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.” – Dana Priest, Washington Post
The backdrop of this story plays out today during the Fort Hood memorial ceremony, which Pres. Obama attended.
You know a military subject has reached a tipping point when Dana Priest writes about it. Today she takes on the latest chapter in the developing and very disturbing story of Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, by offering a specific event that should have sent of alarms.
Since news started to rise about Hasan’s Muslim faith, right-wingers immediately went off without the facts or substance behind his story. The latest from Juston Elliott, who has a report that one of them is calling for a “backlash against” Muslims. Well, at least he didn’t call for a “crusade.” While Sean Hannity takes over from where Jerome Corsi left off, blaming Obama.
But even in the ensuing confusion, one thing is very clear. Somebody inside the Army missed the signs, which became clear almost immediately, even before the rest became known.
…in late June 2007, he stood before his supervisors and about 25 other mental health staff members and lectured on Islam, suicide bombers and threats the military could encounter from Muslims conflicted about fighting in the Muslim countries of Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a copy of the presentation obtained by The Washington Post.
“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,” he said in the presentation.
“It was really strange,” said one staff member who attended the presentation and spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the investigation of Hasan. “The senior doctors looked really upset” at the end. [...]
Political speeches like Hasan reportedly made, by the very nature of the culture, are explosive inside the military.
Were the signs ignored because of the sensitivity of the subject matter? Because Hasan was Muslim talking about a radioactive issue? Or did the Army simply not know what to do because of political correctness? Gear up, people, this is the world now.
But wingnuts aren’t the only ones taking advantage of the Hasan Fort Hood tragedy. It seems Joe Lieberman is going to use it as a way to shine the light on his Homeland Security Committee in order to keep his chairmanship. Grandstanding to come.
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