High Suicide Rate at Fort Hood: Is There a Connection With Maj. Nidal M. Hasan (update)

The shooting massacre at Fort Hood should raise many questions with the public.

For starters, why did the FBI react the way they did with what they knew?

At least six months ago, Hasan came to the attention of law enforcement officials because of Internet postings about suicide bombings and other threats, including posts that equated suicide bombers to soldiers who throw themselves on a grenade to save the lives of their comrades.

Investigators had not determined for certain whether Hasan was the author of the posting, and a formal investigation had not been opened before the shooting, said law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the case.

What about the CIA?

U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda, two American officials briefed on classified material in the case told ABC News.

Why did the Army react the way they did when Hasan was clearly incompetent at his job.

And last, since it has been reported Fort Hood had a high suicide rate, you have to ask, what kind of mental health treatment was/is being provided to soldiers at Fort Hood when you consider Hasan was part of the counseling program at the mental health facilities on Fort Hood.

What about his time at Walter Reed? Soldier Suicide Attempts Skyrocket

In the article, you will find the number of suicides have increased substantially within the last year. And it wasn't until July of this year that Hasan was moved from Walter Reed.

So what has Hasan's impact been as a doctor who treated soldiers who Hasan in effect, saw as an enemy to his religion?

Update:

The Telegraph in the U.K. has written a disturbing article in that the writer use a soldier's mental health issues to drive home that Hasan may have suffered from PTSD.

Kern, who is originally from California, ran across Hasan several times at the clinic, although he was not being treated by him.

"The shooter was a therapist for people like me. He was not my therapist but he was in the building all the time, I saw him once a week. He seemed like a normal guy, in all ways. He was always very respectful.

"A very decent guy, you know. He was talking with soldiers that had been in combat, lost friends, like me," Kern said.

"Him being a Muslim has nothing to do with it," he said firmly, as army investigators confirmed they believed Hasan acted alone and appeared to rule out speculation that it may have been a terror plot against the base.

"People in this situation are very susceptible to developing PTSD. I know a few people who got discharged from the military because they had PTSD without deploying. If I told you all my stories, you'd have nightmares."

Last year 128 soldiers committed suicide, a tragic record which could well be broken this year as tens of thousands of troops battle with the demons left by repeated, lengthy tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is journalism at it worst.

To use the mental health issues of a soldier who was never treated by Hasan as a backdrop to the narrative that Hasan may have suffered from PTSD, is lousy.

Maybe journalists should investigate what Hasan's treatment was towards soldiers that he counseled, instead of using soldiers who do not know what Hasan was thinking to push the Hasan "cracked" angle.

As for the soldier in the article? I have to ask, what would have been his feelings if he had Hasan as his doctor.