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Author Topic: Shooting at Ft. Hood Texas 11/05/09 13 dead, 43 wounded-(Murder Charges)  (Read 730127 times)
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« Reply #520 on: November 09, 2009, 05:47:48 PM »

Fort Hood Suspect Communicated With Radical Cleric, Authorities Say
   
By DAVID JOHNSTON and SCOTT SHANE
Published: November 9, 2009

WASHINGTON — Intelligence agencies intercepted communications last year and this year between Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who is accused of shooting to death 13 people at Fort Hood, Tex., and a radical cleric in Yemen known for his incendiary anti-American teachings. But federal authorities dropped an inquiry into the matter after deciding that the messages warranted no further action, government officials said on Monday.

Major Hasan’s exchanges with the cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, once a spiritual leader at a mosque in suburban Virginia where Major Hasan worshipped, indicate that the authorities were aware of Major Hasan before last Thursday’s deadly rampage, but did nothing. It is not clear what was said in the exchanges, believed to be e-mail messages, and whether they would have offered a hint at the major’s outspoken views or his increasingly troubled emotional state.

The communications, which were the subject of an inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Army investigators, provide the first indication that Major Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was in direct communication with the cleric, who on Monday praised the major on his Web site, saying he “did the right thing.”.

Depending on the content of the communications, the disclosure of the government’s decision not to take any steps against Major Hasan could provoke criticism of the F.B.I. and Army investigators for missing possible warning signs that might have stopped a mass killing.

But federal officials briefed on the case said they were convinced that their decision to break off the investigation was reasonable based on the information about Major Hasan that was compiled at the time, which they said gave no indication that he was likely to engage in violence.

The officials said the communications did not alter the prevailing theory that Major Hasan acted by himself, lashing out as a result of a combination of factors, among them his outspoken opposition to American policy in Iraq and Afghanistan and his deepening religious fervor as a Muslim.

Mr. Awlaki said Monday on his English language Web site that Mr. Hasan was “a hero.” The cleric said, “He is a man of conscience who could not bear living the contradiction of being a Muslim and serving in an army that is fighting against his own people.”

He added, “The only way a Muslim could Islamically justified serving as a solider in the U.S. Army is if his intention is to follow the footsteps of men like Nidal.”

Mr. Awlaki, an American citizen born in New Mexico to Yemeni parents, invites comments or questions from visitors to his Web site, www.anwar-alawlaki.com, which includes an e-mail form under the heading “Contact the Sheikh.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/us/10inquire.html
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« Reply #521 on: November 09, 2009, 06:03:42 PM »

Video: Hasan Lawyer: 'Going to Protect All His Rights' The Associated Press

Hasan Lawyer: 'Going to Protect All His Rights'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3bIne_1zzU&feature=player_embedded
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« Reply #522 on: November 09, 2009, 06:12:54 PM »

Video: Hasan Lawyer: 'Going to Protect All His Rights' The Associated Press

Hasan Lawyer: 'Going to Protect All His Rights'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3bIne_1zzU&feature=player_embedded
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« Reply #523 on: November 09, 2009, 06:15:34 PM »

Lawyer asks investigators not to question Hasan




By MIKE BAKER (AP) – 57 minutes ago

KILLEEN, Texas — A lawyer for the Army psychiatrist accused in a deadly shooting spree at Fort Hood said Monday he asked investigators not to question his client and expressed doubt that the suspect would be able to get a fair trial, given the widespread attention to the case.

Retired Col. John P. Galligan said he was contacted Monday by Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's family and was headed to an Army hospital in San Antonio to meet Hasan.

"Until I meet with him, it's best to say we're just going to protect all of his rights," Galligan said.

Hasan, 39, is accused of opening fire on the Army post on Thursday, killing 13 people and wounding 29 before civilian police shot him in the torso. He was taken into custody and eventually moved to Brooke Army Medical Center, where he was in stable condition Monday and able to talk, hospital spokesman Dewey Mitchell said.

Galligan said he didn't know if Hasan had been medically cleared to talk.

"There's a lot of facts that still need to be developed, and the time for that will come in due course," he said.

Authorities won't say when charges would be filed or if Hasan would face military justice.

Galligan questioned whether Hasan could get a fair trial in either criminal or military court, given President Barack Obama's planned visit to the base on Tuesday and public comments by the post commander, Lt. Gen. Robert Cone.

"You've got his commander in chief showing up tomorrow," Galligan said. "That same kind of publicity naturally creates an issue as to whether you find a fair and impartial forum, whether that's in the military or even if it were in a federal forum."

Authorities say Hasan fired off more than 100 rounds at a soldier processing center. Fifteen victims remained hospitalized with gunshot wounds, and eight were in intensive care.

Authorities continue to refer to Hasan as the only suspect in the rampage, but they have said they have not determined a motive. A spokesman for Army investigators did not immediately respond to calls and e-mails seeking comment Monday.

A radical American imam living in Yemen who had contact with two 9/11 hijackers praised Hasan as a hero as a hero on his personal Web site Monday.

The posting on the Web site for Anwar al Awlaki, who was a spiritual leader at two mosques where three 9/11 hijackers worshipped, said American Muslims who condemned the Fort Hood attack are hypocrites who have committed treason against their religion.

Awlaki said the only way a Muslim can justify serving in the U.S. military is if he intends to "follow in the footsteps of men like Nidal."

"Nidal Hassan (sic) is a hero," Awlaki said. "He is a man of conscience who could not bear living the contradiction of being a Muslim and serving in an army that is fighting against his own people."

Two U.S. intelligence officials told The Associated Press the Web site was Awlaki's. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence collection. Awlaki did not immediately respond to an attempt to contact him through the Web site.

Hasan's family attended the Dar al Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Va., where Awlaki was preaching in 2001. Hasan's mother's funeral was held at the mosque on May 31, 2001, according to her obituary in the Roanoke Times newspaper, around the same time two 9/11 hijackers worshipped at the mosque and while Awlaki was preaching.

The Falls Church mosque is one of the largest on the East Coast, and thousands of worshippers attend prayers and services there every week.

Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, outreach director at Dar al Hijrah, said he did not know whether Hasan ever attended the mosque but confirmed that the Hasan family participated in services there. Abdul-Malik said the Hasans were not leaders at the mosque and their attendance was normal.

Fort Hood officials said the country's largest military installation was moving forward with the business of soldiering. The building where Hasan allegedly opened fire remains a crime scene, but a processing center is scheduled to reopen Thursday in a new, temporary location.

Command Sgt. Maj. Arthur L. Coleman Jr. said Monday that reopening the center is an important step in returning the Army post to normal. Cone said the post stepped up security, including suspending visits by the public, largely to reassure the population that the sprawling base is safe and won't "become a battlefield."

Associated Press writers Angela K. Brown, Allen Breed and Jeff Carlton at Fort Hood; Michelle Roberts in San Antonio; Pamela Hess, Eileen Sulivan and Devlin Barrett in Washington; Ben Nuckols in Baltimore; Matthew Barakat in McLean, Va.; and Ahmed al-Haj in San-a, Yamen, contributed to this report.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ihGepAkECGoDagETVBMpPb3w7Y3gD9BS96PO2
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« Reply #524 on: November 09, 2009, 06:23:24 PM »

U.S. had al Qaeda intelligence on Fort Hood shooter

Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the U.S. Army doctor identified by authorities as the suspect in a mass shooting at the U.S. Army post in Fort Hood, Texas, is seen in this undated handout photo from a pdf file of the U.S. Government Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences downloaded on November 6, 2009.

REUTERS/Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences/Handout

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence agencies learned an Army psychiatrist tried to contact people linked to al Qaeda and they gave the information to federal authorities before the man allegedly went on shooting spree in Texas last week, U.S. sources said on Monday.

It is unclear what federal law enforcement authorities did with the information.

Thirteen people were killed in the Fort Hood shooting by the suspected gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a Muslim born in the United States of immigrant parents.

(Reporting by Adam Entous; Editing by Arshad Mohammed and Chris Wilson)

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE5A85DK20091109
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« Reply #525 on: November 09, 2009, 06:24:28 PM »

IMHO I am sick and tired of ( insert criminals name) "wont get a fiar trial. Well duh DONT commit a high profile crime. Does not take a rocket scientist to figure out if you go on a shooting rampage on the worlds LARGEST military base, your goona get in the news..You get in the news the world is gonna KNOW what you did.. Further MORE if you attack our heros and warriors, the trial is gonna be hard!??! I say a big fat duhhhhhh!! So what because the criminal is STOOOOOPID we just say oh ok, poor you. Do a better job next to conceal your muderous rage!?!?!
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« Reply #526 on: November 09, 2009, 06:34:25 PM »

Was Hasan Inspired by a Radical Imam's Online Sermons? - TIME
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1936973,00.html

Prejudice, Denial and Fort Hood

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704402404574525520882850920.html

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« Reply #527 on: November 09, 2009, 07:02:03 PM »

IMHO I am sick and tired of ( insert criminals name) "wont get a fiar trial. Well duh DONT commit a high profile crime. Does not take a rocket scientist to figure out if you go on a shooting rampage on the worlds LARGEST military base, your goona get in the news..You get in the news the world is gonna KNOW what you did.. Further MORE if you attack our heros and warriors, the trial is gonna be hard!??! I say a big fat duhhhhhh!! So what because the criminal is STOOOOOPID we just say oh ok, poor you. Do a better job next to conceal your muderous rage!?!?!


It is my hope that Hasan is not tried under the military. Here is why:

Death penalty cases rare, difficult in military

12:00 AM CST on Monday, November 9, 2009

By MICHAEL A. LINDENBERGER / The Dallas Morning News

If history is any judge, the Army will find it difficult to impose the death penalty on the accused killer in the bloodiest mass shooting on a U.S. military base in history.

Military experts say Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is almost certain to face capital charges before an Army court-martial. But they warn that death penalty cases are so rare in the military, and so prone to big mistakes, that death sentences rarely stick.

And executions themselves are almost nonexistent. The last American serviceman to be executed was killed by a firing squad in 1961.

Since 1984, when Congress revamped military law regarding the death penalty, the United States has sought to execute 49 service members, though never an officer. Fifteen of those defendants were convicted and sentenced to death.

But in 10 cases, the sentences later were commuted by their commanders – or overturned on appeal.

That leaves five condemned soldiers, Marines or sailors sitting on death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

Of those, only a single soldier has exhausted his military appeals and been ordered to die by the president, as required. And his case has been held up by a last-minute habeas corpus appeal in a civilian U.S. district court in Kansas, even though the military has done all it can to send him to the federal gas chamber in Terre Haute, Ind.

"Death penalty cases are so rare that almost everyone who tries a death military case is new," said Dwight Sullivan, a Marine Corps Reserve colonel and civilian appellate attorney for the Air Force. He has succeeded in having death sentences for three condemned servicemen overturned or commuted.

"Almost everyone involved – from the commander to the judge to the jurors to the defense attorneys – is doing it for the first time," Sullivan said.

Added layer of scrutiny

The investigation into what happened Thursday has only just begun, and military officials have said they have not ruled out the possibility that Hasan had help from civilians in planning his attack.

Experts said it's far more likely that the military will prosecute its own, but the U.S. attorney's office could bring capital charges in federal district court as part of a broader conspiracy prosecution.

Eight times, service members sentenced to die have seen their cases or convictions overturned by appellate courts, as judges – both military and civilian – have found fault with the handling of their trials.

The mistakes have included inadequate defense counsel, tainted juries and bad decisions by military judges – a litany of blunders that offers a cautionary tale for commanders at Fort Hood, who probably will face significant pressure to move quickly in meting out justice in the slaughter.

The extra degree of scrutiny that comes with capital cases adds one more layer of complexity to a system that differs in key ways from the civilian courtroom dramas familiar to most Americans.

To begin with, military trials are controlled at every level by the commanding general who convenes them. He often picks the judge, who in turn selects the jurors and the lawyers, though defendants have the right to seek separate civilian counsel at their own expense, too.

That level of control can lead to tainting of a trial, military law experts said, adding that the phenomenon has developed a name of its own.

" 'Command influence' is the mortal enemy of military justice," said Eugene Fidell, a Washington lawyer and scholar at Yale who is president of the National Institute of Military Justice.

Fidell said the military has safeguards to try to minimize unlawful command influence but rarely succeeds in doing so. Still, he said that though allegations of undue influence by a commander are common, they rarely are enough to change the outcome of a case, even on appeal.

Other factors could make it difficult to secure a fair trial at Fort Hood, he said, where passions will run hot.

"It's going to be a challenge," he said. "They may have to change the venue. It's a real dilemma. The commanding general and senior officers will have to be very circumspect in what they say. On the other hand, that will be in tension with our expectation in this country that we have transparency from our government."

Just as in a civilian prosecution, if the Army wants to detain Hasan, who remains hospitalized with bullet wounds, it will appoint defense lawyers to represent him, Fidell said. Then it will have a probable-cause hearing, which can be conducted bedside, if necessary, once the defendant begins to recover, Fidell said.

Then the similarities between civilian trials and military courts-martial begin to fade.

Article 32 hearing


To determine which charges to bring and in what kind of trial, the commanding general would appoint a military magistrate or judge to conduct what is known as an Article 32 hearing.

It's similar to a grand-jury proceeding, except that it is conducted in open court and with attorneys for both sides present. Both sides have the right to call witnesses, and a judge will recommend what kind of trial should be conducted and on what charges.

"In this case, it's obvious that if he is going to be tried, it will be before a general court-martial," the military's most serious kind of criminal proceeding, Fidell said.

He said the hearing probably couldn't happen before at least two months from now, even if Hasan recovers from his wounds quickly.

If he is tried on capital charges, 12 jurors would be required – and unlike in other military trials, both the verdict and the sentence must be unanimous for the death penalty to be imposed.

"I don't think this is going to get rushed," Fidell said. "This is a potentially capital case, and the military takes its time on those cases."

If the Army seeks to charge Hasan with capital crimes – and a single count of murder is sufficient – Hasan will be the first officer to face the possibility of execution in the modern era of military justice.

That means any jury that sits in judgment of the man accused of being the Army's worst mass murderer would be made up of a uniquely educated and elite group of officers. Army law stipulates that officers charged with a crime have the right to leave their fate only in the hands of officers of superior rank.

"They will be looking for light colonels or above," Fidell said. "That won't be a problem."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-penalty_09tex.ART0.State.Edition1.4b69ba2.html
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« Reply #528 on: November 09, 2009, 07:20:31 PM »

The U.S. Military Death Penalty
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/us-military-death-penalty
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« Reply #529 on: November 09, 2009, 07:26:27 PM »

Fort Hood massacre: Barack Obama would have to sign death warrant

President Barack Obama will have to personally sign the death warrant of Major Nidal Malik Hasan if he is convicted and sentenced to be executed for the Fort Hood massacre.
 
By Nick Allen in Fort Hood
Published: 10:54PM GMT 09 Nov 2009

Barack Obama: Fort Hood massacre: Barack Obama would have to sign death warrant
The military court prosecuting Major Nidal Malik Hasan will require the approval of President Obama for the death penalty to be carried out Photo: EPA

As a serving officer Hasan, 39, is likely to be tried in a military court in a system which is ultimately headed by Mr Obama in his role as commander-in-chief, and requires his approval for the death penalty to be carried out.

No member of the US military has been put to death since the 1961 hanging of Army Private John Bennett for rape and attempted murder.
 
Mr Obama has followed a nuanced line on the death penalty in the past, saying it is not an effective deterrent but should be an option in extreme cases.

In his memoirs he said capital punishment "does little to deter crime" but he supports it in cases "so heinous, so beyond the pale, that the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage by meting out the ultimate punishment." Mr Obama and his wife Michelle are due to attend a memorial service in Fort Hood on Tuesday but the president will be constrained in what he can say.

Any comment which prejudges guilt or sentence could later be cited by defence lawyers as "unlawful command influence" and would extend an already lengthy military appeals process.

Hasan, who is still in hospital after being shot four times, is expected to be charged with 13 counts of murder.

Under the military legal system his case would go to a general court martial and be heard by a panel of 12 officers, all of whom have to outrank him.

The panel has the power to impose the death penalty but following any conviction the appeals process could take years.

Richard Rosen, a military law scholar and retied colonel at Fort Hood, said: "It will be a long charge sheet. Legal advice is being given at all levels of command right now." In the 10 years before 1961 a total of 10 members of the US military were put to death with presidential approval under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the armed services legal system.

Last year President George W Bush became the first president in half a century to approve a military execution.

Mr Bush signed off the death sentence of Ronald A Gray, 42, a former army cook first convicted of murder and rape in 1988.

Gray remains on death row along with five other soldiers whose appeals have not yet reached the Oval Office.

Military criminal investigators say Hasan is the only suspect in the Fort Hood shootings but he has not yet been charged as they are waiting to speak to him at Brooke Army Medical Centre. Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was in a coma but has now been taken off a ventilator.

Officials said no evidence of links to terrorist groups, or anyone who might have helped him, had been found on Hasan's computer.

The semi-automatic Belgian-made FN Herstal Five-Seven tactical pistol he used in the attack was bought legally from "Guns Galore," a weapons store near Fort Hood, for $1,139.99 (£680) in August.

Under Texas law all Hasan needed to buy the weapon was his military identification and a "permanent change of station" document indicating that he had been transferred to Fort Hood.

David Cheadle, manager of Guns Glaore, said the gun was "high end." He told The Daily Telegraph: "It's a popular weapon for people that can afford it. They sell regularly.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/6531599/Fort-Hood-massacre-Barack-Obama-would-have-to-sign-death-warrant.html
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« Reply #530 on: November 09, 2009, 07:33:57 PM »

Snipped> Fort Hood massacre: Barack Obama would have to sign death warrant

President Barack Obama will have to personally sign the death warrant of Major Nidal Malik Hasan if he is convicted and sentenced to be executed for the Fort Hood massacre.
 
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« Reply #531 on: November 09, 2009, 07:41:43 PM »

Video - Vigil held for pregnant soldier killed on Ft. Hood


November 9, 2009 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Friends and family of Army Private Francheska Velez held a vigil in her memory on Monday night.

Private Velez was one of 13 soldiers killed in the shootings at Fort Hood last week.

The vigil was held outside her family's Northwest Side home.

According to family and friends, Velez was excited about becoming a mother. They lit candles for Francheska Velez on Monday evening. Velez was three months pregnant when she was gunned down on Thursday, one of 13 people killed during a rampage at the Fort Hood military base in Texas


 

November 9, 2009 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Friends and family of Army Private Francheska Velez held a vigil in her memory on Monday night.

Private Velez was one of 13 soldiers killed in the shootings at Fort Hood last week.

The vigil was held outside her family's Northwest Side home.

According to family and friends, Velez was excited about becoming a mother. They lit candles for Francheska Velez on Monday evening. Velez was three months pregnant when she was gunned down on Thursday, one of 13 people killed during a rampage at the Fort Hood military base in Texas.
Story continues below
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"Makes me angry and upset that he would do something like this&very heartbreaking," said Sandy Rivera, cousin.

It's especially heartbreaking, family members say, because she had returned back to the U.S. early after a tour of duty in Iraq after learning she was pregnant.

The last time family members saw her in Chicago was in August to celebrate her 21 birthday. Her cousin, Melissa Morton, said she was the last family member to speak with her on Thursday morning before the massacre in Texas.

"Why? Did she suffer? Did she go fast? Did they try to protect her. She was pregnant. It's harder to know she was pregnant carrying a child," said Morton.

Many of Velez's friends are there as well, remembering Francheska and how she loved to dance.

After learning there were two Chicago-area soldiers among the dead including Michael Pearson of Bolingbrook, Sr. Mary Carr of Romeoville had to be there.

"The family doesn't know me but there are a lot of us out there who care," said Sr. Mary.

Velez's father has traveled down to Texas to attend the memorial service in person on Tuesday. Her two brothers and mother intend to watch it together on television from Chicago.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7109045

Pvt. Francheska Velez


A pregnant Army private from Humboldt Park was one of two Chicago-area soldiers killed in the shooting at Fort Hood, her family confirmed today. Francheska Velez, 21, was three months pregnant and had been in the Army for three years, according to her sister-in-law Marisol Cruz. “She was the sweetest, sweetest person,” Cruz said. “If you needed anything, you could count on her.”


November 7, 2009
BY MARK J. KONKOL AND STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporters

Growing up, Pvt. Francheska Velez was a 'fraidy cat -- horror movies and bugs gave her the willies.

"When she joined the Army that all changed . . . in a good way," Pvt. Velez's cousin Jennifer Arzuaga said. "She became stronger."

Army strong. The 2006 Kelvyn Park High School graduate served in Korea and most recently in Iraq, where she drove fuel tankers.

She made her father proud.

"She was the best I have. The light of my family," Juan Velez said of his only daughter. "She was living my dream . . . to be part of the military, part of the United States. To be part of something. Just to give back to the United States because this is where we are from."

On Thursday, Pvt. Velez, 21, was one of 13 people killed and 30 wounded during an Army psychiatrist's rampage at the Fort Hood military base in Texas.

She was due back from Iraq on Dec. 10, but came home early after she found out she was three months pregnant. Her family was planning to visit her in Texas next month.

But Friday there came a knock on the front door of the Velez family's Humboldt Park two-flat. Outside were Army officers with tragic news.

"The hardest thing is to accept the reality that she is gone," Juan Velez said through an interpreter.

Pvt. Velez had her father's electric smile, glorious dance moves and charisma that filled a room, family members said.

"This girl was full of life. She was a happy girl, and he took her from us," Pvt. Velez's cousin, Sandy Rivera said. "She was supposed to have the baby, and everything was going to be happy. We were all waiting. It's not fair."

In high school, Pvt. Velez joined the ROTC and a dance team.

She loved to dance, especially salsa. When they were teenagers, Pvt. Velez and her cousins would make dance videos pretending to be the Spice Girls. Pvt. Velez played the role of "Sporty Spice."

"Dance was her passion before going into the Army," her cousin, Yesenia Garcia said. "She felt the music. She would enliven it. She would put her own flavor in it."

After graduation, Pvt. Velez enlisted because she wanted to travel, get a degree, and make something of herself, family members said.

"I tried to talk her out of it many times. I said, 'No you're crazy,' " Pvt. Velez's cousin Jennifer Arzuaga said. "But once her mind was set that was it."

Once she returned stateside, Pvt. Velez's focus was on being a good mom.

Juan Velez, staring into the distance from his front stoop, said he remembers the joy he felt when his little girl called with news that he would be an abuelo -- in English, a grandfather.

"It was happiness. I was full of joy," he said through a translator.

Pvt. Velez planned to live in Texas during her pregnancy and raise her child there. Now, "she'll never know what its like to be a mom," Arzuaga said, trailing off in tears. "She just turned 21. She just turned 21."

In addition to her father, Pvt. Velez is survived by her mother, Eileen Velez and two brothers, Juan Guiermo Velez and Andrew Velez.

Services are pending.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/obituaries/1870554,CST-NWS-xvelez07.article

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« Reply #532 on: November 09, 2009, 07:53:45 PM »



   Tuesday Memorial

Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said 7 victims were in wards and 27 soldiers had been released, as of noon Monday.

He said the majority of the wounded soldiers who were released will attend a memorial at Fort Hood Tuesday, along with their families.

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will also attend the event.

The event is set to start at 1 p.m. on the post. News 8 will carry that event for you live and in its entirety on Channel 8 and 1508.

Fort Hood Lt. Gen. speaks to concerns for Muslim soldiers

Updated: 11/9/2009 6:26 PM
By: News 8 Austin

      
   Lt. Gen. Robert Cone spoke at a noon press conference Monday.        
As the investigation into the mass shootings at Fort Hood continued, Fort Hood officials said the current challenge resides with meeting the needs of the community.

"I think we're entering a new phase here, and this is where I am most concerned as a commander of Fort Hood," Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said. "That has to do with this healing phase that we're in."

Though many questions about the motives of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan cloud nationwide discussion on the issue, Cone addressed concerns that the incident could produce a backlash for the nation's and the post's Muslim Americans.

Cone said there are more than 100 Muslim soldiers at Fort Hood.

"They are valued members of our team, and I've asked the chain of command to make sure that we are giving them special attention to make sure that they are being given every consideration, and that we are vigilant to any kind of reaction that might take place," Cone said.

According to the equal opportunity office, if a soldier is found responsible for harassment, that soldier could face anything from extra duty, to deduction in pay, to a reduction in rank, to suspension.

Cone also said Fort Hood has received expressions of support and condolences of the Muslim community in the Central Texas area.

Dawud Agbere serves as a Muslim chaplain for the U.S. Army. He arrived from Kansas Monday to provide additional support after Thursday's shooting.

He said he has never experienced any problems while serving in the military because of his religion, and feels the focus should be taken away from the Hasan's religion.

"For me I don't look at it as a Muslim doing it," Agbere said. "I see it as a human failing. Unfortunately, in this society we use labels and things like that, but I don't think that is the issue here."

Lt. Gen. Cone emphasized that helping all those affected cope and heal is a major priority on the base right now.

"You know, there are probably about 600 people, who were somehow directly touched by this incident," Cone said.

He said that number includes those directly affected, first responders, soldiers and civilians in the area at the time and medical practitioners assisting the victims.

"Our initial focus, in the last three days, has been getting them the kind of behavioral assessments, and behavioral counseling, for the kinds of traumatic stress incidents that they've been through," Cone said.

A renewed sense of urgency on security has also accompanied the boost in services at Fort Hood, according to Cone.

"We are going to take a long hard look at ourselves and see what else could have been done to have prevented this," Cone said. "I think the important thing is that Hasan was a soldier. And we have other soldiers that might have some of the same stress indicators that he has, we have to look across our entire formation, not just in a medical community, but really look hard right and left, and that's a responsibility from everybody from the top to the bottom."

http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=258159

Video: Press Conference
Lt. Gen. Robert Cone speaks to members of the media Monday at noon.   Press Conference
http://www.news8austin.com/shared/video/video_pop.asp?destlist=73320
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« Reply #533 on: November 09, 2009, 08:04:44 PM »

Wounded Fort Hood Soldier Has Ties To Pocatello


Posted: Nov 9, 2009 05:25 PM

By Michelle Costa, Local News 8 Reporter

POCATELLO - After the country watched the shooting rampage unfold at the Fort Hood military base, it may seem as a surprise that there are local ties.

One of the many wounded in the attack was a soldier from Twin Falls: 33-year-old Shawn Manning.

It's reported that he was the first victim and was shot six times.

But, this touches closer to home.

Thousands of students go to Idaho State University so it may hard to remember one in particular, but Army Staff Sergeant Shawn Manning used to be one of the many sitting in classes at the University.

Manning graduated from the University in 1999 with a Bachelor degree in Psychology.

Unfortunately, most Professors in the Psychology department haven't been here long enough to remember the soldier.

Manning was getting ready for his third tour in Iraq.

Manning is currently a Staff Sgt. for the Combat Stress Unit in the 467th Medical Detachment Unit.

Right now, he's in stable condition at a hospital in Texas.

His sister, Kym Lott, who is also from Twin Falls, declined to interview with us, but does confirm he was shot six times during the attack.

For everyone on campus, while they may not have remembered his name before this incident, now, after his miraculous survival, they most likely will.

Manning currently lives in Lacey, Washington with his wife, Autumn.

At Fort Hood, the investigation into the shooting continues. Their latest numbers in the attack: 13 people dead and 43 others wounded.

http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11473110
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« Reply #534 on: November 09, 2009, 08:35:41 PM »

Snipped> Fort Hood massacre: Barack Obama would have to sign death warrant

President Barack Obama will have to personally sign the death warrant of Major Nidal Malik Hasan if he is convicted and sentenced to be executed for the Fort Hood massacre.
 


I have been very hesitant to speak out on this thread lest I get myself in BIG TROUBLE.....but B Hussien OB will never sign a death warrant..but I would gladly pull the trigger, swipe the knife, inject the needle, pull the lever on the guillotine, or rip him apart with my bare hand.

HOW IN THE HELL can this happen on our own military bases!  Why was this guy not in the brig BEFORE this happened?  I give up...
i a  not going to get myself worked up...I will do like so many of us....shed my tears and ask why? how?

I am sick and tired about hearing about criminal's rights...SICK AND TIRED!!!
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Rest in Peace Caylee
Natalee, We will never forget.
Zahra, run with the Angels

PUT ON YOUR BIG GIRL PANTIES AND GET OVER IT!  It's not about you or me.....It's about the Missing and the Murdered
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« Reply #535 on: November 09, 2009, 08:39:36 PM »

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2009/11/09/fort_hood_memorial_set_for_1_p.html
Fort Hood memorial set for 1 p.m. Tuesday

Monday, November 9, 2009, 04:27 PM

The memorial ceremony for the victims of last week’s Fort Hood shootings has been scheduled for 1 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Jessica Sandlin, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s Texas press secretary.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are expected to attend the ceremony, which Sandlin said will take place in front of the III Corps Headquarters on the post.

This service is open to the public, and tickets are not required, a Fort Hood spokesman said in a statement. Gates will open at 10 a.m, and early arrival is encouraged, the statement said.

People wishing to attend should enter Fort Hood through the gate on Clear Creek Road off U.S. 190 and follow signs to parking, the statement said.

Shuttles will start running at 9 a.m., it said.

“All attendees will go through airport-like security and should bring as few personal items as possible,” it said. “No bags, no camel backs, no sharp objects, no umbrellas, no liquids, no strollers, and no signs will be allowed into the venue. Cameras are permitted.
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« Reply #536 on: November 09, 2009, 08:43:56 PM »

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/military/army/Soldier_saw_Munley_and_Hasan_go_down
Soldier: Hasan chased Munley at scene
He watched the gunfire exchange from next door


Updated: Monday, 09 Nov 2009, 6:05 PM CST
Published : Monday, 09 Nov 2009, 3:41 PM CST

Fort Hood police Sgt. Kimberly Munley (Courtesy: Twitter)


    * Jenny Hoff

KILLEEN, Texas (KXAN) - Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley came face to face with Maj. Nidal Hasan seconds before their shoot-out - and when she retreated Hasan advanced, according to a soldier who witnessed the entire exchange from a building next door.

"I kept thinking if I was outside I could have yelled to her, 'Hey, he's right around the corner,'" said Spc. Thomas Vecera, who could do nothing because he was trapped inside another building.

Munley has become a national hero for taking down Hasan after he had shot more than 40 people - and the few seconds in which he chased her, trying to kill her, are one of the most compelling moments in the deadly massacre at Fort Hood on Thursday.

Vecera said he first saw Munley running toward the Soldier Readiness Center when she came face to face with Hasan. After exchanging fire, she retreated back to the building from where she had come - and that is when Hasan came around the corner, chasing her.

"He took a shot at her, and he hit her, and she went down," said Vecera. "She was on the radio. I could see she was on the radio, and I guess she was saying, 'Officer down.' She was looking up at him. He had her at gunpoint and shot her again. When I saw that, I thought 'no, she's probably not going to make it because he shot her point-blank, from three feet away.'"

Vecera said Hasan started shooting again when other officers approached him from behind, and in the middle of gunfire, Hasan went down.

Munley has been credited with firing the shots that stopped Hasan's rampage.

That is when the soldiers mobilized and started treating their wounded comrades with any resources available.

"You're almost in disbelief when someone you've been training with for so long comes in, covered in blood, just saying 'Help me,'" said Vecera.

Another soldier who treated the wounded was Pfc. Melinda Martinez. A 19-year-old reservist who just graduated high school, she arrived at Ft. Hood one day before the shooting.

"I was in college studying Sociology," she said. "But, I'm ready to be deployed."

Martinez was was preparing to go to Iraq with members of her unit, when several of them were shot and two were killed.

"You go numb," she said. "You are not sad or angry, you are just numb and you do what you have to do."

With her training kicked in, Martinez started pulling in soldiers and treating them on tables. With no resources and every second precious, she used whatever resources she could find to save her friend's lives.

"In one wounded, I had to use my belt and as a pressure dressing I had to use my pad, my feminine pad to keep him from bleeding," said Martinez. "And, we got him into an ambulance and as far as I know he's OK."
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« Reply #537 on: November 09, 2009, 08:49:36 PM »

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/military/army/obama_to_attend_ft_hood_memorial_tues
Obama to attend Ft. Hood memorial Tues.
Army to fly in fallen soldiers' families


Updated: Monday, 09 Nov 2009, 7:30 PM CST
Published : Monday, 09 Nov 2009, 1:10 PM CST


Security wall going up (Shannon Wolfson/KXAN)

Barricades are in place Monday afternoon for Tuesday's memorial at Ft. Hood, where President Obama is expected to make an appearance (Juan Salinas/KXAN)

Barricades tower inside Ft. Hood (Juan Salinas/KXAN)

Barricades go up at Fort Hood Sunday night in preparation for the memorial service Tuesday (Matt Flener/KXAN)

    * Jackie Vega

KILLEEN, Texas (KXAN) - The Secret Service and advance teams from the White House inspected the grounds in front of the III Corps Headquarters Sunday afternoon in preparation for the Fort Hood memorial service set for Tuesday.

Lt. Col. Nathan Banks with the Army's Media Affairs team in Washington confirmed Sunday afternoon that President Barack Obama is scheduled to attend the memorial. He also said first lady Michelle Obama , Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates are attending as well.

All 13 families of the deceased are confirmed to attend the memorial, and Banks said the Army is flying in all of the families of the fallen soldiers and the civilian staffer from Thursday's mass shooting at Fort Hood.

During a press conference Monday morning, Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said the families of the wounded soldiers will also be in attendance.

Cone said the ceremony scheulded for Tuesday will be their traditional memorial service, except for the president's attendance.

"I think, obviously, we're creating a venue back there that is somewhat private and clear of observation," said Cone. "Our main intent is to get as many people to Fort Hood that want to be here."

Col. David Batchelor, the event coordinator said they estimate 20,000 people can fit in the boxed area and said the makeshift barricades are for security and privacy measures.

Cone laid out a general format for the memorial:

    * Open with a prologue
    * Have some prayers and speakers in between
    * Followed by some Bible verses and a short sermon
    * Music will conclude the memorial with a traditional roll call of the names of the dead
    * A traditional 21-gun salute will end the ceremony

"Our key partners in the community are invited to attend," said Cone. "You also have to remember that 70 percent of my soldiers live in Killeen , Harker Heights and Copperas Cove ."

The memorial is also open to the public, but officials said they must arrive when gates open at 10 a.m. for "airport-like" security clearance.

While cameras are permitted, visitors should bring as few personal items as possible.

Restricted items include:

    * Bags
    * "Camel backs"
    * Sharp objects
    * Umbrellas
    * Liquids
    * Strollers
    * Signs

Attendees should enter the post through the Clear Creek Gate and follow the signs to the parking area. Shuttle buses will begin transporting attendees to the memorial service area at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The service begins at 1 p.m. Tuesday. No tickets or reservations are required.
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« Reply #538 on: November 09, 2009, 08:54:14 PM »

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2009/11/muslim-at-islamic-community-of-greater-killeen-texas-i-honestly-have-no-pity-for-victims-of-the-fort.html

Sorry if this has already been posted.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/npAvM-VWwhc&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/npAvM-VWwhc&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1</a>

That is disturbing and disgusting.
The absolute worst thing is that his ending comment has a lot of truth to it... that people listening to this will be shocked for 5 or 6 minutes and then go on about their business ( paraphrased) It is obviuos that there should be no muslim in our armed forces, period.  With obama  being prez. there is no doubt in my mind that this will not be exposed for what it really is and the endless security lines in airports will continue but the wiretaps and messages of potential terrorism will continue to be ignored.
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« Reply #539 on: November 09, 2009, 08:55:18 PM »

http://www.kvue.com/news/President-to-attend-memorial-at-Fort-Hood-69603407.html
by CLARA TUMA / KVUE News
President to attend memorial at Fort Hood

Posted on November 9, 2009 at 4:41 PM
(video avail. @ link)
Updated today at 5:20 PM

FT. HOOD, Texas -- President Obama is expected to attend a memorial service Tuesday for the 13 people killed during a rampage at Fort Hood last week.

On Monday, crews got ready for the presidential visit by stacking large storage units three stories high around the parade field near the III Corps headquarters.

Lt. Gen. Bob Cone, commanding general at Fort Hood, would not discuss presidential security, but said the perimeter was established for both security and privacy.

He said he expects thousands to attend the service, which will be a traditional memorial with prayer and a sermon.

"It will be familiar and comfortable to many of our soldiers," he said. "The added benefit, of course, is the significance of having the president of the United States here, and all that represents to the Fort Hood community."

Gunfire erupted at Fort Hood last Thursday when  Major Nadal Malik Hasan walked into the Soldier Readiness Center and opened fire.

Thirteen people were killed and 47 were injured, including Hasan.

Hasan was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where doctors on Monday reported that he is alert and talking with medical personnel.

Back at Fort Hood, Gen. Cone would not discuss Nadal, but said the criminal investigation is on-going. At this point it's still not determined what charges Hasan will face.

Sgt. Ernest Soliz says he is pleased the commander-in-chief is attending the service in person.

"It brings out the high morale," he said. "Something like this, it just knocked everybody down, and with somebody very important like the president coming, it's just like, OK, I feel good now. I feel very good.''
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