'Palestinian' jihadi Major Nidal Hasan, who shot down 14 people (including an unborn child)in a crowded medical building at Fort Hood,Texas in November 2009 will face the death penalty.
Fort Hood's commanding general, Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell, said today that if Hasan is convicted by the military court that's trying him, he could possibly be sentenced to death. This concurs with the Army's Article 32 review board's recommendation. Hasan has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.
"I believe the Army as an institution has long been planning to go this route," Hasan's lead attorney, John Galligan. Galligan had urged the military to take the death penalty option off the table, and refused to say whether he's considering an insanity defense for his client.He also refused to discuss results of a military mental health panel's evaluation of Hasan, which rendered an opinion on whether Hasan is competent to stand trial. Since the Army refused to preclude the possibility of the death penalty, I'm guessing they found him competent.
A date for trial has not yet been set.
That's kind of interesting. Is Hasan's attorney likely to claim in a court of law that following the murderous teachings of Mohammed is a sign of insanity? Oh dear, I sense an outraged fatwa coming on...John Galligan had better seek out Salman Rushdie and get some tips on disappearing!
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