Who is Nidal Hasan?
From doctor to destroyer: A biographical timeline of the Fort Hood shooting spree suspect
A rough picture is beginning to emerge of the life of Major Nadal Malik Hasan, the US Army psychiatrist currently being held as the sole suspect in the Fort Hood massacre. The following timeline and biographical details have been collected from media reports in the hours following the tragedy:
1970: Nadal Malik Hasan is born in Arlington, VA, to Palistinian immigrant parents
Childhood: Hasan's family moves to Vinton, VA. He is reportedly a studious child who goes by name "Michael"
1987: Hasan family is living in apartment in northwest Roanoke, VA
1988: Hasan graduates from William Fleming high school in Roanoke
Post-high school: Hasan reportedly enlists in U.S. Army, against wishes of his parents.
1992: Hasan enrolls at Virginia Tech after having reportedly taken classes at Virginia Western Community College and Barstow Community College in Barstow, CA
1995: Hasan earns biochemistry degree from Virginia Tech. May or may not have been enrolled in an ROTC program
March 1996: Hasan is issued a permit by the state of Virginia to carry a concealed handgun
Post - Sept. 2001: Reportedly feels harrassed by fellow soldiers due to his Muslim faith. Their slurs included "camel jockey"
2003: Hasan takes medical degree at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md.
2003 - 2007: Hasan works as intern/resident at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. Reportedly requires "counseling and extra supervision," according to Hasan's then-training director. During this period, worships at a mosque in Silver Spring, MD. Reportedly is disciplined for proselytizing his faith while at work
July 2005: Hasan is issued Virginia medical license #0101238630
2007: Completes psychiatry residency at Walter Reed Medical Center
2009: Hasan treats patients afflicted with PTSD from Iraq/Afghanistan, including a staff sargeant who later says of Hasan that he is "far and away one of the best psychiatrists I ever dealt with"
2009: Is reportedly anxious to get out of the Army. After completing repayment of his student loans, has retained a lawyer to pursue his options for doing so.
2009: Completes fellowship in Disaster and Preventive Psychiatry at Walter Reed
Spring 2009 or earlier: Hasan comes to attention of federal law authorities for internet postings on themes including suicide bombings. One online comment by "Nidal Hasan" compares Muslim suicide bombers to soldiers who leap on a live grenade to save comrades' lives. "Their intention is not to die because of some despair," reads the comment. "You can call them crazy if you want but their act was not one of suicide that is despised by Islam."
May 2009: Hasan is promoted to rank of Major
July 2009: Hasan transfers to the Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood
Morning of Nov. 5: Hasan offers his possessions to a neighbor in Killeen, TX, including a Koran and a bag of vegetables. Asks her to give every she doesn't want to the Salvation Army. "I'm ready," he tells her.
1:30 pm: Begins Fort Hood shooting spree that leaves 12 dead and 30 injured. Hasan is shot four times and survives but is comatose. He was scheduled for deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan in the near future.
NIDAL MALIK HASAN'S FAMILY
Mother: Hanan Ismail "Nora" Hasan. Born: 1952, Died: 2001. Born in Palestine. Operated now-closed Capitol Restaurant in Roanoke area. According to obituary was “known for her ability to keep sometimes rowdy customers out of trouble and always had a warm meal for someone who otherwise would not have anything to eat that evening.”
Father: Malik Awadallah Hassan. Died: 1998. Born in Palestine. Owned Mount Olive Grill and Bar and a Roanoke-area grocery store.
Siblings: Two brothers, one living in Virginia and one in Jerusalem
Marital status: Single but reportedly was seeking an equally religious woman who "prayed five times a day" and chose to wear a hijab
Children: None known
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SEE MORE OF THE WEEK'S COVERAGE OF FORT HOOD:
• What Kimberly Munley's heroism means
• Fort Hood: The Al-Qaeda question
• Fort Hood: What the world is saying
• Fort Hood: Obama's "flippant" speech
• Fort Hood: Crime or terrorism?
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152 Comments
Posted by Hm.., Friday, November 6, 2009, 2:49 pm Am I reading this correctly? This guy publicly supported and justified suicide bombers BEFORE he was promoted to Major? Someone's CO didn't to their homework and needs to be fired. When our war is against a disjointed enemy that wears no uniform, we need to vet our own so that we know who we are entrusting our lives to.
Posted by SFC D, Friday, November 6, 2009, 3:06 pm I am not defending the guy, but this story only says he equated two acts. It does not say he supported or justified them. His job was to understand peoples thought processes. This very easily had as much or more to do with his field than his faith. The simple answer is to blame the faith. If it is the field, that is a larger concern because it could be anyone in uniform. I have 19 years in so far. Lets make sure we identify the correct why so we can do everything possible to prevent it from happening again. My sypathies to the families.
Posted by JB, Friday, November 6, 2009, 3:07 pm I agree, it is hard to trust our military machine if they go keep a man with these attitudes around, that alone promote him!One thing tho', notice that he was harassed and called a camel jockey by his fellow Americans. This is a good example of how hatred can chase it's tail until it explodes. The good Americans that made him feel like an outsider, also have a hand in this tragedy.
Posted by Constance, Friday, November 6, 2009, 3:12 pm His CO should be demoted, or retrained so he doesn't promote a nut again. THEN, pull the plug on this murdering bastand. There is no reason to keep him around. Let him go so the families can grieve without hearing his name again. Let him go, and bring our troops home. No more soldiers fighting for people who want Americans dead.
Posted by Constance, Friday, November 6, 2009, 3:17 pm ?What? 'The good Americans that made him feel like an outsider, also have a hand in this tragedy.' HASAN pulled the trigger. The good Americans did not. Do not even suggest that they had any part in this murder's sick plot to kill Americans. HASAM is sick. HE killed people. HE had the guns. HE made his plans. HE gave his worldly possessions to his neighbor, knowing he would die. Hoping he would die. HE was weak. HE had a choice to do good or evil. Only HE had the choice and HE made the choice to kill innocent people. Do NOT blame others!!
Posted by Kelly, Friday, November 6, 2009, 3:22 pm JB, you are so wrong. Hasan did the deed. No one forced him to be a murderer. He did this on his own. If every person who has been shunned, for whatever reason, chose evil over good, then, to you, it would be ok and explanable? NO. If someone is mean to you, or doesn't include you in the Friday night poker game, then you are justified to open fire on another group of innocent people? JB, that is just wrong thinking on your part. Hasan is a murderer. He murdered people. He is nuts. End of story. Don't blame others for his mistakes. He killed.
Posted by rick, Friday, November 6, 2009, 3:31 pm Yes Hasan went off the deep end. What contributed? Maybe it was the ongoing occupations where our drones and troops kill innocents almost every day? Maybe it was our government support for the ongoing oppression of Palestinians and the cowardly Congressional resolution preventing discussion of the Goldstone Report on Israel's killing of 1400 Gazans? Maybe it was anguish at a military he eagerly joined before we invaded Afghanistan but now opposed? This horrible tragedy is a byproduct of US/Israeli occupations and violence.
Posted by SAMANTHA J, Friday, November 6, 2009, 3:39 pm You know what's really funny if this man Hassan who was born and raised in the U.S. with an amercanized mentatlity, worked for the U.S. government off all places, interacted with sychotic american soldiers coming back from was is not a justified war after killing so many innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan, went by the name John or Micheal or Dave,with and american last name would not be called aterrorist or Jihadist.Just because this guy comes a middle eastern background and muslim, automatically becomes a terrorist. not fair.
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