earlyshow/main5549394.shtml

[bq]
Lt. Gen. Robert Cone told "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith said officials had not yet confirmed that the suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, made the comment, which is Arabic for "God is great!" during the rampage Thursday, which also left 30 people wounded, including the gunman.

"Did he say anything as he was carrying out this act?" Smith asked Cone.

"There are reports, unconfirmed, that he was saying, 'Allahu Akbar," ' Cone replied.
[eq]

Everybody needs to wait for the investigation to reveal and and all facts that may be more pertinent than hearsay evidence.

[ceez]

send all of them packing back home!

he was a silent cell infiltrated in our military. God knows how many more.

[foxisms]

Perhaps that is what you are being led to believe.

[mheister]

While we're at it, can the Native Americans send all these disrespectful European invaders back home too?

[ibsteve2u]

Can I stay? I think I can find some native Americans to vouch for me...

[foxisms]

Touche'!

[TexanSimms]

Your ignorance shows.

[AmbientDiscord]

great - how about we just put all the Christian fundies on an island with the Muslim fundies and they can work things out without bothering the rest of us.

[Momklok]

Don't make the mistake of hanging the title extremist only on people of faith. The world is home to all kinds of wackos, and they don't have to be long to a religion to be full of hatred.

[ibsteve2u]

I would concur. The whackos will change religions, if they find one that offers them more opportunities to express their hate.

[AmbientDiscord]

i didn't say everyone with religion. just keep it away from me.

[Intelligentia]

"The base commander at Fort Hood says soldiers who witnessed a shooting rampage that left 13 people dead reported that the gunman shouted "Allahu Akbar!" before opening fire at the Texas post."

I want the soldiers who were on the scene to tell us what happened, not second hand information. The General was not on the scene, so his statement is hearsay. Nevertheless, the key issue for me here is the attempt to smear all Muslims. I see this leading to a connection to Iran. By the time next week is out, they would be telling us on CNN and other News Networks that he is an Iranian agent so we should bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. This is simply an individual who lost his equanimity for whatever reason and went on a rampage. Because in this country people fabricate things to fit their respective twisted agenda, I won't believe anything they say until I hear from people who were present on the scene and from this man's family members. More Americans will be killed today around the United States by Christians than the 13 who died in Fort Hood. The fact that this man is a Muslim does not change the fact that within any religion, you have killers. This is a tragic event and nobody attempt to manipulate it into a hate all Muslims fest. By the way, I am not a Muslim, so this is not a self-serving sentiment.

[foxisms]

Poplation isn't the only thing put in lock down in a situation like this. Information itself is, until such time as "official statements" can be "established", approved and diseminated to the public.

[ChangeTheRide]

Agreed. I still have many questions regarding this incident. There were many reports initially of shots being fired after the gunmen was supposedly killed and that there were multiple gunmen. They also reported that the shooters were wearing military fatigues. But Hasan was wearing his Muslim outfit that morning as broadcast on CNN. There were reports of two other suspects being taken into custody and then released. Hasan allegedly used two hand guns, most likely each having 15 rounds per clip, so how did he kill and or injure over 40 people with 30 bullets? Did he have time to reload? There are reports of friendly fire, who else was firing? What the hell actually happened there?

[Momklok]

But it looks very much like you are trying to turn it into a hate Christians fest.

[HHarvey]

It will be interesting to see what other witnesses had to say other than the general. I'm sure all kinds of misinformation will be flying around the country.

[FullOnReality]

well gee freakin whiz. is anyone actually surprised?

[foxisms]

Is there a news reliable news source anywhere that allows open and free comment postings?