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Tampa intelligence officer wants to know if Fort Hood shooter had 'sinister' connections
ABC Action News ^ | 11/6/2009 | Jeff Butera

Posted on 11/05/2009 9:40:14 PM PST by Saije

According to retired Col. Mike Pheneger, who spent 30 years as a military intelligence officer including five years at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, said United States intelligence should be focusing on why suspected Fort Hood gunman Nidal Malik Hasan did what he did.

It is possible that Hasan was merely unhappy about an imminent deployment to either Iraq or Afghanistan, as some have speculated, Pheneger said.

But Pheneger believes there are enough facts about Hasan's background that merit at least some suspicion about his motivation.

"One of the issues they're trying to figure out is whether the guy was simply individually motivated by his distaste with the Army and his unwillingness to go ahead and deploy or whether there's some more sinister aspect to the whole thing," Pheneger said.

Among the "more sinister aspects" that Pheneger suggested were that Hasan is a "lone wolf" who has sympathy for Islamic militancy and "decided to go act on his own to do some damage" or that he could have "consciously been placed as a plant in the U.S. Army."

Pheneger believes the last suggestion is the least likely but also the most sinister.

Late Thursday, federal law enforcement officials said Hasan had been on their radar for at least six months because of Internet postings about suicide bombings and other threats.

Pheneger said Hasan's computer would be one place intelligence officers would be looking. They would also delve into Hasan's social network and check with intelligence sources to find out if Hasan had ever had contact with organizations around the world, he said.

"I normally take these things with a grain of salt," Pheneger said, "but the other factor that comes in here is this guy handles a gun awfully well for a doctor."

(Excerpt) Read more at abcactionnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: army; fthood; hasan; islam; jihad; jihadinamerica; killing; nidalmalikhasan; stealthjihad
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To: Plutarch

On another thread someone calculated that there is a 7-year gap in the Major’s adult life.

Where was he and what was he doing?

Remember, people do things then change their minds, than change their minds again.


21 posted on 11/05/2009 10:26:32 PM PST by SatinDoll (NO Foreign Nationals as our President!!)
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To: Saije

They should check the mosque nearby on Friday. Immediately after 9/11/2001, the mosque near me was totally empty. Normally on Fridays there were cars parked along the street for a quarter mile in each direction and men in dresses all over the place. I’d bet his mosque will be empty this week.


22 posted on 11/05/2009 10:36:06 PM PST by saint
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To: PhiKapMom

I read elsewhere on FR that he had extensive advanced training in shooting.


23 posted on 11/05/2009 11:10:05 PM PST by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done needs to be done by the government)
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To: Mind-numbed Robot

“Officials say Hasan used two handguns, including a semi-automatic, to fire at fellow soldiers. Neither of the guns was military-issue.”

Found the above at the Dallas Morning News which means his training was outside the military since the guns he used were not military-issue. Military doesn’t usually waste time on training doctors to shoot.


24 posted on 11/05/2009 11:17:59 PM PST by PhiKapMom (Mary Fallin - OK Gov/Coburn - Senate 2010 ! Take Back the House/Senate! Stop ZERO!)
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To: PhiKapMom

If what I read elsewhere is true it makes one wonder why he felt a need to be a good shooter. Also, in keeping with what you said I doubt as a psychiatrist he was issued a handgun.

I think he just couldn’t bear, as a “good” Muslim, to be directly involved with fighting his fellow jihadists. Instead, he had his own jihad at home.

In Islam, what is good and what is bad? It all seems backward to me.

Good is enslaving women, imprisoning people with an improper beard, slaying your own daughters or wives for some perceived harm to one’s honor, killing all who are not like you. Bad is the improper beard, a woman showing more than her eyes in public, etc.

How can there possibly be peace and honor living like that?


25 posted on 11/05/2009 11:41:24 PM PST by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done needs to be done by the government)
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To: Alas Babylon!; American_Centurion; An.American.Expatriate; ASA.Ranger; ASA Vet; Ax; Azeem; ...

MI Ping


26 posted on 11/06/2009 12:37:06 AM PST by ASA Vet (Iran should have ceased to exist Nov 5, 1979, but we had no president then either.)
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To: ASA Vet

I anticipate more of this, and all will cite insults to Islam as something that drove them over the edge. There’s been plenty of time to infiltrate the military and civilian security organizations.
What interests me specifically about this guy is the statement that he was of interest to the feds for several months. This, coupled with the claims of other officers - I’m basing this on earlier reports about this incident - that he had praised other attacks on US troops makes me wonder why he hadn’t been questioned already. Making those statements seems to fit SAEDA criteria, at the very least.


27 posted on 11/06/2009 2:04:31 AM PST by MadJack ("Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet." (Afghan proverb))
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To: pillut48

You are the first commenter on the confluence of events — Hasan seems like a plant to me, also, who let loose at the perfect distracting moment...and Obama’s behavior cannot be described as anything but peculiar and inappropriate—but then, he may have known about the situation all along, so it WASN’t news to him—he showed us that much!!!


28 posted on 11/06/2009 2:16:09 AM PST by browniexyz
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To: SatinDoll

THere’s a seven-year gap in our President’s life too!


29 posted on 11/06/2009 2:17:57 AM PST by browniexyz
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To: Saije

I’d be looking into this guy’s mosque and whether his imam has been pumping thoughts of jihad into his brain.


30 posted on 11/06/2009 2:31:43 AM PST by Fresh Wind ("Prosperity is just around the corner." VP Charles Curtis, 1932)
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To: PhiKapMom; Mind-numbed Robot

It would have been highly unusual for him to have used a military issue weapon because those are kept locked up in the company arms room except for training when they are needed. He could not have just walked up to the company armorer and said “I need to check my pistol out for a couple of hours.” The armorer would have to check with his 1st Sergeant and/or company commander first. Just because he was an officer, he could not legally order the armorer to give it to him because the company commander is “owns” all of the unit’s weapons and is the only person who can authorize them being issued while a unit is in garrison.

At least these were the rules at Ft. Hood in 1979-80 when I was there and when I was a squadron and brigade S-2 in Germany 83-89. And knowing the “anal-retentiveness” of the Army, those rules would not have been loosened over they last 30 years.


31 posted on 11/06/2009 4:51:48 AM PST by GreyFriar (Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
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To: GreyFriar

Thanks for the info. That makes perfect sense. I suppose MPs and such are armed, right?


32 posted on 11/06/2009 5:29:46 AM PST by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done needs to be done by the government)
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To: PhiKapMom

I read omewhere that he had taken extensive extra training in firearms. My son was a medic, but took extra training in firearms. Felt like he might be called upon to protect his patients and wanted to have the training to do so.


33 posted on 11/06/2009 6:56:43 AM PST by Roses0508
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To: Plutarch

Remember who drove the car bomb into the UK airport: doctors.


34 posted on 11/06/2009 7:00:08 AM PST by hocndoc (http://www.LifeEthics.org (I've got a mustard seed and I'm not afraid to use it.))
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To: Saije

And, of course, we haven’t even STARTED the conversation about the major getting on base with two privately owned handguns when we properly trained CHL holders can’t bring our weapons on base.

Colonel, USAFR


35 posted on 11/06/2009 7:01:50 AM PST by jagusafr (Kill the red lizard, Lord! - nod to C.S. Lewis)
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To: Saije

“I normally take these things with a grain of salt,” Pheneger said, “but the other factor that comes in here is this guy handles a gun awfully well for a doctor.”

My feelings EXACTLY when I heard 12 KIA and 31 WIA from one guy with two handguns.

Colonel, USAFR


36 posted on 11/06/2009 7:03:30 AM PST by jagusafr (Kill the red lizard, Lord! - nod to C.S. Lewis)
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To: Saije

The handling of the gun aspect is overrated. Certain venues — medical waiting rooms among them do not provide cover, running room or escape routes, the body is fully exposed, easy to hit.


37 posted on 11/06/2009 7:05:09 AM PST by bvw
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To: freespirited

“Don’t all members of the military have substantial training in using weapons?”

You’d think so, but, sadly, no. Especially docs who have spent most of their time in med school, internship, residency and fellowship training. They generally get one day out at the range to qualify, then some additional range time if they’re about to deploy, but that’s about it. I got three expert marksmanship ribbons (2 AF, 1 Navy) in three trips to the range, having never fired the particular weapon before (M-9, M-38, M-16). I got proficient when I got my own weapon and chose (and choose) to spend the time on the range to be comfortable and proficient with it.

Colonel, USAFR


38 posted on 11/06/2009 7:07:56 AM PST by jagusafr (Kill the red lizard, Lord! - nod to C.S. Lewis)
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To: Mind-numbed Robot

“it makes one wonder why he felt a need to be a good shooter”

Well, I’m a JAG, but since I’m also a gun-totin’ Texas judge, I feel the need to be a good shooter.

Colonel, USAFR


39 posted on 11/06/2009 7:11:53 AM PST by jagusafr (Kill the red lizard, Lord! - nod to C.S. Lewis)
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To: Plutarch

Grooming someone that long... Remember you don’t look
at Majors, you look through them.
An EM is under the scrutiny of senior EMs and Officers
and is watched by one or the other most of the time.

Certainly it would be an advantage to have someone higher
in the chain of command, for several reasons.


40 posted on 11/06/2009 7:18:59 AM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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