Friends recall accused 101st sergeant as studious introvert

Modesto Bee ^ | March 24, 2003 | various

[js1138]

The couple filed for a trial separation in March 2001 and the divorce was finalized on Sept. 11...

Bummer. Definitely a day to remember.

[mikeb704]

"She was in disbelief," he said.

So was Marguerite Oswald. Moms - especially those name their sons Fidel - are always the last to know.

Michael M. Bates: My Side of the Swamp

[joesnuffy]

studious?
...& what did he study?...islamo facism
His graduation exercise was the asassination of a member of the 101 Airborne's C&C
in a de-capitation strike.. for allah and mohammed and the glory of islam...

[rstevens]

Does it strike anyone else as odd that this guy would get a couple of Engineering degrees, and then join the Army (in a combat arms unit, no less) as an enlisted man?

Doesn't strike me as odd at all. Many college degreed people join the military service, first as enlisted personnel. Unless they are ROTC students in a program to be commissioned, then they must join the military then go thru OCS to become commisioned officers.

He enlisted and was trained as an engineer and was in an Engineer unit in Kuwait.

What is odd about this?

What I find odd is that the muslim/Islamic chaplains are not being closely watched and investigated. I believe there is now and has been for the past 10 years, an Al Quaida type effort to infiltrate the US Military with Muslim extremists. The DC Sniper is one of several instances.

[2nd amendment mama]

He graduated from UC Davis a year later under the name Akbar, and enlisted in the Army in 1998.

He wasn't even in the service during the 1st Gulf War!

[applemac_g4]

This does strike me as extremely odd. The armed forces have programs that sends civilians to camp, then OCS and commissions them as an officer; I know several people I graduated with who took this route. Thank God for all the enlisted folks in our military - but it's highly unusual that someone with his academic qualifications would take that route and end up doing what he did.

That says to me that he was more interested in getting close to a combat zone and other troops than getting an engineering desk job far from the front.

[ChemistCat]

Ah, more of that weird disinformation effect. I don't know where I read it but some article or other said that he had resented not being permitted to join the battle in the first Gulf War. Something about his being held back in Kuwait instead of being allowed to go into Iraq with his unit.

[I_be_tc]

He was the eldest of FIVE OR SIX children. My folks had 14 children and they never lost count. Maybe he was the brilliant one in his family.

TC

[verity]

"He was always sticking his nose in a book,"

Which book?

[Spruce]

Hang the SOB from his neck until he is dead!

[VOA]

...his family and friends are trying to reconcile the different faces of Akbar...

Let me make it simple for them.
He became a committed radical Islamicist.
In order to accomplish his mission, he HAD TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE "FACE".

Like Mohammed Atta and all of his butt-boy crew.

And the silent "moderate" Muslims wonder why rational Americans don't trust them.



I'm AMAZED that I've only heard one media report on Akbar (or whatever the h-ll his
name is/was) mention that the adult portion of the Beltway sniper team attempted
to frag some fellow soldiers during Gulf War I.

And he wasn't even booted out of the military (or thrown in the brig for years) for that
potentially murderous assault.
Who says political correctness hasn't invaded even the US Military?

[Spook86]

While I knew many NCOs with college degrees during my time in the military, most earned them after entering the service. I'm only guessing here, but I'd say Kools had an undistinguished academic record; probably struggled in class and had to take a number of courses over (not unusual in an engineering program). With an undistinguised academic record, he couldn't land a job, so he returned to school to get a second engineering degree. Still unable to find employment as an engineer, he finally turned to the Army. I can almost hear the recruiter tell him that the Army would send him to OCS in no time, given his academic qualifications.

But I'll venture that the Army was about as impressed with Mr. Kools as prospective civilian employers. Moody, loner--definitely not the type who succeeds in the military. I'd like to get a look at his performance reports; they probably identify him as someone who would never earn a commission, or move past the ranks of a mid-level NCO. I'm sure that galled him to no end--a sergeant with two engineering degrees serving under white officers with less education. Couple that with a failed marriage and the teachings of militant Islam, and you've got an explosive mix.

BTW, I'm puzzled, as are many of you, by the decision to leave Kools in the unit after he was reprimanded for insubordination last week. At that point, I would have put Kools back on a plane for Ft. Campbell.

[Riley]

Two Engineering degrees is grossly overqualified to be an enlisted combat engineer. I was a Combat Engineer when I was in the Corps. The focus of our training was mine clearing in a contested environment, explosive demolition with offensive and defensive components, defensive minelaying, river crossings with prefabricated bridging elements.

I work with professional engineers now. Most of them were scrambling, putting in the long hours, to pay off their student loans when they started out as engineers.

When I was in the service, I knew a few guys with degrees who were in the ranks, but they were few and far between.

I'm not saying that it is impossible, just a bit strange- particularly in this case.

[2nd amendment mama]

I noticed that in an article I read and noted the discrepancy then.....the media certainly doesn't want facts clouding the discussion (or truthful info)!

[rwfromkansas]

According to the Los Angeles Times, soldiers who witnessed Akbar's arrest said that Akbar yelled out: "You guys are coming into our countries, and you're going to rape our women and kill our children."

I notice nobody is bothering to report this quote.

Let's e-mail Fox.......