Brock Press

Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Erika Hughes

On Thursday, November 5, a US army officer was reported to have opened fire on fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, a Texas army base, killing 13 and wounding about 30.
Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a US-born Muslim and an army psychiatrist trained to counsel soldiers wrestling with the horrors of war, was preparing to be deployed to Afghanistan. Reports say his opposition to this deployment might have resulted in what is considered a "murderous rampage".
At a special memorial on Nov. 10, organized to honour the victims of the shooting, US President Barack Obama denounced the act and admitted it is difficult to come to terms with the logic behind it.
"It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy. But this much we do know: no faith justifies this murderous and craven act," President Obama told the crowd at the memorial.
Lieutenant General Robert Cone, the top commander at Fort Hood, has indicated that soldiers at the base have told investigators that Hasan, shouted "Allahu Akbar" - Arabic for "God is great" - during the attack. But it still remains unclear what role Hasan's religion played in the act. Until the US intelligence finds concrete evidence, it will be difficult to relate it to anything.
The incident, however, has sparked several controversies, including the role of religion in Hasan's actions and the effectiveness of military facilities and counseling procedures. For others, it seems to be an indication of general antipathy in the US army regarding the country's mission in Afghanistan.
One would expect that the thorough screening process new recruits undergo before they become fully admitted removes all doubt, but this is not always the case.
"There's no perfect world anywhere in society," said Lt. Col. Rakesh Jetly, psychiaratrist and mental health advisor for the Canadian Force mental health directorate. "We get recruits when they are 18 or 19 years old. Most mental illness expresses themselves after this point. It isn't an extensive screening questionnaire as a general health questionnaire."
For the Canadian Forces, Lt. Col. Jetly mentioned that there is "a standardized training package" for soldiers before they are deployed. This package involves stress awareness, learning about difficulties they may encounter and mental screening to ensure they are fit to go. There is also expertise and care for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that may occur after deployment.

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