Verified Document

Fort Hood Texas Shooting Research Paper

Fort Hood Shooting On November 5, 2009 at Fort Hood, a military base close to the city of Killeen Texas, a U.S. Army major and psychiatrist opened fire on the people. Thirteen people were murdered and thirty-two other people were injured (Kenber 2013). One of the victims was pregnant and the baby was lost when she died, so some put the figure of murder victims at fourteen. Nidal Malik Hasan has since been convicted of those shootings and has been sentenced to death by a military court. Hasan has never denied being the killer, nor has he wavered in the explanation of his motives behind the actions. He has stated repeatedly that he is a Muslim and that the United States is at war with Islam. His actions, he claims, are a direct result of his Muslim extremism. Hasan was due to be shipped to Afghanistan where he would have had to fight against terrorists, people with whom he chose to identify. Since this was an intolerable option to him, he chose to attack Americans instead. This was not a spur of the moment decision, but premeditated murders which were planned out far ahead of their commission. Many people, including the family members of his victims, have requested that the case be classified as a terrorist attack instead of a mass shooting, but those in positions of authority in the matter have thus far not agreed to term the shooting in this way. According to the United States Defense Department, the Fort Hood massacre is a case of "workplace violence" (Jonsson 2013). Based on the information available, particularly the attitude of the perpetrator himself, it is clear that this should be considered an act of terrorism by a militant Islamist rather than a mass casualty shooting.

The legal definitions of acts of terrorism in the United States are separated into international or domestic terror. In both forms, the U.S. code defines terrorism as acts which are violent and dangerous to human life and which violate U.S. law. Further, they must "appear to intend (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass...

The purpose of a terrorist attack is rarely one of simple revenge or anger, but to convey a political message intended to alter the policies of the enemy government. Islamist terrorists have attacked the United States in the past for political reasons including the U.S. support of Israel, the United States' perceived imposition of western culture on Islamist nations, and for the United States' efforts in combating international terrorism in other countries (Lieberman 2011). This is very different from a mass shooting as defined by state and federal criminal codes in the United States. According to those definitions, the acts of violence are numerous and within a specific time frame. They have a motive, which is usually based on desires for revenge or feelings of anger by the perpetrator. Mass shootings or episodes of workplace violence do not have a political motive. Acts of terror are "calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion, or to retaliate against government conduct" (Definitions 2013). If the actions are politically-based, as Hasan himself attests, then the crimes at Fort Hood, Texas should be classified by the government as acts of terrorism.
During his trial, Nidal Malik Hasan fired his attorneys and chose to defend himself, but did not testify nor did he question any of the eighty-nine witnesses for the prosecution or call any himself. However, he has been quite vocal about why he perpetrated this crime. Witnesses reported that while he was carrying out the shootings, Hasan shouted "Allahu akbar!" which translates to mean "God is great" (Esposito 2009). It is a common mantra yelled by Islamist extremists during their attacks, as witnessed by military personnel during campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq among other documented incidents. Hasan chose to defend himself after his intended plea was denied by the trial's judge. According to court documents, Hasan wanted to enter a plea that his actions were justified as they were in "defense of others" (Jonsson 2013). He stated that by killing the people at Ford Hood, he…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Crabtree, S. (2012, Oct. 22). Pentagon will not label Fort Hood shootings as terrorist attack. The Washington Times.

Definitions of terrorism in the U.S. code. (2013). Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/terrorism/terrorism-definition

Esposito, R., Abraham, M., & Schwartz, R. (2009, Nov. 12). Major Hasan: soldier of Allah; many ties to jihad web sites. ABC News.

Hsu, S.S., & Johnson, C. (2009, Nov. 8). Links to imam followed in Fort Hood investigation.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Domestic Terrorism Within the Armed Forces
Words: 2887 Length: 9 Document Type: Dissertation or Thesis complete

Terrorism and the Military (APA). Domestic Terrorism and the Military On Friday June 17th a member of the United States Marine Corps Reserve was arrested for trespassing on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. In the man's car, police found Al Qaeda literature. What this Ethiopian-born American citizen was doing, and why he had Al Qaeda literature in his car has yet to be determined, but with the recent wave of attacks

Criminal Justice Domestic Terrorism
Words: 2488 Length: 8 Document Type: Research Paper

DOMESTIC VS INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM: WHICH IS THE GREATER THREAT? While many Americans today remember the events of September 11, 2001 when international terrorists flew aircraft into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and killed thousands, fewer will likely remember the largest domestic terrorism event in the nation's history which took place just a few years earlier when Timothy McVeigh bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April

Positive and Negative Reinforcement Reinforcement:
Words: 1343 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

On a personal level, I have tried to condition myself with negative behavior by trying to encourage myself to lose weight by posting an unflattering picture of myself on the refrigerator, to discourage in-between meal snacking. I have to admit that this was initially motivational for me, given that the vision was so unpleasant. However, to condition one's own behavior through negative reinforcement requires a great deal of zeal for

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder PTSD Has
Words: 9747 Length: 35 Document Type: Capstone Project

, 2010). This point is also made by Yehuda, Flory, Pratchett, Buxbaum, Ising and Holsboer (2010), who report that early life stress can also increase the risk of developing PTSD and there may even be a genetic component involved that predisposes some people to developing PTSD. Studies of Vietnam combat veterans have shown that the type of exposure variables that were encountered (i.e., severe personal injury, perceived life threat, longer duration,

Pancho Villa's Raid on Columbus,
Words: 3299 Length: 10 Document Type: Thesis

"He saw the attacks as a strategy to embroil the U.S. with the Carranza government and therefore force his downfall." The American president took a great interest in the stories emerged about Villa and even sent special agents to investigate the matter. Delegate John Lind was part of this mission and his conclusions were that while Villa was an individual of high morals, "physical and mental efficiency," he was "cruel

Predominantly Latino Gangs, Mara Salvatrucha
Words: 17380 Length: 40 Document Type: Thesis

Government Since gang-related crimes fall within the jurisdiction of state, this research will give an insight on the need to find solutions that increasingly include all levels of government. Congress needs to pass legislation that will change immigration enforcement laws and make more aliens deportable. In addition, the federal government should take a more active participation in helping local and state jurisdictions develop anti-gang responses. The local, state and federal governments

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now