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Prosecution rests case against Fort Hood shooter

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U.S. military prosecutors concluded their case Tuesday against Major Nidal Hasan, who faces the death penalty for gunning down 13 of his comrades at a Texas military base in 2009.

Hasan, who has conducted his own defense and does not deny the killings, was to have an opportunity to sum up on Wednesday and a verdict could come later this week.

The 42-year-old Virginia-born army psychiatrist has said that he carried out the shooting spree at the Fort Hood army base in defense of his Islamist ideals.

The case is being tried at Fort Hood in front of a jury of 13 army officers.

His attack raised fears that the United States could face a wave of so-called "lone wolf" killers, inspired by al-Qaida but not directly under the extremist group's control.

"I was defending my religion," Hasan said in a letter to AFP, arguing that the United States was wrong to invade Muslim countries.

"It is one thing for the United States to say 'We don't want Sharia law to govern us,' but it is not acceptable to have a foreign policy that tries to replace Shariah law with a more secular form of government."

Under U.S. military law a full trial must be held in a death penalty case, even if the defendant wants to plead guilty.

But Hasan chose to defend himself and contested virtually none of the evidence presented during the two-week court martial.

At the outset, Hasan declared: "The evidence will show that I am the shooter."

He told the court he had switched sides in the war on terror in order to wage a battle against U.S. soldiers he believed would attack Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His court-appointed legal team has argued that, far from seeking to defend himself, the major is actively pursuing the death penalty.

The defense team attempted to intervene on the second day of the trial, asking the court to allow them to distance themselves from the case or take over Hasan's defense outright.

Their request was rebuffed, and if prosecutors are judged to have proved that the attack was premeditated then the death penalty remains on the table.

Testimony from more than 90 witnesses recounted how Hasan opened fire on soldiers at a crowded waiting station where soldiers undergo routine medical tests prior to deployment.

Hasan himself had recently learned he would be deployed to Afghanistan.

Witnesses described a macabre and chaotic scene in which dozens of soldiers were caught off guard.

When the shooter shouted "Allahu akbar" -- Arabic for God is great -- and opened fire, many believed it was a training exercise.

Several described the methodical nature of Hasan's attack, picking strategic points that gave firing lines to both exits of the facility.

It allowed the major to fire at a rapid pace, hitting some victims multiple times. One of the dead, Specialist Frederick Z. Greene was hit 12 times while charging Hasan.

The shooting ended after civilian police confronted Hasan outside the building.

Former Fort Hood police officer Kimberly Munley was the first police officer on the scene and opened fire on with the shooter.

Hasan charged Munley and shot her three times. Fellow officer Sergeant Mark Todd then arrived and opened fire on Hasan.

Todd hit Hasan multiple times, leaving the major paralyzed from the chest down.

© (C) 2013 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

5 Comments
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Its too bad he is making this about religion. Americans and especially American soldiers won't get the message.

And no, I am not trolling you. Each and every soldier who puts on a uniform is responsible for whatever wars their country is waging at that moment. If that was is irresponsible and reckless, you don't even get the collateral damage excuse for civilian deaths. Iraq and Afghanistan were wrong from the start and it was obvious to anyone not blinded by misbegotten and false patriotism.

And if this was terrorism, its the same brand of terrorism the U.S. military is sowing overseas, what with invading countries with no declaration of war. Hassan is the chicken that came home to roost.

-11 ( +1 / -12 )

You'd have to be as crackers as major Hassan to claim this isn't about religion...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Its also about religion. It is possible have multiple motives. Westerners emphasize nations and Muslims emphasize religion. But there is a lot of overlap even with those.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Nidal Hasan - nomen est omen. I beg for mercy for such kindergarten murderers, life sentence is enough. Why must ask, why the u.s. army employs and arms such “Allahu akbar" minded boys. One cannot be a "psychiatrist" and an "islamist" at the same time. There is a fault in their current system.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Calvin: Its too bad he is making this about religion.

What would you prefer he make it about?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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