Fort Hood's Major Hasan

  By Florida Bill  

                                                    A whole lot of Americans question the use of the death penalty in a civilized society.  However, there seems to be one case where the death penalty has been imposed,  and even the most steadfast opponents of the punishment are applauding. 
                                                    That is the case of army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who slaughtered 13 persons, mostly fellow soldiers, and wounded 32 other persons in an Islamic explosion of gunfire in an assembly hall in Fort Hood, Texas. The killings occurred on November 5, 2009, just eight years ago.  The incident is regarded as the worst case of mass murder on an army base in United States history. 
                                                    It took four years, until 2013, to bring Hasan to trial and he was convicted and sentenced to death in August of that year. There were all sorts of unnecessary fumbles and delays in bringing Hasan to trial.  Many months were consumed as the military court sought to determine if Major Hasan could wear an Islamic full beard in the courtroom in violation of army rules.  (He couldn't and the judge finally ordered that he be shaved).  Initially, the Obama administration sought to have the killings classified as "workplace violence," and that too contributed to delays. 
                                                    Now, four years following imposition of the death sentence, Hasan, 47, awaits execution as mandatory appeals are argued on his behalf.  The appeals go forward even though the defendant admits his crime.  He declined to offer a defense at his trial, and does not cooperate in the appeals with his appointed attorneys. He actually desires that the sentence be carried out expeditiously as a demonstration of his Islamic martyrdom. 
                                                    His court appointed attorney has said the appellate process is lengthy and will involve military appeals, appellate courts, a tangled web of federal courts and then the U.S. Supreme Court.                                                                                                                                                           Hasan is a paraplegic as a result of gunshot wounds to his spine during his capture.  He is imprisoned at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas where he receives daily sustenance and medical care.  Until his conviction, he received his pay as an army major, and it amounted to approximately $300,000 which, it is presumed, was sent by Hasan to his friends in the Middle East. 
                                                   Major Hasan is an American born son of Palestinian immigrants. He is medical doctor, a psychiatrist, educated at the expense of the government. From his initial days as a soldier, his conduct raised concerns about his loyalty to his country, in view of his radical Islamic beliefs which he reportedly wrote and spoke out about.   His radical behavior was known to superiors and fellow army officers but he was judged by supervisors and by the FBI to be "not a threat." 
                                                  He maintained a steady correspondence with Anwar al-Awaki, a radical cleric in Yemen known for his incendiary, anti American teachings. The Imam, who was a principal spokesman for ISIS,  coached Hasan in the tenets of Islam religion.  The cleric was sought on an American warrant, and he was killed in 2011 in an American directed drone attack on his residence in the Middle East. 
                                                  Following his conviction and sentencing, Hasan sent a letter to ISIS chief, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, letting him know that it will be "his honor" to join the Islamic caliphate;  and a six-page letter to Pope Francis praising Islamic jihad with his acronym signature SoA (Soldier of Allah). 
                                                  Some four years have now passed as judges review the mandatory appeals of the Hasan death sentence. Mandatory appeals of a death sentence in a military case can consume many years.  The requirement is somewhat baffling particularly in the Fort Hood case in which the defendant has acknowledged his culpability, and will not cooperate with his appointed appellate attorneys, and  in fact seeks to waive appeals. 
                                                   Since World War II, 147 members of the military have been executed. The last was in 1961 when a private was hanged for rape and the attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl. All were put to death for committing murder and/or rape with the exception of one, Pvt. Eddie Slovik, who was executed by a firing squad in 1945 for desertion. 
                                                    With Hasan, there are four other prisoners on death row at Fort Leavenworth.                                                                        xxx