US Army Major guns down 12 soldiers

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Army Major himself succumbed to the mental pressure of a difficult posting and took to gun to give vent to his frustration. As many as 12 innocent lives were lost and the Major would have to answer for it.

CJ: Chitranjan Sawant

Fri, Nov 06, 2009 12:05:49 IST

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FORT HOOD is the biggest Army facility in Texas, USA that can house two divisions. Those soldiers who are marked for overseas postings are stationed here for some time for a refit, a medical check up and a psychological briefing.

Major Malik Nidal Hasan, a US born Muslim and an accompalished psychiatrist was posted here and was ordered to move to Iraq on duty. He had been resisting this order for some time. The day, a couple of days back, when he opened fire from two of his hand guns, he had lost control of his mind and did what he had been advising others not to do.

An accompalished psychiatrist, Major Hasan had enrolled for the Army service when he was in High School. Before moving to Texas on way to Iraq, he had done a tenure in the prestigious medical facility, Walter Reid Army Hospital and research centre, Washington DC where he examined and helped to rehabilitate the sick and wounded returning from a difficult duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He had achieved some measure of success in his rehabilitation efforts of troops.

What an irony it was that the psychiatrist Army Major himself succumbed to the mental pressure of a difficult posting and took to gun to give vent to his frustration. As many as 12 innocent lives were lost and the Major would have to answer for it. Right now he is in Military custody in an injured but stable condition. Earlier reports of his being shot and killed by the police are not true.

President Obama and the Commanding general of Fort hood have condemned this senseless killing and promised a thorough investigation. Many aspects of mind, body and soul of Army officers under stress of an extreme nature would have to be studied to prevent a recurrence of this unfortunate carnage.

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	AUM.Subsequent to writing this piece on the tragic and unprecedented episode I have learnt that the Islamist influence on the killer Major cannot be ruled out. it was his right under the constitution to follow his faith but it is understood that he visited mosques more often than an average Muslim army officer would do. May be , there he came under the brain washing influence of a Jihadi group who misled him. The psychiatric pressure was too much on the accomplished psychiatrist and he went on a killing spree. The number of those who lost their lives is now 13.
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