"Allahu Akbar": Hasan's Words as He Fired?

Arabic for "God Is Great"; Base Commander Tells Harry Smith Soldiers Report Alleged Fort Hood Gunman Said It During Rampage

(CBS/ AP)  Soldiers who witnessed the shooting rampage at Fort Hood that left 13 people dead reported that the gunman shouted "Allahu Akbar!" as he fired on his fellow soldiers, the base commander said Friday.

Lt. Gen. Robert Cone told "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith said officials had not yet confirmed that the suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, made the comment, which is Arabic for "God is great!" during the rampage Thursday, which also left 30 people wounded, including the gunman.

"Did he say anything as he was carrying out this act?" Smith asked Cone.

"There are reports, unconfirmed, that he was saying, 'Allahu Akbar," ' Cone replied.

As he laid out what happened, Cone lauded the soldiers on-scene who struggled mightily to help others. "In talking to many of the soldiers in the hospital last night," Cone said to Smith, "they reported almost a very calm and measured approach by the gunman, who went around and, in some cases, talked to one young man who was shot four times, and by the same shooter. And then when he thought -- he said, 'I made the mistake of moving, and I was shot again.'

"And ... as the shooter would change directions, the soldiers would scramble on the ground and try to help each other to carry each other outside the building. And at one point, the gunman realized a lot of the soldiers had started to escape, walked and started shooting outside the building and struck some of the soldiers as they were trying to escape.

More Coverage of the Tragedy at Fort Hood:

What Might Have Set Off Fort Hood Gunman?
Fort Hood Suspect's Home Searched
Answers Sought in Ft. Hood Shooter Rampage
Radical Ties Not Ruled Out at Ft. Hood
Store's Video May Show Ft. Hood Suspect
Anti-Muslim Backlash Immediate
Fort Hood Rampage Suspect Sill Alive
What Was Shooter's Motive?
Soldier Opens Fire at Ft. Hood; 13 Dead
U.S. Army Base Violence Has Bloody History
Obama: Fort Hood Shooting "Horrific"
Fast Facts: Fort Hood
Tragedy at Fort Hood


"The stories from these young soldiers ... (they were) really remarkable in terms of their reaction. A young lady who realizes that her battle buddy is hurt takes her blouse off, ties a tourniquet, carries the guy outside, gets him to safety and then realizes she herself is shot. Talking to most of these kids, I said, "Did it hurt, etc.,' and they said, 'All we could think of is getting out of there.' So, pretty good reaction, I think."

Cone also discussed what's ahead for the base now, and how the gunman was shot and captured:


Watch CBS News Videos Online

[truthhurts666]

bigotha
When are you going to give shout out for cleaning all the racist behaviour of white culture ? Iraq war was nothing but a racist war, a blood lust of American right wingers to kill as many Muslims as possible ,

as according to Ann Coulter Quote -> Attack their countries, kill their leaders, convert them to Christianity.

1. Attack happened .
2. They killed leaders.
3. Convert them to Christianity ( This is done 50% by demonizing muslims so much that , they can't defend their faith).

I am definitely sure that there will be many soldiers in American army with this mentality. Other why would some one will tear the "All is love" Sticker from Major Hasan's car ? First you will have to get rid of those soldiers if you want any cooperation from Muslims. No body is going to help you in war against Islam.

[truthhurts666]

There is attempt from American right wing fanatics to make this thing against all Muslims , Yes its right of all Americans to lie about others and demonize them like Hitler did against Jews, Thats why right wingers every day lie against their own president Obama.

[truthhurts666]

Now I understand how you white thugs used to demonize blacks and Jews, Same kind of propaganda was done against blacks, you used to enslave them , lynch them but still used to call them monsters, You white racist thugs are doing same things with Muslims now, not all people could tolerate your racist behaviour. If you white thugs can demonize your president because he is black than demonizing Muslims is no big thing for you.

[lioness41]

When this man entered the service he was young and did not really understand what he might one day be asked to do or to risk. To the young who have never faced death the possibility is always remote, and in exchange for a free education that he otherwise could not get without massive student loans and a lifetime of debt, this remote possibility seemed reasonable. So he signed up. After all, giving a few years of service during peacetime to the country in exchange would confirm his patriotism and provide him with a career that would pay well.

Then we went to war. Never had he considered that we might go to war against people from a similar ethnic and religious background, people who essentially believed what he believed, who were living in the area his parents came from. Now what to do? He didn't want to shoot people like himself, but he had his duty. He didn't want to face the dangers of the battlefield that he thought he would never face.

Sadly for him, if the President and his commanders said that people with whom he felt such a bond were the enemy, he had to behave as if they were, and shoot them. If they said, "Go, even at the risk of your death." he had to obey his orders and go. He was getting older and wising up too, realizing that he himself could be wounded or die. He had heard the stories of people back from the very battlefields he was soon to head for.

So he tried to convince others that the war was wrong, but it made no difference. Once we are at war somewhere the military personnel have to obey their orders no matter what. The enemy is shooting at them and they have to shoot back, for survival at least. Then he learned that even his court case to try to stop his deployment would not save him.

But still he did not want to take responsibility for his decision to enter the service when it seemed like a cakewalk. Still he did not want to face the fact that he had signed papers giving someone else the right to tell him to kill.

Members of the military do not get to choose the conditions of their service. They cannot demand to not have to go to war against people who look like family or share their religion. They cannot demand safety for themselves in an unsafe profession. The only way not to deploy was to make himself such a criminal here that we'd lock him in a cell for the rest of his life. All he had to do was give up his freedom forever.

On top of that he could get revenge. He could choose to do the shooting in a place that had people who had been over there, to punish those he deemed guilty, and those who were going over there, to prevent them from doing the same.

So to avoid facing his cowardice and bad judgment in joining up, he walked into a medical center with two guns and lots of extra ammo and opened fire. He killed people he never knew to make their dead bodies into the perfect excuse for himself.

What garbage he is.

[jd2408]

Your theory seems plausible however my fathers father was German. My father fought in WWII. I agree this man was looking for a free ride with his education thinking he would not be asked to serve his country in time of war. I think this is not unusual and many young people do. However, what I see in this man is an American born male that was raised by his family as a foreigner. I believe he was raised and taught at an early age that he was not part of America and that his loyalty should be placed outside this country and culture. He was an American foreigner.

[thurmontcrow]

This guy could have been a "sleeper". How many more are out there?

[NAILGUNNER52]

"ALLAH AKBAR"
SUCH A SPECIAL LITTLE SAYING.
KILL "THEM" BEFORE THEY SAY IT TO YOU.
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IS KILLING AMERICA.
WHEN WILL WE LEARN. THIS NEEDS TO STOP.
WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR???

[peach_es]

It has been postulated that these Muslim extremists who perpetrate acts of violence while shouting "Allah akbar" are in fact blaspheming God & not acknowledging that God will deal with any sinners,it is NOT an action of a muslim extremist to decide.

[skypilot5973]

Muslims do not believe in the same god as Christians. "Allahu akbar" means "Allah is Great". The Koran promotes jihad or 'holy war' on all non-belevers, also called infidels. Don't let the political correctness crap throw you. The Crusades - from 1000 years ago - were never really over for them, they just had to catch up to our technology. The Crusaders were defenders of Christendom, not aggressors as some would have you believe. Muslims had actually advanced as far north as the southern shore of France, into Spain and southern Italy. Do your homework, check it out, research! Search 'koran' and 'jihad' together on yahoo.

[Nikos_Retsos]

If Hasan's last words were "Allahu Akbar," he had probably taken return fire bullets, and he knew he was dying. And the "Allahu Akbar" -God is Great- is the typical last word of any Muslim who feels that his life is ending in seconds. I have no doubt that people will try to make a lot out of it - depending on their feelings and their cultural differences with the Muslims. I, myself, am a Christian Orthodox.

I do, however, want to make a lot on the fact that Hasan was called derisively a "Camel Jockey!" This kind of language is extremely offensive to Muslims, and there have been other instances in history where Muslims have shot Westerners for similar offenses. Add to the offense of "Camel Jockey" Hasan's unsuccessful effort to get out of the army, and his pending deployment to Iraq, and Hasan probably felt offended to the hilt, and chained into a service that has taken control of his life, and which -probably- didn't have any respect or compassion for him and his faith. I believe this was the point that he snapped.

But we can learn something from this disproportionate tragedy, and that is: Offending and pushing people of other cultures and other faiths to the edge, is not only socially offensive and dangerous, but it can also be tragic. And I don't have the slightest doubt in my mind that the events in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the plight of Palestinians have most Muslims on the edge. And when a Muslim psychiatrist like Hasan snaps and begin shooting, that definitely tells us that there is something terribly wrong with our policy toward Muslims. It is easy for us to call them "terrorists" and "camel jockeys," as it is easy to see the war against them as our deliverance. And as we have cornered them, they seek their own deliverance!
Nikos Retsos, retired professor

[jd2408]

For you to make an excuse that this man killed these soldiers because he was called a camel jockey is just plain outrageous and PC gone crazy. You need to go to the British Press to learn the facts. He expressed his dislike many times about the war, he applied to not be sent to Iraq, and according to British Press that quoted a retired military officer he cheered when soldiers were killed by roadside bombs. He is a terrorist plain and simple. He should have been thrown out of the military long ago and the PC brigade failed these soldiers. I don't care who you are or what your religion happens to be we need to hold individuals responsible for their actions and stop this PC nonsense.

[jd2408]

Most Americans don't want this war Nikos Retsos but we do not have the power to stop it. If Muslim Americans are on edge because of American policy and voicing their opinions in a free country is not enough for them then they need to leave this country. If a person comes here from Pakistan and is so offended by the American culture then he has come to the wrong country and should either go back to Pakistan or find another country that fits his lifestyle. This is the USA not any other country. If someone calls you a camel jokey it is just words. If they hit you and call you a camel jokey they get arrested for assault.

I am one American that does not want to live in any other country but this one. I am proud of our diverse culture and the people in it. If someone is not THEN GET OUT.

[bigotha]

I'm a disabled veteran and seperated early from the U.S. Air Force during the Viet Nam era because of Major Depressive Disorder. With thanks to my late mother, the mothe of my children and my
government run" Healthcare with the Veterans Administration I'm still alive today. I can't tell you how many times I've wished I could just bow out of this life - without the insane notion of taking others with me.

My heart sank when it occurred to me that things wcould have been a whole lote worse with Major Hasan because he wads an officer and had access o other officers. That he chose enlisted personnel to carry out his dreaful deed is no less tragic. At first I thought there had to be something deeply wrong with a fine mind doing such a thing. I'm a staunch believer that such acts are based on ignorance; and this man was no ignoramous. But when I realized how much worse things could have been (with his access to Lts., Capts., other Majors, Cols. and maybe even Gens.) I also realized huis was a very sick mind.

As mentioned, I personally seperated from the military before my (4 year) contract was completed for mental health reasons. I have sometimes regretted that the Air Force didn't half try ad treat me before granting me a discharge because I was considered a "super troop" all the way up until the time my illness simply knocked me off my feet. I was given an Honorable Discharge with full Veterans Benefits, but still: I had so much more going for me if only there'd been someone there to help me with a very serious "mood swing." Unfortunately, I didn't know how to ask for that help and I think what's so heartbreaking about the Fort Hood case is that Major Hasan is someone whom I would have sought help from if I just known how.

I want to add, too, that before being discharged, I applied for Conscientious Objector status and recieved it. So instead of getting orders for Viet Nam I was going to England instead. Unfortunately, the episode of being truly (and literally) "knocked off my feet" was real; and in this regard I can understand the Major just say little bit. But he wasn't one/sixty-fourth as unaware as I was at 19-20 years old about how to get the help I needed. And you don't get to be a Major in the U.S. Army if you can't take the "pressure" of being "different." As an African-American, I have to say that any discrimination he might have thought he was going through as a Muslim was very minor - compared to what. All he had to do to get what he wanted was ask - and I'm a witness to that. And if another Muslim wants to kill you because you're an American Muslim, your duty then becomes to be an American first - if you will survive. Afterall, so-called Muslims are killing other Muslims all the time these days and there'd nothing we can do to stop them.

BOTTOM LINE: Major Hasan's actions were totally and absolutely unacceptable; and it really could have been worse. And we need to get a shout out to True Muslims for weeding out the absolute rotteness from their community that brings about such actions. As Christians we can't do THIER house cleaning. But we CAN ally with them for some REAL Holy War. When THEY say "Enough is Enough," and we say "Enough is Enough" with them - ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. God is Culture Specific and they call God Allah. I call God Love. An God loves True Muslims, True Christians, True Jews, True Buddhists, True Hindus and every True Heart given to the Peace and Brotherhood God is all about. And when it's time for us all to get together to give these people the martyrdom they want - THEN they'll know True "jihad." And that time is near.

[ibsteve2u]

"There are reports, unconfirmed, that he was saying, 'Allahu Akbar," ' Cone replied.

Methinks the good General stepped into politics, there.

Since he included "unconfirmed", and since I would think that being a General is indicative of the base level of intelligence required to make one aware that those words were sure to be food for rightie hate and subsequent conversion into a justification for the abuse of America's and the world's Islamic population, he should NEVER have said that until it was confirmed.

Bad General.

By the way: I have heard lots of soldiers say "Jesus Christ!" or "God help us!" or some such under stress; a reference to the primary figure of your religion under stress is NOT indicative of a planned terroristic action carried out to further the goals of your religion.

Of course, the righties - being the psychic vampires that they are; both unable and unwilling to live unless they have hate to feed off of - will attempt to use religion to further divide America and justify genocide.

Righties are as bad as the terrorists, their current target of opportunity.

They almost - ALMOST - make me glad the terrorists exist. For after watching Fox, listening to Rushbo, and reading rightie comments across the web, I have no doubt that they'd turn on somebody else if the terrorists didn't exist, justifying - in their minds - and focusing their attacks upon Islam.

And that somebody else might be me, 'cuz I don't go to church.

[ibsteve2u]

I really should have said:

"a reference to the primary figure of your religion under stress is NOT indicative of a planned terroristic action carried out to further YOUR INTERPRETATION OF the goals of your religion."

Religion is the stick humans beat each other to death with. Not surprisingly, the sicker segments of humanity bend, twist, and warp their religions until they have an interpretation that justifies - in their minds - their compulsion to dominate others and to inflict maximum pain upon or even destroy those they can't dominate.

lolll...I view those who so twist religion to be afflicted with a lack of self-control verging on bestiality; they're really using religion to express their reproductive drives, which evolution has ensured includes a compulsion to dominate and/or eliminate competition.

Of course, since those so afflicted also profess that there is no such thing as evolution, they handily side-step that possibility.

[reasonandunderstanding]

I don?t understand why the Early Show decided to show a surveillance clip of him from the morning before the tragedy in Muslim prayer clothing, in my eyes that is a racist move by the network and has nothing to do with the story, this was not a religious attack, it was one man with problems. The scene I feel was intended to breed distain to the Muslim community.

[sangjmoon]

It is obvious that Hasan was anti-war by his internet posts against the wars and his choice of profession. He joined the military for benefits rather than loyalty. His anger against those around him festered as he found they didn't share his political beliefs, and political arguments can be the most vicious and hate-inducing types of arguments. The last straw was when he was assigned to go to Iraq or Afghanistan which he opposed more than his own life. If he was let out of the army as he requested, he probably would have headed to Pakistan to join those trying to kill Americans.

The military doesn't identify people like this because it would be considered politically incorrect to worry about somebody because they vehemently are against the wars. Other than his political arguments, he was pretty much quiet and stayed below the threshold to trigger any flags.

[kailuagecko]

You kind of contradicted yourself by saying he was anti-war and then saying he would join the terrorists.

[Virgil-1]

For you that don't know any better,this is not the God of the bible.KJV

[Scimajor]

Random.