Althouse: Nidal Hassan had business cards identifying him as: "soldier of Allah."

November 12, 2009

Nidal Hassan had business cards identifying him as: "soldier of Allah."

"It doesn't say he's about to go out and shoot a bunch of people, but there's something not quite right for an Army major to self-identify that way."

75 comments:

Synova said...: "Onward Christian soldiers..."

Granted, the next line is "marching as to war" making it clear it's symbolism.

We'd probably sing the song more if it wasn't utterly impossible to sing.

(And yeah... if there were a bunch of people out there killing people in the name of the Christian God it might be a bit socially awkward and cause some employment problems.); 11/12/09, 8:47 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: He talked like a jihadist.. walked like a jihadist..

ah wait, wait .. lets not jump into conclusions now.

Permission to pull my hair out SIR!

wv - numas - roberto duran; 11/12/09, 8:53 PM
chickelit said...: It is heartening to see that the same conclusion hastily jumped to by others has finally been reached by the staid and trustworthy ABC.

Has any hasty conclusion jumped to regarding Hasan's affiliations been disproved yet?; 11/12/09, 8:54 PM
Penny said...: From the article, ""He was making no secret of allegiances," said former FBI agent Brad Garrett, an ABC News consultant."

Next thing we know, Hasan will have been a jihadi blogger with close ties to Charles Johnson, Matt Drudge and Glenn Reynolds.; 11/12/09, 8:59 PM
Meade said...: "Has any hasty conclusion jumped to regarding Hasan's affiliations been disproved yet?"

Just the one where he's suppose to be dead.; 11/12/09, 8:59 PM
traditionalguy said...: That was a lot of money spent on educating a soldier of Allah for seven years. The Onward Christian Soldiers song speaks about Jesus' victory on the cross "going on before", and then Christians stop and help you like the Salvation Army does instead of killing you like the cult of Mohammed does to propitiate the Allah god from Mecca for a few more hours.; 11/12/09, 9:00 PM
Meade said...: Dead and affiliated with 72 virgins.; 11/12/09, 9:01 PM
chickelit said...: Ha! That's why I snuck that "affliations" in there Meade.

Good comeback though. :)

wv: emelik "electric milk" in Dutch; 11/12/09, 9:05 PM
Elliott A said...: It is difficult to believe that this individual was allowed to serve in our military. If many people would not be confident that the individual in question could not "have their back", they plain don't belong. Talking to the enemy, sending money to unnamed people in Pakistan, etc. is not acceptable behavior for any member of the military, let alone an officer. That he wasn't shipped out long ago is on the heads of everyone who claimed him harmless or shirked responsibility because of some sick fear of offending Muslims. Sadly, it is a subset of Muslims, and no one else who is the enemy, so a little scrutiny of questionable behavior is not out of bounds. There are no Jewish, Christian, Wiccan, or atheist alQaida sleepers. It is time that the powers to be once again do their duty and place due diligence on the protection of every American from enemies foreign and domestic as stated in the constitution. This shouldn't have happened.; 11/12/09, 9:05 PM
rachel tot said...: "Islamist ideologue
Kill een, Texas

@ net prophet"; 11/12/09, 9:16 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: ".. but there's something not quite right"

That quote sounds like the Obama leak that his rejecting everything the generals are telling him they can do.; 11/12/09, 9:21 PM
ricpic said...: Islam is the enemy. Not a subset of Islam. Not a fringe of Islam. Islam. I can say it because I have no power. But notice that not one of the politically powerful dare say it. They are all dhimmi. Sharia is the law of the land.; 11/12/09, 9:23 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: What part of Islamo-terrorist doesn't anyone understand. Oh, yeah, terror and terrorism have been erased from the official government lexicon.

He was just an over stressed individual and needed help. That mean old bad military did not see this and he could not get the help he needed. He is a victim. The new face of military victimization. The new poster boy for PTSD.

Hope and change. Yeah, hope and change works real well. The only hope and change has been one of vocabulary and surrender.

SUCKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!; 11/12/09, 9:24 PM
Elliott A said...: The lefties are going to leave this thread alone; 11/12/09, 9:25 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Every Sunday after church and before Bible studies, a whole auditorium with bleachers filled with kids sang Onward Christian Soldiers Considering this was happening on a vast Air Force Base in a foreign country and half the people wore uniforms, the whole thing struck me as remarkably militant. (Our parents dropped us off then split and we were stuck there with the other kids. It's my suspicion they were having sex as it was pretty much the only time they ever had to themselves, but that's just a suspicion.); 11/12/09, 9:35 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: The uber-thoughtful and intellectually curious Obama is still baffled as to what this cat's motivation could have been.

Apparently, though, he was living in a $300 a month apertment and wiring money to Pakistan. I wonder if that's a clue.

Ah, probably not. There are some things we'll just never understand.; 11/12/09, 9:38 PM
rachel tot said...: Walter Reed Psych 101 (revised):

Guns don't kill, Islam (please delete) psychosis does; 11/12/09, 9:40 PM
Unknown said...: If his cards read, "soldier of the Third Reich", or, "soldier of the CSA", I think the result might have been different.

ricpic said...

Islam is the enemy. Not a subset of Islam. Not a fringe of Islam. Islam. I can say it because I have no power. But notice that not one of the politically powerful dare say it. They are all dhimmi. Sharia is the law of the land.

If we're talking Islam as ideology, I think you're right. There are probably a great many Moslems in this country who came here to get away from what Hasan and Mohammed Atta want to impose, but they need to distinguish themselves from that ideology.

Congwethman Fwank and the rest of the useful idiots may be used to the "America is the root of all evil" bit, but, in the Cold War, they could count on the fact that the Russkis didn't want to die any more than they did.

In this one, you've got an enemy ingenious enough, gutsy enough, crazy enough, and I-don't-give-a-damn enough to fly jetliners into skyscrapers. It doesn't matter how many guys you have on the roof with Stinger launchers. Even if the plane is hit, the wreckage is already on target. So they're scared purple and trying to cut a deal, just like the Euros 70 years ago.

And it won't work any better.; 11/12/09, 9:47 PM
David said...: I wonder if it galls anyone at the Washington Post, CNN or the New York Times that a lot of the story about Hasan and what was known about is being broken by National Public Radio?; 11/12/09, 10:15 PM
Bob said...: edutcher said: If his cards read, "soldier of the Third Reich", or, "soldier of the CSA", I think the result might have been different.

Yah, that nails it. If his card had said either one of those things, it wouldn't be just the common citizens "jumping to conclusions," the elites from the President to the MSM would all be doing the jumping.; 11/12/09, 10:16 PM
Beta Conservative said...: So what is the difference between this guy reaching out to Al Qaeda and a military officer in the 60's reaching out to the KGB?

Would anyone seriously have said "it's not illegal to talk to the Russians" at the height of the cold war?

America is at war with an ancient, barbaric group of extremists, and no amount of "nothing to see here" will make it go away.; 11/12/09, 10:30 PM
William said...: Romney goes out of his way to show that he has an utterly ordinary marriage and utterly ordinary views about marriage. Catholic politicians of all stripes go out of their way to state that papal doctrine does not influence their vote. Is it asking too much for American Muslims to express distance and alienation from some of their co-religionists around the world. I understand that they condemn the recent massacre, but that's not good enough. Why don't the moderate Muslims apply social pressure against retro members for their studied hostility to western norms? There are various minority groups in America that are unwilling to assimilate, but too many of the Muslims take it one step further and make their rejection of America a kind of religious principle. And the larger Muslim community tolerates them.; 11/12/09, 10:33 PM
former law student said...: More precisely, Nidal Hassan had business cards identifying him as "SoA." I'm going to go out on a thick sturdy branch and say that stands for "Servant of Allah," because a significant chunk of Muslim boys' names mean just that: Abdullah is the most obvious one. And "SWT" is something you say when you mention Allah -- a step up from "praise be unto him."; 11/12/09, 11:38 PM
former law student said...: What not to name your daughter, from a Muslim baby names website:

(3) From good manners is to avoid naming children with names which are suggestive or offend one's meaning of shame - such as: Huyaam (one passionately in love), Nuhaad (A young woman with full and raised breasts), Sahaam (summer heat)!, Wisaal (sexual union), Ghaadah (delicate young woman), Faatin (temptress), Fitnah (temptation), Shaadiyah (female singer) and names with similar meanings.; 11/12/09, 11:44 PM
Anonymous said...: Here's the reason for the MSM's reticence: Despite Obama's obeisance to the Muslim world (remember the Saudi bow and, really, what Christian refers to Jesus in Muslim fashion as "Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him)"--which is actually a denial of Christ's divinity), his distaste for American's military engagements, his demonization of a simple POW camp at Gitmo, his demotion of the GWOT, etc., etc., they don't want this obvious terrorist attack linked to O's failed policies.

Hasan, Hussein, whatever.; 11/12/09, 11:47 PM
Gabriel Hanna said...: So how's that pre-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-brought-on-by-listening-to-war-stories theory? Is anybody still peddling it?

I ask because I don't watch TV.; 11/12/09, 11:58 PM
former law student said...: which is actually a denial of Christ's divinity

At least Muslims believe that Jesus is the Messiah (al-Masih), which is of course more than Jews believe of Him.; 11/13/09, 12:01 AM
Jeff with one 'f' said...: The multicultural chickens continue coming home to roost.; 11/13/09, 12:02 AM
Anonymous said...: At least Muslims believe that Jesus is the Messiah (al-Masih), which is of course more than Jews believe of Him.

But Obama claims to be a Christian and yet in Cairo he referred to Christ in the Muslim manner. Weird, if not sinister.; 11/13/09, 12:10 AM
Methadras said...: former law student said...

which is actually a denial of Christ's divinity

At least Muslims believe that Jesus is the Messiah (al-Masih), which is of course more than Jews believe of Him.

Uh, no. Muslims believe Christ to be a profit, not the Messiah, since worshiping any other but Allah is heresy. Your infidel is showing.; 11/13/09, 12:15 AM
Methadras said...: What is it going to take for people in this country to understand that Muslims, even though they are 1 billion plus strong world wide and yet .6% of the American national population are going to become a significant problem in the future. If sub-humans like Hassan continue to take the jihadist path, then will the MSM become their willing human shields? So far the answer is yes.; 11/13/09, 12:17 AM
blake said...: Doesn't everyone have that on their cards?; 11/13/09, 1:11 AM
Fred4Pres said...: The sad part is we will never know if his Islamic faith played a part in all of this.; 11/13/09, 1:51 AM
Anonymous said...: I'm looking forward to Hasan's insanity defense, which will finally prove that one must be insane to be a Muslim.

Of course, such a demonstration would directly implicate the US Army, that is, officially designate insane recruits as the new norm. In fact, General Casey has already said as much - that the 14 Fort Hood deaths should by no means bar any Muslim from serving his master and murdering infidels.; 11/13/09, 2:09 AM
former law student said...: Nomilk: Obama's sole reference to JC in his Cairo speech didn't seem particularly Islamic to me: ... when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the story of Isra, when Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed (peace be upon them) joined in prayer.

You may not be familiar with the story of Isra; I wasn't either.

By the way, "Christ" means "Messiah." The dude's name is Jesus. It's like calling John the Baptist just "Baptist."

Methadras: Jews sure don't think the Messiah is going to turn out to be God. God is God, and the Messiah will be a man.; 11/13/09, 2:23 AM
Alex said...: But let's talk about Christian terrorists instead.; 11/13/09, 3:20 AM
Alex said...: Look at our liberals tie themselves in knots to explain this away. They're fucking pathetic!; 11/13/09, 3:20 AM
Cedarford said...: Meade said...
"Has any hasty conclusion jumped to regarding Hasan's affiliations been disproved yet?"

Just the one where he's suppose to be dead.
*****************
Another Meade gem. I really have come to enjoy his "pithiness"!

===================
FLS -
More precisely, Nidal Hassan had business cards identifying him as "SoA." I'm going to go out on a thick sturdy branch and say that stands for "Servant of Allah," because a significant chunk of Muslim boys' names mean just that: Abdullah is the most obvious one.

I'll keeo an open mind to that. Just like your previous defense of PTSD, which the "nuke Mecca" crowd of course instantly sneers at.

Despite eager efforts of Zionists and their lackeys to intantly spin this in the worst way, many Muslims do say "SoA" meaning servant of Islam, not soldier. Some say it meaning BOTH - that to be a good servant of Islam also entails duty to Jihad - being a soldier when circumstances dictate. There is some anecdotal reportage that Hasan did indeed use the "soldier" context to another couple of American troopers. So your "Servant" theory is in question, but worth keeping an open mind to...because many wish to make the narrative that of a guy whose calling card PROVES he was a Jihadist.

On the PTSD stuff, it may still come to be part of the defense, in respect to Hasan and other medical caregivers 1,000s of miles distant, still being impacted by the war trauma of their patients. (And that has a well-documented history. A "proxy" impact. First noted in medical journals in the US Civil War, then WWI) Hasan may well have treated soldiers that expressed hatred of Muslims for their injuries, as well as those mentally affected from killing Muslims they regretted having to kill - talking with him on occasions. About how the Muslims they killed or wounded mentally affected them. Or the impact seeing the effect of a Muslim IED had on American buddies.
(A nephew who served in Ramadi killed a woman and kid who ran a checkpoint in a car..and did see a counselor as well as his Vet relatives and buddies in platoon to sort that awful day out - among other awful days where Hajis had killed or wounded friends.)

===================
Fred4Pres said...
The sad part is we will never know if his Islamic faith played a part in all of this.

I tend to find those who assert "We will never know...." include a healthy body of people who are ignorant and as part of that assert their ignorance is a natural end state because the "truth of the matter is unknowable".
You do realize Hasan is alive and talking?
Now, his ACLU NYC-type lawyer may tell him to shut up, but investigations of his communications, tracing the money he wired, interviews with others, then Hasan himself at trial or if he wishes to "out himself as a faithful jihadist" - will get to the bottom of this. (Aside from what the FBI conceals in full CYA mode, as they did after 9/11 to ensure not a single agent was reprimanded, let alone disciplined..for what they failed to do in THAT debacle 8 years ago.); 11/13/09, 3:27 AM
Deb said...: "Why don't the moderate Muslims apply social pressure against retro members for their studied hostility to western norms? "

Because they fear the consequences. What does that say about Islam?

wv: troolu; 11/13/09, 4:14 AM
SGT Ted said...: On the PTSD stuff, it may still come to be part of the defense, in respect to Hasan and other medical caregivers 1,000s of miles distant, still being impacted by the war trauma of their patients.

Yes and it is complete horseshit. I served for 26 years, talked to dozens of Vietnam Vets, to include many bloody tales of death and destruction, but no PTSD until I was actually shot at. Thats how it works. He was a shrink, not a surgeon. The "trauma" of soldiers telling him war stories is trivial, seeing as how his reaction to this alleged "trauma" was to kill fellow soldiers. Yes, complete horseshit.

Also, using deathcult whacko Islamists to bash the Jews is whacko in and of itself. Hasans own words and deeds are proof enough. You are the fool denying the obvious in order to try and implicate unseen "zionists" in this. Fucking crackpot bullshit is what you spout.; 11/13/09, 6:13 AM
The Drill SGT said...: There are no Jewish, Christian, Wiccan, or atheist alQaida sleepers.

Let's be clear, there are some Israeli Sleepers, and more than a few Chinese ones, and I bet several Indians, as well as the old collection of Russians, and French, etc.

All intelligence services have agents in the US. Cause that is where the good secrets (those not yet printed in the NYT) are.

Would anyone seriously have said "it's not illegal to talk to the Russians" at the height of the cold war?

Not illegal, but still must be reported by any person holding a clearance. As in "contacts with persons from certain designated countries"

Russia, China, NORK, Iran, or Yemen for example.; 11/13/09, 6:13 AM
KCFleming said...: It is axiomatic that the first duty of any government is to defend itself and protect its citizens. A nation unable to do this will not long survive.

Neither will a nation unwilling to.; 11/13/09, 6:51 AM
Anonymous said...: Communism is a religion disguised as a political system.
Islam is a political system disguised as a religion.; 11/13/09, 6:57 AM
Issob Morocco said...: Insh'Allah Bukrit Malesch.; 11/13/09, 7:04 AM
TWM said...: "Why don't the moderate Muslims apply social pressure against retro members for their studied hostility to western norms? "

I read something on this recently. In Islam there is no room for debate or dissent or any opposing view of what is written in the Koran. To do so is to question Mohammad and that results in a very nasty death more often than not.

Compare that to Christianity where if you question the Bible all that happens is . . . well, nothing.

(And don't throw in the Spanish Inquisition or the Crusades - those were centuries ago - Islam hasn't change one bit and never will.)

This is why we are at war with Islam no matter how we wish we were not.; 11/13/09, 7:46 AM
Fred4Pres said...: Krauthammer asks, was it being in mental health or being a Muslim that made Hasan go on a rampage?; 11/13/09, 7:49 AM
Anonymous said...: This is where "Don't ask, don't tell" has brought us. I'm no expert on military matters, but it's my guess that they don't ask recruits if they're homocidal terrorists and recruits are under no obligation to divulge that character trait (flaw?).; 11/13/09, 7:54 AM
AlphaLiberal said...: Hunh. I was going to make a point about "Onward Christian Soldiers" but Synova, of all people, beat me to it.

if there were a bunch of people out there killing people in the name of the Christian God .

There are. They are in the US military. See the Air Force Academy. Also numerous accounts of religion mixed with military service, including commanding officers proselytizing
the rank and file.

You don't have to go far to find those who say we are a Christian nation at war with Islam.

Don't criticize the speck in your neighbor's eye....; 11/13/09, 8:01 AM
Jason said...: AlphaLibtard,

How dare you equate the systematic murder at Fort Hood with proselytizing at the Air Force Academy?

How dare you?

Are you really that far gone?

Really?

WV: Hell hath nofurry like a woman scorned. Damn that nofurry.; 11/13/09, 8:08 AM
Beta Conservative said...: Yes, he is that far gone.

If only the Major had publicly displayed the Ten Commandments, Alpha and his pals would have stopped him in his tracks.; 11/13/09, 8:16 AM
TMink said...: Please forgive the self-reference, but I made a little photshop that expresses my views of Nidal Hassan.

Give it a look if you wish.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmink/4093644450/

Trey; 11/13/09, 8:24 AM
Alex said...: AlphaLiberal - are you insane?; 11/13/09, 8:26 AM
Cedarford said...: SGT Ted on medical caregivers getting mental or physical maladies as a result of dealing with the wounded, dead, or mentally disturbed in war...

Yes and it is complete horseshit. I served for 26 years, talked to dozens of Vietnam Vets, to include many bloody tales of death and destruction, but no PTSD until I was actually shot at. Thats how it works. He was a shrink, not a surgeon. The "trauma" of soldiers telling him war stories is trivial...

I don't care if you served 30 years. You are ignorant of the historical record of medical caregivers developing their own symptoms in dealing with shell shock victims (WWI), maimed survivors of Civil War battles, even the mental health professionals.

In Vietnam, a large number of nurses and doctors developed PTSD, and part of the efforts of Generals in charge of the Nursing Corps, MD Corps in Army and Navy(Marines) - is to use strategies to deal with symptoms and causation factors before PTSD develops. The woman general in charge of nurses has discussed this issue publicly - and it wasn't just nurses and doctors in battlefield ORs but those back stateside dealing with the returning soldiers, sometimes months or years after the actual battlefield trauma.

And if you want to shift off "PTSD" to motive not necessarily excuse - the major may have found his grievance if not his PTSD in tales of patients he had to treat about how much they hated the Hajis that wounded them or killed their buddies or how regretful they were that they "took out several Muslim families" with a few bombs they called in on a position in Iraq.; 11/13/09, 8:26 AM
traditionalguy said...: AlphaLiberal...The point is seeing clearly that Islam is at war with the USA for its being a Christian nation. Major Hassan, in one way, was the most honest person in this whole mess. He kept trying to tell eveyone that Islam was not going to allow its members in our military to fight against Islamic conquests. Why that would be Islamic Treason. So when everbody refused to go there, the Major gave us all a big time reality check that only the NYT and liberals could continue to ignore. I realise that most liberals see being at war against Christian culture expressed in public is a normal part of life. And that is really an easy liberal gig in the USA whose leadership tends to be ashamed of our heritage of superstitious beliefs in the God revealed by the scriptures. Don't tell anyone, but Palin is SCARY on this issue too.; 11/13/09, 8:33 AM
Alex said...: C4 - you are disgusting. You are basically taking the side of the jihadists.; 11/13/09, 8:33 AM
Automatic_Wing said...: C4 - If we were talking about Maj Goldstein, Soldier of Zion, who massacred 13 soldiers while shouting Death to all Goyim! and Long live Israel! would you still be spouting your nonsense about PTSD by proxy?

Get real, dude. Even the MSM doesn't believe that meme, they just don't know what else to say.; 11/13/09, 8:35 AM
AllenS said...: I keep hearing about all of these Muslims in the Armed Forces. How many are actually Muslims, compared to black service members who simply changed their slave surname, and adopted Islam as their religion, but don't practice the faith?; 11/13/09, 8:37 AM
Jason said...: Yes, C-fudd. A large number of doctors and nurses developed PTSD. In Viet Nam. Treating trauma patients right off the battlefield. And watching them die, in too many cases. In pain, or turning ashen gray to white from shock and blood loss.

In case you missed the clue: They didn't develop it stateside prescribing anti-anxiety medications to jumpy veterans.

Here's another clue: When they got home, these doctors and nurses didn't go on shooting sprees.

The PTSD angle to explain or even mitigate Fort Hood is so stupid you can hang it out as intellectual flypaper to see who the morons are.

Oh, hey, look! We got one!; 11/13/09, 8:38 AM
Anonymous said...: There are no Jewish, Christian, Wiccan, or atheist alQaida sleepers.

Let's be clear, there are some Israeli Sleepers, and more than a few Chinese ones, and I bet several Indians, as well as the old collection of Russians, and French, etc.

Is the latter sentence supposed to refute the former sentence? A country isn't the same as a religion. There are Israeli Muslims, and there are a LOT of Indian Muslims.; 11/13/09, 8:40 AM
AllenS said...: Cedarford, have you been diagnosed with PTSD? Are you presently taking medications prescribed from the VA for it? It would help me understand where you're coming from.; 11/13/09, 8:42 AM
Alex said...: Israeli sleepers? That's news to me. BTW, an Israelis have never killed an American!; 11/13/09, 8:48 AM
TWM said...: "AlphaLiberal - are you insane?"

Well, he IS a liberal so . . .; 11/13/09, 8:49 AM
TWM said...: "How many are actually Muslims, compared to black service members who simply changed their slave surname, and adopted Islam as their religion, but don't practice the faith?"

I read recently that there are a little over 3000 Muslims serving in our armed forces. As to converts, well, I don't know about Islam, but I think that it is true in most religions that there is nothing more committed than a convert.; 11/13/09, 8:54 AM
Arturius said...: BTW, an Israelis have never killed an American!

Except for 34 Americans on board the USS Liberty, no the Israelis have never killed an American.; 11/13/09, 8:56 AM
Alex said...: Except for 34 Americans on board the USS Liberty, no the Israelis have never killed an American.

Yeah, keep flogging that nonsense. For the next 400 years.; 11/13/09, 8:58 AM
Arturius said...: Clearly historical facts are not your strong point.; 11/13/09, 9:20 AM
DADvocate said...: There's something not quite right about a psychiatrist identifying himself that way, either.; 11/13/09, 9:46 AM
former law student said...: There's something not quite right about a psychiatrist identifying himself that way, either.

Taken by itself, that seems no more ominous than a psychiatrist with a Jesus fish on his business card -- that would weird me out a little too, but at least it gives one a heads-up.

Did I defend PTSD-by-proxy? The point I wanted to make is that nuts are attracted to the study of the mind. Although spree shooters may have a motive -- witness the Luby's Cafeteria killer in nearby Killeen -- usually they kill because they're psychopaths. Their feelings alone matter -- the harm it works on the victims and their families does not. School shooters taking revenge on the popular and on the cute girls that never looked at them, etc.; 11/13/09, 10:38 AM
Anonymous said...: FLS: By the way, "Christ" means "Messiah." The dude's name is Jesus. It's like calling John the Baptist just "Baptist."

It seems that FLS hasn't darkened the door of a church in, oh, ever. "Christ" is the universal title given Jesus by Christian--and has in fact become a kind of proper name.; 11/13/09, 10:39 AM
TMink said...: Soldiers do not tell their traumatic stories to psychitrists, they tell the to psychologists or social workers. Psychiatrists ask about symptoms so they can prescribe and monitor medication. They do not have the time or inclination to listen to stories. That is the way it works in the private sector, that is absolutely the way it works in the service.

This excuse is, as Sgt. Ted said, horse shit.

Trey; 11/13/09, 11:00 AM
William T. Sherman said...: What scares me is the thought of how many more Hassans are in our military, just waiting for that summons to heaven. Authorities missed so many obvious signals that this guy was an atrocity waiting to happen. Who else have they missed, and is anybody now going through the ranks looking for Jihad Joes?

For some reason I doubt it.; 11/13/09, 1:34 PM
Aridog said...: All the remarks here about Hasan's PTSD by transference being horseshit are dead on the money. It doesn't work that way. I, too, have a military background (enlisted in 1968, etc.) and later worked as a DA Civilian dealing with Field Grade and Flag Rank oficers.

What did happen, however, is the administrative side of the military decided he was a problem. And they passed the buck.

As a Captain with 6 years in grade, it is likley he was passed over once for promotion to Major. But he was a problem at WRMC so what to do? Why promote him and transfer him out to Ft Hood, of course, where others could keep track of the loon. WRMC witnesses have already said this explicitly.

No one wanted to be the one who outed the clown, so they used the old up and out tactic...up to Major and out of WRMC...someobdy else's problem now. Their problem solved, yes, and 13 people dead and 40 odd wounded down the road.

Frankly, this aspect of the officer corps needs changing. I've worked with Colonels I'd follow in to harms way (again), but the ratio has been about 1 in 5. The rest would have done exactly as Hasan's superiors did at WRMC. I feel to puke.; 11/13/09, 2:06 PM
TMink said...: It just hit me, I have been working with PTSD for 19 years. It has not caused me trauma to help people get past their trauma. Part of the criteria for PTSD is that you are in danger or believe yourself to be in danger. Sitting in the room with people who have been hurt and helping them is not dangerous.

Trey; 11/13/09, 2:10 PM
a psychiatrist who learned from veterans said...: Hasan had an 'Allah is love' bumper sticker on his car. Somebody scratched it and got kicked out of the apartment building. Imagine what would happen to you if you had an 'Allah sucks' bumper sticker.

Regarding the 'Allah is love,' you gotta admit the guy generates a hell of a bear hug. Personally, I'm gonna be disappointed that the Muslims are unlikely to have the Jewish cajones to follow up his exploit with a Muslim Rambo psychiatrist series. Hasan could be in a remote location perhaps with a Cheney looking guy in a monkey cage plotting to drop Thorazine in the water and then have the stiff men injected with Viagra and attacked by 72 virgins. The possibilities, as they say, are endless.; 11/13/09, 11:11 PM
ali naqvi said...: Outstanding post...really stunning cards
idea..!!!!!; 4/13/13, 12:19 AM