Lieberman: Fort Hood Massacre Could and Should Have Been Prevented

By Anna Cameron

The U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs released a special report Thursday in response to the 2009 Fort Hood massacre that killed 13 and injured 32.

Committee Chairman Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Ranking Member Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) held a press conference to unveil the report and emphasize the harsh reality of the committee’s findings. The detailed release revealed the shocking inability of both the FBI and the Department of Defense to comprehend and act upon compelling evidence of accused killer Nidal Hassan’s escalating Islamist radicalization.

“Two associates at Walter Reed Army Medical Center called Hasan a ‘ticking time bomb’, but instead of disciplining him or removing him from the military altogether, they inexplicably promoted him,” said a concerned Lieberman.

According to the report, Hasan openly expressed his violent radicalization during military medical training at Walter Reed, while justifying the actions of suicide bombers and sympathizing with Osama Bin Laden and other Islamist extremists. The Department of Defense claims to have refrained from taking action based on a belief that Hasan’s radicalization was reflective of an understanding of Islamist culture and extremism that would be beneficial in informing military strategy and national policy.

In addition, the committee’s report revealed the substandard investigation performed by the FBI and the Joint Terrorist Task Forces (JTTF).

“In this case, the JTTF did not live up to its potential and acted instead as another stovepipe instead of communicating vital information,” said Sen. Collins. “Four hours. That is all the time that the Washington JTTF spent investigating whether a military officer in communication with a known terrorist suspect amounted to a national security threat.”

The committee also included in its report several recommendations for institutional reform based on the structural and organizational problems displayed by the FBI and the Department of Defense.

“13 people were killed at Fort Hood. To honor their memory, we pledge to use this report and its recommendations as a blueprint to ensure the appropriate reforms are adopted quickly, so the next human ticking time bomb will be identified early and diffused before another deadly detonation,” Lieberman said.