Finally. Justice at Ft. Hood

"On Friday at the central Texas base, 42 of Hasan’s victims will receive a Purple Heart and two will get the Defense of Freedom medal: former Ft. Hood Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley and the late Army Reserve Capt. John Gaffaney, a former colleague of Platoni’s."

Wonder where all the protesters were when this injustice was going on for all these years?

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83250862/

The T word vs. the B word

"On Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013, the United States Department of State announced the designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). Boko Haram first carried out terrorist attacks in 2009, and Ansaru splintered from Boko Haram in 2012. The Department of State’s announcement of the official designation notes several highly lethal recent attacks carried out by Boko Haram and Ansaru against both domestic and international targets in Nigeria."  (START)

So it's OK to use the T word again. As far as I know, the Ft. Hood shootings by Major Nidal Hasan are still workplace violence, denying the victims important benefits. Because we all, rightly so, assumed the government would be taking care of them and their families, there wasn't even special fund raising on their behalf. It's the B word. Betrayal.

The brothers Tsarnaev

People are being quick to judge the current administration for failures to apprehend the Tsarnaev brothers before they assembled their arsenal and bombs (in a state with strict gun control). I'll wait (surprise!). There are hundreds of plots foiled that we never hear of. It's a huge country; there are big cities; and how watched do we want to be to prevent this?

That said, if our media were more diligent and less worried about offending some ethnic group, and if they they took their eyes off Sarah Palin and the Tea Party once in awhile, they might actually be a help in protecting us. It makes me yearn for the days of the Watergate investigation and the Bush derangement syndrome. With the way the MSM portrays this country, sometimes I wonder if they are a hate group trying to discourage immigrants from coming here so they can hang on to all the good jobs.

And if the Obama Administration had not been so careless about classifying Ft. Hood and the recruitment office killings, it might have been able to send a stronger message about what the U.S. security forces would tolerate.

I really don't think you can learn explosives and bombs just using the internet. It takes some practice and support. Most people can't even light firecracker flares without getting hurt. I hope the FBI, DHS and police don't follow the President's reasoning that this is over. They've found the YouTube videos, and these aren't the only young men flexing their hatred for America.

Ft. Hood is named for John Bell Hood, the worst general in our history

Today I was reviewing the various shooting and stabbing tragedies of the past year or two (all the perps were liberals/progressives or immigrants not conservative tea party types about which our media continues to warn us). The crazy lady professor who murdered her colleagues over a promotion incident; the guy who shot up a recruiting office; the Pakistani Times Square bomber; the blonde blue-eyed stabber of the NY cabbie who had served with a Christian peace and justice group, etc. So that took me to the Fort Hood shootings by a Muslim doctor who murdered 13. Then I thought, "Surely they didn't name a military facility after the worse general of the Civil War, did they?" Yup.

I'm obviously no expert on the Civil War, but last week was "Civil War Week" at Lakeside, Ohio, and I attended two presentations by Mel Maurer of Cleveland who spoke on the Battle of Franklin. And yes, Ft. Hood is named for the guy who would have lost the war for the South, if it hadn't already been lost. Is that why we have a military base named for him?

"John Bell Hood destroyed the Army of Tennessee. After bleeding it dry fighting the Yankees around Atlanta- attacking a foe that was superior in numbers and entrenched, he marched away from the main threat to the South- General Sherman's Army of the Tennesse. He then launched an ill-considered offensive into central Tennesse. When his army failed to destroy the Yankees at Spring Hill, in true political general fashion, he blamed his troops.

He then decided to attack the Yankees at Franklin. Again, they were entenched. With only one battery of artillery in support, he ordered a frontal assault. Good soldiers they were, the men of the Army of Tennessee advanced, and almost took the town, thanks to their courage and Yankee blundering. But the Yanks soon stopped the advance and slaughtered the Rebs. A Union battery commander remembered two sounds- the discharge of cannister and a split second later, the sound of bones breaking.

The Yanks retreated to Nashville. Although his troops were tired, hungry, and outnumbered ( though he didn't know it at the time), Hood laid siege to the city. When Union General Thomas attacked, the Confederate lines were too thin to stop the assault. The Army of Tennessee broke and many were killed or captured covering the retreat.

As they retreated to Alabama, many of the Rebel soldiers had no shoes. It was winter, and the temperature was about 10 degrees F. I don't have a lot of sympathy for the rebellion, but I feel for those guys. Barefoot in that weather is a horror.

When Hood got back to Alabama, there were about 6,500 effectives in his army. They numbered over 20,000 when the offensive began. Once again he blamed his soldiers for the failed offensive." Armchair General

General Hood had one useless arm, and an amputated leg from war injuries. He was either very brave or very crazy; he had to be tied in his saddle. He was probably out of his mind with pain and high on pain drugs. But his record in battle is still shameful, and he led many Americans to their death.

NOTE: The above excerpted piece is NOT from Maurer but from "Armchair General," a site on the internet.

But how would it look?

Mark Steyn on the decisions not made. Thirteen dead--fourteen counting the baby.

"Two joint terrorism task forces became aware almost a year ago that Major Hasan was in regular e-mail contact with Anwar al-Awlaqi, the American-born but now Yemeni-based cleric who served as imam to three of the 9/11 hijackers and supports all-out holy war against the United States. But the expert analysts in the Pentagon determined that this lively correspondence was consistent with Major Hasan’s “research interests,” so there was no need to worry. That’s America: Technologically superior, money no object (not one but two “joint terrorism task forces” stumbled across him). Yet no action was taken.

On the other hand, who needs surveillance operations and intelligence budgets? Major Hasan was entirely upfront about who he was. He put it on his business card: “SOA.” As in “Soldier of Allah” — which seems a tad ungrateful to the American taxpayers who ponied up half a million bucks or thereabouts in elite medical-school education to train him to be a Soldier of Uncle Sam. In a series of meetings during 2008, officials from both Walter Reed and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences considered the question of whether then-captain Hasan was psychotic. But, according to at least one bigwig at Walter Reed, members of the policy committee wondered “How would it look if we kick out one of the few Muslim residents?” So he got promoted to major and shipped to Fort Hood.

And 13 men and women and an unborn baby are dead." . . .

" “Diversity” is one of those words designed to absolve you of the need to think. Likewise, a belief in “multiculturalism” doesn’t require you to know anything at all about other cultures, just to feel generally warm and fluffy about them. Heading out from my hotel room the other day, I caught a glimpse of that 7-Eleven video showing Major Hasan wearing “Muslim” garb to buy a coffee on the morning of his murderous rampage. And it wasn’t until I was in the taxi cab that something odd struck me: He was an American of Arab descent. But he was wearing Pakistani dress — that’s to say, a “Punjabi suit,” as they call it in Britain, or the shalwar kameez, to give it its South Asian name. For all the hundreds of talking heads droning on about “diversity” across the TV networks, it was only Tarek Fatah, writing in the Ottawa Citizen, who pointed out that no Arab males wear this get-up — with one exception: Those Arab men who got the jihad fever and went to Afghanistan to sign on with the Taliban and al-Qaeda. In other words, Major Hasan’s outfit symbolized the embrace of an explicit political identity entirely unconnected with his ethnic heritage.

Mr. Fatah would seem to be a genuine “multiculturalist”: That’s to say, he’s attuned to often very subtle “diversities” between cultures. Whereas the professional multiculturalist sees the 7-Eleven video and coos, “Aw, look. He’s wearing . . . well, something exotic and colorful, let’s not get hung up on details. Celebrate diversity, right? Can we get him in the front row for the group shot? We may be eligible for a grant.” "

Someone didn't connect the dots in federal-state partnership

Tip lines and 250 agencies can't take the place of old fashioned common sense.

"Innovative Anti-terror Information Sharing: Maryland’s Federal, State, and Local Partnership Model," Chapter 11 in Safeguarding Homeland Security; Governors and Mayors Speak Out was just released Sept. 18. 2009. Former Maryland Governor Robert Erlich wrote about how Maryland was connecting the dots through an innovative federal-state partnership, but they seemed to have slipped up on Maj. Hasan who lived, worked and worshipped in Maryland.

Chapter summary: Maryland created the first fusion center which collects and analyzes disparate data or information to try to “connect the dots” to prevent acts of terrorism. The public is encouraged to provide information through a “tip line.” The Center has federal, state, local, and private sector participation representing 250 agencies or organizations. The Maryland Center is led by members of all three levels of government. A principal objective of such a fusion center is to develop a pattern of cooperation and information sharing.

Maj. Nadil Hasan had communicated 10 to 20 times with Anwar al-Awlaki, an imam released from a Yemeni jail last year who has used his personal Web site to encourage Muslims across the world to kill U.S. troops in Iraq. No formal investigation was opened into Hasan. Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said it was his understanding Hasan and the imam exchanged e-mails that counterterrorism officials picked up. Hoekstra requested that the CIA, FBI, NSA and DNI preserve all documents relating to the Fort Hood attack and related matters for potential investigation by Congress, so this isn't swept under the rug as just some demented soldier going crazy.

Dr. Val Finnell a former classmate of Hasan in Public Health (in Maryland) says Hasan was always focused on another subject. "He would frequently say that he was Muslim first and an American second. That came out in just about everything he did in the university," said Finnell. Hasan would become visibly upset when people challenged him about his beliefs, but no one ever thought he would resort to such violence.

"Instead of being investigated and punished for his treasonous behavior, political correctness assured that Hasan was fast-tracked through the Army ranks and allowed to continue as a psychiatrist treating soldiers returning from the front.

Political correctness is a lie employed by liberal elites to preserve myths about favored groups. It is sold as a way to ensure that society treats people fairly. But it is actually a derangement whereby normally lucid people disregard inconvenient truths and willfully reject facts to avoid confronting uncomfortable realities.

On Meet The Press last Sunday, Army Chief of Staff General George Casey now infamously said about Hasan’s rampage, “As horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that’s worse.” Gary Bauer

Did she say what I think she said?

"On Tuesday, that heavy task [of facing grieving Americans] fell to President Obama. At a memorial service five days after the largest mass killing on a U.S. military base, he reached for words of sorrow and solace, then summoned determination." Ann Gerhart, WaPo, Nov. 11

Yes, I think she just called it. He's a cold, cold caricature of a caring person, of a decent, warm human being. He reached, couldn't find it, so he just went on with banalities. As a eulogist and comforter, he flunks. That speech combined with his bizarre behavior last week at the news conference in which a stunned nation waited while he just announced more wealth redistribution and gave shout outs, have pretty much confirmed that we've got President Robotic Obama in office. Nothing will detract him from his agenda or his focus on himself.

Atlantic and NYT, ever the apologists, ever the big O cheerleaders, swooned over this cold collection of dead words and slipped in their own spittle.

Sensitivity vs. stupidity; fairness vs. foolishness

Apologists and victimologists for Nadil Hasan who can only find evil motives on the Christian far right could benefit from Eugene Robinson's column today. He says there's a difference between being sensitive and being stupid, and apologists are actually hurting American Muslims by refusing to see that the military had plenty of warning about this guy and dropped the ball.

• He had told people of his serious doubts about U.S. military campaigns
  
• He made no secret of his reluctance to serve in Afghanistan
  
• Army doctors told their superiors of their concern about his divided allegiance
  
• Fellow officers had complained about his anti-american rants
  
• He was possibly a follower of a radical cleric.

And if you've been following the story you know there were more speculations, some being investigated, others being buried.

If you disagree, please contact Mr. Robinson, eugenerobinson@washpost.com

A shocked nation watches Obama's reaction to Ft. Hood

"President Obama didn't wait long after Tuesday's devastating elections to give critics another reason to question his leadership, but this time the subject matter was more grim than a pair of governorships.

After news broke out of the shooting at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas, the nation watched in horror as the toll of dead and injured climbed. The White House was notified immediately and by late afternoon, word went out that the president would speak about the incident prior to a previously scheduled appearance. At about 5 p.m., cable stations went to the president. The situation called for not only his trademark eloquence, but also grace and perspective.

But instead of a somber chief executive offering reassuring words and expressions of sympathy and compassion, viewers saw a wildly disconnected and inappropriately light president making introductory remarks. At the event, a Tribal Nations Conference hosted by the Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian affairs, the president thanked various staffers and offered a "shout-out" to "Dr. Joe Medicine Crow -- that Congressional Medal of Honor winner." Three minutes in, the president spoke about the shooting, in measured and appropriate terms. Who is advising him?

Anyone at home aware of the major news story of the previous hours had to have been stunned. An incident like this requires a scrapping of the early light banter. The president should apologize for the tone of his remarks, explain what has happened, express sympathy for those slain and appeal for calm and patience until all the facts are in. That's the least that should occur . . . "Robert George NBC Chicago

More and more this man is daily showing what he truly is. Aloof, uncaring, unamerican.

President and Mrs. Bush quietly went into Ft. Hood today to visit and console the wounded. The Bushes entered and departed the sprawling military facility in secret, having told the base commander they did not want press coverage of their visit. Class act, as usual. If and when the Obamas visit, it will be all about him.

What CNN calls investigative reporting

Supposedly, this is "drilling down" for the real Ft. Hood story. An account of a visit to the facility in June. What's he looking for? Stress, people waiting in lines, medical exams. No wonder Fox scoops them on everything. What a snooze.

And Bob Greene rambles on and on about fog.

And could the shooter have been suffering from "vicarious traumatisation?" HLN's Christi Paul talks with a psychologist about why the Ft. Hood gunman, a psychiatrist, couldn't see he needed help. "I know cardiologists who smoke!" says the doc in trying to explain why someone would do irrational things. Yes, Anything but the obvious, folks.

Liberal media checks the pulse of conservative first

Newsweek's blog is checking all the conservatives sites to see if any are offering crazy, anti-islamic thoughts about the Ft. Hood shootings. The one that makes the most sense and nails the libs perfectly isn't exactly argued with, only quoted--Victor Davis Hanson who argues that Americans' understanding of Islamic terror has not progressed in the last eight years and needs to be updated.

In other words, the narrative after 9/11 largely remains that Americans have given in to illegitimate "fear and mistrust" of Muslims in general. A saner approach would be to acknowledge that there is a small minority of Muslims who channel generic Islamist fantasies, so that we can assume that either formal terrorist plots or individual acts of murder will more or less occur here every three to six months.

And then there's the issue I raised yesterday after watching Obama's press conference in disbelief

The National Review's Jonah Goldberg poses perhaps the most interesting political question, wondering aloud about Obama's slow response to the shootings yesterday, and questions whether Obama's famed coolness could become a political liability by coming across as aloof and uncaring.

I haven't found their assessment of the liberal media--the ones who don't use the M word.