Fort Hood gunman Nidal Malik Hasan warned of potential inside attacks by Muslims in U.S. Army
The mad major who killed 13 people at Fort Hood reportedly told senior Army doctors Muslim soldiers should be released as conscientious objectors to avoid "adverse events" in fighting other Muslims.
In late June 2007, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, then a senior psychiatric resident, delivered a lecture to supervisors and about 25 other medical staffers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center about threats the military could expect from Muslims fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Washington Post reported.
"It's getting harder and harder for Muslims in the service to morally justify being in a military that seems constantly engaged against fellow Muslims," Hasan said in the presentation.
"It was really strange," one staffer told the newspaper. "The senior doctors looked really upset."
A Walter Reed spokesman declined comment.
It is unclear if anyone reported the briefing to intelligence or law enforcement authorities, the Post reported.
Hasan's hour-long, 50-slide PowerPoint presentation was part of a regular Wednesday series of lectures by residents. Other residents had lectured on new medications and treatment of specific mental illnesses.
Hasan spent six years at Walter Reed as an intern, resident and fellow beginning in 2003. He was transferred to Fort Hood as a practicing psychiatrist in July and reportedly dreaded his upcoming assignment to Afghanistan.
Hasan's lecture, was titled "The Koranic World View As It Relates to Muslims in the U.S. Military."
One slide suggested ways to draw out Muslim troops: "It must be hard for you to balance Islamic beliefs that might be conflicting with current war; feelings of guilt; Is it what you expected."
On the conclusions page, Hasan wrote: "Fighting to establish an Islamic State to please God, even by force, is condoned by the Islam," and that "Muslim Soldiers should not serve in any capacity that renders them at risk to hurting/killing believers unjustly..."
The final page, labeled "Recommendation," contained only one suggestion: "Department of Defense should allow Muslims [sic] Soldiers the option of being released as 'Conscientious objectors' to increase troop morale and decrease adverse events."
Psychiatrists who worked with Hasan at the Walter Reed were troubled by his work. The hospital's director of psychiatric residents, Scott Moran, discussed trying to kick him out of the program because he consistently underperformed, NPR News reported Tuesday.
One key official told NPR the hospital's policy committee, which oversees residents, got reports that Hasan had tried to convert a patient to Islam, telling the patient his religion would save him. Supervisors warned Hasan he needed to improve his performance.
Moran would not comment.
One source says the Policy Committee also discussed that it might be a bad public relations move to remove one of the few Muslims from their program.
With News wire services
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