Fort Hood killer belongs in Guantanamo Bay

By BILL JOHNSON

Evil rained down on Fort Hood last week. A man wearing the uniform of a patriot and freedom fighter took the actions of a traitor and a terrorist, ultimately killing 13 American military personnel. There’s no more appropriate description than to call it a terrorist attack.

There can be no escaping the truth that the alleged shooter had sympathies not in line with America. The record now shows he had voiced those sympathies regularly and acted on them by opening fire at Fort Hood.

Nidal Malik Hasan should not be tried in an American court and sent to a federal prison. He ought to be tried as a terrorist and sent to Guantanamo Bay. That’s where we send the enemies of freedom who are the greatest threat to America.

Sending Hasan to Guantanamo Bay would send a powerful message to potential future terrorists that our nation doesn’t take lightly any attack on our military or anywhere on American soil.

I retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel after 26 years of service. That was long enough to know that a soldier with anti-American sentiments and a grudge against his fellow troops should have been identified long before attaining the rank of Major, much less before beginning his anti-American shooting spree.

Reminder

This should serve as a reminder that until the war on terrorism is won, we must carefully monitor our military for signs of Muslim extremism or other virulent strains of violence and hatred toward our nation.

That’s not to say we should repeat what Franklin Roosevelt did when he interned Americans of Japanese descent during World War II. His actions targeted private, otherwise innocent, U.S. citizens.

A soldier is not a private citizen. A soldier volunteers and gives up certain rights. Any soldier with ties to controversial Muslim clerics, which news reports indicate Hasan had, and who hired a lawyer to avoid serving overseas must receive higher scrutiny.

Leadership means not worrying about pleasing everyone if you know you’re in the right. Leadership means identifying what’s right for your country and then doing it.

Unfortunately, the immediate response out of Washington was more about partisanship than leadership. Administration spokesmen littered the Sunday talk shows with indecisive spin.

Army Chief of Staff General George Casey, Jr. said, “As great a tragedy as this was, it would be a shame if our diversity became a casualty as well.”

As a veteran and an American citizen, I’m offended that anyone would think that diversity should trump the safety of the men and women who serve. It has long been the American soldier’s willingness to lay down his or her own life in the name of liberty that’s made America the world’s premiere democracy and a beacon for all those who cherish freedom in their own countries.

The danger when political considerations seep into military discussions is palpable. We’ve seen in Iraq and Afghanistan that our best chance for victory is letting the military leaders on the ground dictate strategy.

An aggressive monitoring program might offend the “politically correct” crowd. Any true leader, however, must realize that it’s not only responsible, but also necessary to ensure our military personnel are safe and prepared to fulfill their duty.

Real priority

President Obama has attempted to frame this issue in pro or anti-Muslim terms, but in doing so, he is losing sight of the real priority.

Diversity was not the victim at Fort Hood.

The 13 people who died and dozens who were injured are the victims. When we let partisanship get in the way of leadership, it is harmful to our soldiers, our military objectives, and, ultimately, our freedom.

This week we celebrated Veteran’s Day. But no matter what day of the year, we ought to thank the men and women of our Armed Forces for their daily sacrifices to protect our liberty. Let us also do our part at home by demanding leadership that puts sound policy and strategy above partisanship.

X Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Bill Johnson lives in Poland, Ohio.