US Army to Award Purple Hearts To Ft. Hood Victims Of Maj. Nidal Hasan

U.S. President Barack Obama places a challenge coin on a memorial as he and first lady Michelle Obama pay their respects for the dead soldiers at the conclusion of service in Fort Hood, Texas April 9, 2014. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Washington Post: Army approves Purple Hearts for soldiers wounded in 2009 Fort Hood shooting

Army Secretary John McHugh said Friday that he has approved awarding the Purple Heart and its civilian counterpart to those wounded during a mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009, following years of pressure from families and a change in rules approved by Congress.

WNU Editor: Nidal Hassan killed 13 and wounded 30 .... these victims will now finally receive the military honors that are due.

More News On The Fort Hood Victims of Nidal Hasan Being Finally Awarded Their Purple Hearts

Purple Heart to Be Awarded to Victims at Fort Hood -- New York Times
Fort Hood Victims To Receive Purple Hearts -- CBS
Fort Hood victims to finally get Purple Heart -- Washington Times
Fort Hood victims to be awarded Purple Hearts -- CNN

Fort Hood Shooting Victims May Receive Their Purple Hearts

Photo: Wikipedia

Fort Hood Shooting Victims Will Soon Be Eligible To Receive Purple Heart -- Washinghton Times

Army Maj. Nidal Hasan spree domestic terrorism, not workplace violence

Victims of the Fort Hood shooting will soon be eligible to receive the Purple Heart, with Congress pushing ahead with a policy change that would officially recognize domestic terrorism as an issue, rather than the “workplace violence” designation the Obama administration had used.

The issue has been contentious since the 2009 attack, with victims and their family members saying Army Maj. Nidal Hasan’s shooting spree was clearly linked to the broader war on terror that the U.S. is fighting overseas.

For years, the families’ congressional allies had butted heads with the Obama administration, which balked at designating part of the U.S. the equivalent of a battlefield.

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Update #1: Purple Hearts might be awarded in domestic terrorism cases -- Military Times
Update #2: New Language In Defense Bill Means Victims Of Fort Hood Attack May Receive Purple Heart -- Forbes

My Comment:  Will the White House and the Pentagon respects the wishes of Congress .... we shall see.

Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan Wants To Be A Citizen Of The Islamic State

'It Would Be An Honor To Join ISIS And Become A Citizen Of The Caliphate,' Says Former US Army Psychiatrist Who Killed 13 In Shooting Spree At Fort Hood -- Daily Mail

* Nidal Hasan claimed it would be 'an honor' to join ISIS caliphate in letter
* Hasan killed 13 and injured 30 in 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas
* Earlier this year FBI chief testified that he believed the shooting carried out by Hasan at Fort Hood in Texas was inspired by al-Qaeda

The former Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people in the 2009 shooting spree at Fort Hood has said it would be 'an honor' to join the caliphate in a letter to ISIS, it has been reported.

Nidal Hasan has apparently requested to be made a 'citizen soldier' of the caliphate in the letter to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Hasan opened fire on his fellow servicemen and women on November 5, killing 13 and injuring 30 others.

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More News On Reports That Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan Wants To Be A Citizen Of The Islamic State

Fort Hood shooter says he wants to become 'citizen' of Islamic State caliphate -- FOX News
Fort Hood Gunman Wants to Join ISIS -- ABC News
Ft. Hood shooter asks to be ‘citizen’ of Islamic State -- Washington Post
Fort Hood killer requests citizenship in Islamic State -- UPI
Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan writes letter to ISIS asking to join their terror group -- National Post
Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan petitions to be ‘citizen’ of Islamic State -- Washington Times

Convicted Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan Will Keep The $300,000 He Has Earned Since His Arrest

Nidal Hasan. Reuters

Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan Dishonorably Discharged, No Longer Major -- NBCDFW

Removed from Army, Fort Hood shooter to be paid until Sept. 10

Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan has been dishonorably discharged from the United States Army, according to military officials.

NBC 5 DFW Investigates spoke with Chris Haug, chief of media relations at Fort Hood.

Haug said, according to the Senior Judge Advocate General at Fort Hood, Hasan is “no longer a military serviceman. He has no rank and is dishonorably discharged from the Army" following his court martial and sentencing for the mass shooting at Fort Hood in 2009.

Haug said going forward, Hasan will be called simply “inmate Nidal Hasan" at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

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My Comment: I can see the civil lawsuits happening now.

Update: This is unbelievable .... Nidal Hasan's Lawyer to Sue After Army Forcibly Shaves Ft. Hood Shooter -- ABC News

Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan Sentenced To Death For 2009 Massacre

Nidal Hasan, charged with killing 13 people and wounding 31 in a November 2009 shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas, is pictured in an undated Bell County Sheriff's Office photograph. REUTERS-Bell County Sheriff's Office-Handout

Fort Hood Shooter Sentenced To Death For 2009 Killings -- Reuters

(Reuters) - A military jury on Wednesday sentenced a U.S. Army psychiatrist to death for the 2009 mass murder of 13 people, mostly unarmed soldiers, at Fort Hood, Texas, which the convicted gunman said he committed in retaliation for U.S. wars in the Muslim world.

Major Nidal Hasan, who shouted "Allahu akbar" during the attack and later said he wanted to be a martyr, faces death by lethal injection for a rampage that also wounded 31 people at the sprawling central Texas military base, where he opened fire just weeks before he was to be deployed to Afghanistan.

Such sentences are rare in the military, which last executed a member of the armed services 52 years ago. Hasan, 42, becomes the sixth man on death row at the U.S. military's prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

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More News On Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan Sentenced To Death For 2009 Massacre

Nidal Hasan gets death penalty for Fort Hood rampage -- BBC
Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan sentenced to death -- AP
Military jury sentences Fort Hood killer Hasan to death -- USA Today
Fort Hood gunman sentenced to death -- NBC
US court martial sentences Fort Hood shooter to death -- AFP
Nidal Hasan sentenced to death for Fort Hood shooting rampage -- Washington Post
Fort Hood shooting jury recommends death penalty for Nidal Hasan -- CNN
Even with death sentence, Fort Hood shooter would face long wait for martyrdom -- FOX News
Fort Hood shooter sentenced to death; lengthy appeals ahead -- CBS

Could The FBI Have Stopped Nidal Hasan From Committing the Fort Hood Massacre?

Internal Documents Reveal How The FBI Blew Fort Hood -- Mother Jones

Nearly a year before the massacre, the bureau intercepted emails between Nidal Hasan and radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki that officials called "fairly benign." They are anything but.

Last Thursday, as the jury in the trial of Nidal Hasan was deliberating, outgoing FBI Director Robert Mueller appeared on CBS News and discussed a string of emails between the Fort Hood shooter and Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical Islamic cleric with ties to the 9/11 hijackers. The FBI had intercepted the messages starting almost a year before Hasan's 2009 shooting rampage, and Mueller was asked whether "the bureau dropped the ball" by failing to act on this information. He didn't flinch: "No, I think, given the context of the discussions and the situation that the agents and the analysts were looking at, they took appropriate steps."

In the wake of the Fort Hood attacks, the exchanges between Awlaki and Hasan—who was convicted of murder on Friday—were the subject of intense speculation. But the public was given little information about these messages. While officials claimed that they were "fairly benign," the FBI blocked then-Sen. Joseph Lieberman's efforts to make them public as part of a two-year congressional investigation into Fort Hood. The military judge in the Hasan case also barred the prosecutor from presenting them, saying they would cause "unfair prejudice" and "undue delay."

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My Comment: Sober reading .... and probably true. As to Nidal Hasan's trial .... he rested his case today without making statement.

Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan Found Guilty On All Counts

Maj Nidal Hasan attacked a medical facility on the Army's Fort Hood base in Texas. BBC

Ford Hood Shooter Convicted On All Counts -- FOX News

Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan was found guilty on all 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder Friday, making him eligible for the death penalty.

The sentencing phase of his trial was set to begin Monday.

A military jury deliberated for roughly one day before announcing the verdict.

Hasan sat emotionless, stroking his beard when the judge announced a verdict had been reached. He stood and looked at the juror panel president when the verdict was read, then turned and looked back down.

A few family members of the victims cried and hugged each other at the announcement, but there were no courtroom outbursts.

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More News On Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan Being Found Guilty On All Counts

Nidal Hasan convicted of Fort Hood killings -- Washington Post
Fort Hood Shooting Suspect Convicted on All Counts -- New York Times
Hasan Found Guilty in Fort Hood Shooting -- Wall Street Journal
Fort Hood gunman Maj Nidal Hasan guilty on all counts -- BBC
Nidal Hasan convicted of murder in Fort Hood shootings, eligible for death penalty -- CBS/AP
Nidal Hasan found guilty in Fort Hood killings -- USA Today
News Guide: A look at the Fort Hood shooting trial -- AP

Fort Hood Massacre Case Goes to Jury

'Fort Hood Shooter's' Own Defense Lasts Just Five Minutes As He Refuses To Call Any Witnesses Or Even Testify For Himself -- Daily Mail

* Major Nidal Hasan is accused of killing 13 people and wounding 30 when he opened fire at the Texas military base and could face the death penalty
* The Army psychiatrist said at trial that he is the shooter and that he 'switched sides' as a soldier in the war on terror

The soldier on trial for the deadly 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood refused to put up a fight on Wednesday, resting his case without calling a single witness or testifying in his own defense.

Major Nidal Hasan could face the death penalty if convicted for the attack that killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others at the Texas military base. But when given the chance to rebut prosecutors' lengthy case - which included nearly 90 witnesses - the Army psychiatrist declined.

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More News On The Fort Hood Massacre Trial

Fort Hood jurors end first day of deliberations -- NBC
Fort Hood Shooting Case Goes to Jury -- Voice of America
Jury Begins Work on Fort Hood Shooting -- New York Times
Jury in Fort Hood massacre trial ends first day deliberations -- USA Today
Fort Hood massacre jury goes home after first day of deliberations -- CBS
News Guide: Key questions about the trial for soldier accused in Fort Hood shooting rampage -- Washington Post/AP

Fort Hood Massacre Travesty Continues

From YouTube: New information reveals that the victims and their families of Ft. Hood are being denied benefits while Nadal Hasan is continuing to collect army pay.

Defense Lawyer: Fort Hood Murder Suspect Nidal Hasan Wants To Die

Military Lawyer Says Nidal Hasan Is Seeking Death Sentence -- Washington Post

The court-martial of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist accused of carrying out the 2009 mass shootings at Fort Hood, was suspended Wednesday after a lawyer accused the defendant of deliberately trying to secure a death sentence.

Hasan, who faces 13 counts of murder and 32 of attempted murder, is representing himself at the trial on the same Army post in central Texas where the killings took place.

Hasan twice dismissed his legal team, but he does have three standby defense lawyers on hand to offer him legal advice if he requests it. And Wednesday morning, one of them, Lt. Col. Kris Poppe, offered to step in and represent Hasan.

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More News On The Trial Of Fort Hood Murder Suspect Nidal Hasan

Lawyer says Fort Hood shooter wants death penalty -- Reuters
Fort Hood Suspect's Legal Team Questions His Defense -- New York Times
Nidal Hasan hopes for death in Fort Hood killings, lawyers say -- CNN
Fort Hood shooter wants to be executed, lawyer says; judge halts trial -- San Jose Mercury News/AP
Fort Hood Rampage Trial Interrupted Over Major Hasan's Lack of Defense -- ABC News
Fort Hood trial is case study in bizarre twists -- USA Today
Fort Hood shooter 'trying to get himself executed', lawyer says -- The Telegraph
Fort Hood trial: Odd legal dance as both sides appear to seek death penalty -- Christian Science Monitor

Fort Hood Massacre Trial Begins With Nidal Hasan Stating That ‘I Am The Shooter’

Defiant Hasan Tells Fort Hood Trial 'I Am The Shooter' -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Nidal Hasan, a former U.S. army psychiatrist accused of murdering 13 fellow soldiers and wounding dozens more in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood four years ago, told a court on Tuesday that the evidence would clearly show "I am the shooter."

Hasan, who is confined to a wheelchair after being shot by military police during the attack, is representing himself in the trial at the Texas army base.

In a brief opening statement on the first day of the trial, he said witnesses would testify that "war is an ugly thing," with death and devastation on both sides.

"Evidence from this trial will only show one side. I was on the wrong side but I switched sides," Hasan, an American-born Muslim, said in a roughly two minute-long opening statement.

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More News On The Fort Hood Massacre Trial

Fort Hood trial turns bizarre as shooter grills witnesses -- FOX News
Suspect in Fort Hood massacre: 'I am the shooter' -- USA Today
Fort Hood suspect states, ‘I am the shooter’ -- France 24/AFP
Fort Hood shooting: Nidal Hasan says he was the gunman -- BBC
Fort Hood suspect tells court he 'switched sides' in America's war -- Christian Science Monitor
Fort Hood gunman meticulously planned attack -- McClatchy News/AP
Soldier's attack on Fort Hood in 2009 that killed 13 people detailed during 1st day of trial -- FOX News/AP
Soldier Played Dead After Being Shot at Fort Hood -- AP
Nidal Hasan’s Murders Termed ‘Workplace Violence’ by U.S. -- Michael Daly, Daily Beast

The High Cost Of Flying Accused Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan By Helicopter To His Courtroom Everyday

Nidal Hasan, charged with killing 13 people and wounding 31 in a November 2009 shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas, is pictured in an undated Bell County Sheriff's Office photograph. REUTERS/Bell County Sheriff's Office/Handout

Army Silent On Cost Of Helicopter Rides For Accused Fort Hood Shooter -- NBCDFW.com

Victims of Fort Hood attack feel Army abandoned them while giving accused gunman special consideration

Almost every day, two Army helicopters land at the Bell County Jail to pick up the man known as the “inmate of high value."

Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist who's accused of gunning down dozens of fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, is that inmate.

The Army helicopters carry Hasan about 20 miles into Fort Hood so he can work on his legal defense.

Since there is no jail at the Army post, Bell County Sheriff Eddy Lange houses Hasan at the Bell County Jail under a special Army contract in a special room the Army equipped to accommodate Hasan’s injuries suffered when he was shot by police officers responding to the attack.

“Every time Mr. Hasan is moved to Fort Hood we incur additional security costs at our facility,” said Lange.

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My Comment: This is not a cheap way to operate. I can only imagine how the victims must feel to see this killer be given these special considerations.

Fort Hood Massacre Trial Is Due To Start On August 6

Nidal Hasan. Reuters

Was The Fort Hood Gunman Left Unchecked Because Of Political Correctness? Victims Of Mass Shooting Which Killed 13 And Injured 32 Sue U.S. Government Over Claims Military Failed To Tackle Soldiers' Radicalisation -- Daily Mail

* Muslim Major Nidal Hasan's trial is due to start on August 6
* Army psychiatrist 'launched attack on fellow soldiers' at Texas Army base
* He faces death penalty if convicted of killing 13 and wounding 32 people
* Survivors suing government for allowing Major Hasan to rise through the ranks unchecked because of his 'ethnicity and his religion'

Survivors of the Fort Hood massacre are suing the U.S. government for allowing a jihadist soldier to rise through the ranks unchecked because of 'political correctness'.

Major Nidal Hasan, 42, is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder for after launching an attack at the Texas Army post in November 2009.

And on the eve of his trial, which is due to get underway on Tuesday, 148 victims and their relatives are launching a legal claim against the government for $750million (£491 million) for failing to prevent the killings from happening.

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Update: Complicated, emotional trial draws near for victims of Fort Hood shooting -- Stars and Stripes

My Comment: I suspect that Nidal Hasan is going to try his best to make this a circus.

Fort Hood Shooter Maj. Nidal Hasan Calls Himself A “Soldier of Allah”

Nidal Hasan Touts Self As ‘Soldier Of Allah,’ As Feds Call Shootings ‘Workplace Violence’ -- Washington Times

With just days before he heads to trial, the accused Fort Hood shooting suspect, Maj. Nidal Hasan, renounced his citizenship with the United States, repudiated his Army oath and publicly embraced — once again — his affiliation as a “Soldier of Allah.”

His beliefs were revealed on Thursday, via personal writings about American and Islam that were released to Fox News.

The documents included the acronym “SoA,” widely believed to stand for “Soldier of Allah.” In one Oct. 18, 2012, document, Maj. Hasan said it’s not “permissible” for someone to choose America’s political system over Shariah law, Fox News said. He also wrote that Muslims shouldn’t “compromise their beliefs” for those who don’t follow the tenets of Islam.

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Update: Hasan sends writings to Fox News ahead of Fort Hood shooting trial -- FOX News

My Comment: I expect the trial will be long .... and the appeals even longer. But what I find is reprehensible is that he is still receiving his pay.

Accused Fort Hood Shooter Hasan Has Received $300K In Pay While Awaiting Trial

Photo: Maj. Nidal Hasan. Reuters

Outrage Over Accused Fort Hood Shooter's $300K Pay Spurs Legislation -- ABC News

For the nearly four years since Army Maj. Nidal Hasan allegedly gunned down more than a dozen American servicemen, U.S. taxpayers have continued to pay his salary -- to the tune of around $300,000 so far. But new legislation, called the "Stop Pay for Violent Offenders Act" and introduced Monday in the House of Representatives, would authorize the military to suspend pay for Hasan and other members of the military for any capital or sex-related offense.

Current law allows the military to suspend the pay of civilian employees, but an Army spokesperson told ABC News last month that it cannot stop paying Hasan, who is still officially in the Army, at his usual pay grade unless he's convicted. Hasan has admitted to shooting his fellow soldiers, saying in June that the Nov. 5, 2009 attack on Fort Hood in Texas was done in the "defense of others," in his case, the Taliban. Hasan has repeatedly refused to enter a plea, so earlier this month the military pleaded "not guilty" for him

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Update: Lawmakers move to stop Fort Hood shooting suspect Nidal Hasan’s pay -- Washington Times

My Comment: This case is now in it's fourth year .... I have only question .... why this long?

Fort Hood Shooter Says He Was Defending The Taliban

Fort Hood Suspect Says He Was Defending Taliban Leaders -- New York Times

KILLEEN, Tex. — Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people, told a judge on Tuesday that he believed he was defending the lives of the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan from American military personnel when he went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood here in November 2009.

Major Hasan’s remarks were the first public explanation about the motive for one of the deadliest mass shootings at an American military base. His comments came a day after the judge granted his request to release his court-appointed military lawyers so that he could represent himself.

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More News On The Fort Hood Massacre Court Case

Fort Hood Suspect Says He Was Protecting Taliban -- ABC News/AP
Fort Hood suspect sought to protect Taliban -- CNN
Fort Hood murder suspect claims he was defending the lives of Taliban leaders (Video) -- Examiner
Judge postpones ruling on whether to delay Fort Hood trial -- Reuters
Judge gives accused Ft. Hood shooter 24 hours to outline defense -- L.A. Times
Nidal Hasan can represent himself at trial, raising specter of jihadist rants - Christian Science Monitor
Fort Hood Victims Upset; Suspect Can Question Them -- Military.com/AP
Why military judge has hands full with Nidal Hasan court-martial -- Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor

Accused Fort Hood Shooter Continues To Receive His Pay While His Victims Struggle Financially

View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com.

Accused Fort Hood Shooter Paid $278,000 While Awaiting Trial -- NBC

Injured soldier outraged suspected shooter receives salary while his family financially struggles in recovery.

The Department of Defense confirms to NBC 5 Investigates that accused Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hasan has now been paid more than $278,000 since the Nov. 5, 2009 shooting that left 13 dead 32 injured. The Army said under the Military Code of Justice, Hasan’s salary cannot be suspended unless he is proven guilty.

If Hasan had been a civilian defense department employee, NBC 5 Investigates has learned, the Army could have suspended his pay after just seven days.

Personnel rules for most civilian government workers allow for "indefinite suspensions" in cases "when the agency has reasonable cause to believe that the employee has committed a crime for which a sentence of imprisonment may be imposed."

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My Comment: The government views the attack as "work place violence" .... but if he was a civilian Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hasan would have had his pay suspended with 7 days. As for the survivors of this attack .... their outrage is justified.

Bill Introduced To Help Fort Hood Shooting Survivors

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Congressman Reintroduces Bill to Help Ft. Hood Shooting Victims -- ABC News

The Congressman whose district includes Ft. Hood is reintroducing a bill that will help victims of the 2009 shooting at the Texas Army base receive full benefits and make them eligible for the Purple Heart or the civilian equivalent.

"Shortly after the shooting, I introduced The Fort Hood Families Benefits Protection Act, which would award both military and civilian casualties of the Fort Hood attack combatant status," said Rep. John Carter, R.-Texas. "It became clear early on that the Obama administration was reluctant to officially refer to the November 5, 2009 attack on Fort Hood as a 'terrorist attack.'"

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My Comment: This is a non-partisan issue .... and a scandal that keeps on going.

Fort Hood Shootings Will Not Be Labelled As A Terrorist Attack

Pentagon Will Not Label Fort Hood Shootings As Terrorist Attack -- Washington Times

Already facing intense scrutiny for its shifting narrative about the assault on the U.S. Consulate in Libya, the Pentagon now says it will not reclassify the Fort Hood shootings as a terrorist attack over concern about biasing the case against the gunman — an argument that is getting a mixed review from legal specialists.

Late Friday, after 160 victims of the Fort Hood, Texas, shooting called on the Pentagon to label the attack terrorism instead of workplace violence as it has for the past three years, the Department of Defense said it would not reclassify the attack.

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My Comment: By not labeling this as a terror attack, this will be a direct financial hit on the families who are still suffering from this attack. What's my take .... I have always regarded this attack as a terrorist attack .... but .... I do not run the U.S. Department of Defense.

Fort Hood Shooting Suspect Must Be 'Forcibly Shaved'

An undated photo of U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan shows the Fort Hood shooting suspect with a beard he began growing in jail this summer. Bell County Sheriff's Office via Reuters

Judge Rules Fort Hood Shooting Suspect Must Be 'Forcibly Shaved' -- NBC

A judge ordered Thursday that Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist charged in a 2009 deadly shooting rampage at Fort Hood, must shave or be forcibly shaved before his trial.

Judge Col. Gregory Gross had said he would deliver a definitive order this week after a hearing to determine whether Hasan would be allowed to keep his beard, which he started growing while in jail earlier this summer. Gross barred him from appearing in military court, citing the Army’s strict regulations regarding grooming standards.

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Update: Judge may issue order for Fort Hood suspect beard -- AP

My comment: I am not shedding a tear for him.