Obama: No "Political Theater" Over Hasan

Orders Full Investigation Into Ft. Hood Shootings, Asks That Congressional Hearings Not Compromise Probe

(CBS/AP)  Last Updated 2:20 p.m. ET

President Barack Obama asked Congress to resist turning the tragic shootings at Fort Hood into a "political theater."

Mr. Obama said he has ordered a review of all intelligence relating to Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist who is charged in the shootings, and whether the information was properly shared and acted upon within government agencies.

Thirteen people died and 29 were wounded in the rampage.

Some lawmakers have announced they want their own investigations.

Michigan Rep. Peter Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, called for a full examination of what agencies knew about Hasan's contacts with a radical Muslim cleric in Yemen and others of concern to the U.S.

Hoekstra confirmed this week that government officials knew of about 10 to 20 e-mails between Hasan and the radical imam, beginning in December 2008.

Special Section: Tragedy at Fort Hood

A joint terrorism task force overseen by the FBI learned late last year of Hasan's repeated contact with the cleric, who encouraged Muslims to kill U.S. troops in Iraq. The FBI said the task force did not refer early information about Hasan to superiors because it concluded he wasn't linked to terrorism.

Republican Rep. Howard McKeon said he wanted to go ahead with an investigation from the House Armed Services Committee, where he is the top Republican. He said he wanted an investigation that wouldn't compromise law enforcement or military investigations that were continuing on separate tracks.

In the Senate, Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, said his Homeland Security Committee was opening an investigation.

On Saturday Mr. Obama pleaded for lawmakers to "resist the temptation to turn this tragic event into the political theater." He said those who died on the nation's largest Army post deserve justice, not political stagecraft.

In a video and Internet address released by the White House while the president was flying to the APEC meeting in Singapore, President Obama said he has ordered military and intelligence leaders to undertake a full review of events leading up to the shootings, as well as the motives of the accused gunman, including his views and contacts.

"I am confident that justice will be done, and I will insist that the full story be told. That is paramount, and I won’t compromise that investigation today by discussing the details of this case. But given the potential warning signs that may have been known prior to these shootings, we must uncover what steps - if any - could have been taken to avert this tragedy."

"The purpose of this review is clear: We must compile every piece of information that was known about the gunman, and we must learn what was done with that information. Once we have those facts, we must act upon them. If there was a failure to take appropriate action before the shootings, there must be accountability. Beyond that - and most importantly - we must quickly and thoroughly evaluate and address any flaws in the system, so that we can prevent a similar breach from happening again. Our government must be able to act swiftly and surely when it has threatening information. And our troops must have the security that they deserve.

"I know there will also be inquiries by Congress, and there should. But all of us should resist the temptation to turn this tragic event into the political theater that sometimes dominates the discussion here in Washington. The stakes are far too high."

Hasan, 39, was charged on Thursday with 13 counts of premeditated murder, and may face additional charges. Army investigators say he is the only suspect.

[wheatfield2]

""""""""by retm-w November 14, 2009 7:50 PM EST
It's not 72 virgins, these muslims have been lied to. It's a 72 year old virgin.""""""""


This is funny! Thanks for bringing humor to this thread!

[wheatfield2]

""""""by toldyouso21 November 15, 2009 10:49 PM EST
First 911, now this. What is the point of intelligence if our intelligence community and their superiors still are too ignorant to connect the dots?""""""

I wonder about this, too. British intelligence gave us our last terrorist warning. The USA did not catch it (as with Hasan). I suggest eliminating the Homeland Security Department and using the $$$ to pay off debt and compensate victims of terrorism. You see, we no longer have homeland security protection, so why are we spending billions to fund an incompetent department???

[revlin1]

Mr. Obama: "I'm a 5th generation American who can trace roots back to Ulysses S. Grant on my father's side..I would like a joint task force organized to investigate YOUR ENTRY INTO OUR WHITE HOUSE. Can you ge that done for me? Please...I want to see ALL SEALED DOCUMENTS on your college days and not a certificate of LIVE BIRTH, but a real live registered in the USA birth certificate, for real. I would also like to see the billing for your attorneys as Dr. Orly Taitz has challenged you to discovery in a federal court of law to PROVE your citizenship...After that happens: I will respect your right to INVESTIGATE a terrorist's rampage on a military base on American soil and not until....otherwise; most of us in America already KNOW what happened. This guy was emboldened frankly by YOUR being in office.

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money-01]

Uh oh, BIRTHERS IN DA HIZZY!!!

Whoop, Whoop!!!

It's Party Time!!!

[toldyouso21]

First 911, now this. What is the point of intelligence if our intelligence community and their superiors still are too ignorant to connect the dots?

[olyboy]

Interesting, when Obama wants to deflect attention from his policies by going after the CIA and Bush it's justice. When someone asks that he be held accountable for what happens in his term of office it's
"political theater." Does he really think we're that stupid? I guess he does since he thinks we aren't capable of running our lives without government help.

[KabulsHere]

Obama: No "Political Theater" Over Hasan
***************************************


BUT "POLITICAL THEATER" IN A NEW YORK COURT staging gitmo detainees IS ALLOWED.

[sean70x]

Hasan should be executed as a sleeper agent and murderer. Barack Obama cannot save him for OPEC. Arabs will take revenge for the slaughter of innocent Arabs by killing Americans. OPEC uses this hostility for raising fuel prices.

[rplat]

Hogwash . . . the political theater has already started. This face is nothing more than a stage for terrorists and their ilk to completely trash America. Obama may finally get his wish and totally destroy the country.

[cbs4me3]

Hypocrite; no political theater over Hasan (the cowardly killer). Yet, he does his political theater by accusing the white cop over the black professor incident. Joe Lieberman needs to move forward with his investigation to preempt this administration from trying to re-focus this from terrorism. With 13 dead, many wounded and now with upcoming trials for other terrorists as well, this strategy will surely backfire.

[Lickedy]

I would say, Hasan was well documented, but buying handguns without anyone knowing is beyond my wildest dreams ! If they were hot guns, I could see it, but these were over-the-counter masterpieces. I wonder if he said "allah akbar" while he was purchasing them ?

[mehitabel55]

I keep hearing the comment that Ft. Hood soldiers were killed by one of their own. Hasan is not one of their own. He is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He even tested the waters by openly propounding his beliefs, and when there was no discipline for that, he believes himself to be entitled to do what he did. Why don't they just let him think he can walk away from this, and listen to what the Muslim world really thinks of us? This guy has probably got a lot of arrogance in him. Why don't they coax it out of him and just listen to what the world of Islam has in store for us? But stop calling the guy one of our own! He's a traitor.

[salmoc44]

Cons who believe gov't can't do anything right want a gov't investigation.

[searingtruth]

"Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever persuasion, religious or political."
Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1801

A Future of the Brave

[AmzingGrace]

It's past time for this creeps image to be shown with every article about his murders.
CBS STOP publishing the photos of this killer.

Folks isn't bad enough that this murderer shot his fellow soldiers do we have to sit back and let the media keep pasting his image with every article about the story? Time to tell the media to stop show us Hasan's pictures.

[searingtruth]

"A horrific and inhumane individual.

In a long hall of human hate."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave

[incog-nito]

In other news, Sarah Palin has just announced that she will open an investigation into this incident as well.

[BeckieBest]

You laugh but she is actually going to Fort Hood to promote her book.

The blood's not even dry yet and right wing nuts are swooping in to take advantage of this tragedy to grab the spotlight.

[special-agent-utah]

Oh my Shazzy, somehow you confuse 45 minutes with a month and a half. It takes you that long to find ONE mistake and it's associated with capitalization?

Do I feel benevolent? Well, I feel the most miniscule amount of humility for having had you (of all people) call me out on ONE single majuscule infraction.

I count at least 13 infractions in your incoherent rant.

Instead of a pointing out every single one, I will leave you with these:

1. Learn how to properly use an ellipsis
2. It's Canada, you idiot.
-------------------------------------------------

Hahahahahahalolololololol...What a c-rockkk finally you found the courage to face your farcical self .A. oldie china man trying real hard to mitigate the Embarrassing moments inflicted by the blue flame special of shazmiforce...Old and dumb lack of essential comes?deliberately misspelled girly man you figure it out with your atom size brain...lolol

But ofcourse you would say anything to let the Embarrassing moment pass by making delusional and totally inept claims based on your girly like tendencies,stalking every poster like the fatal attractions everyone is aware of your abhorrent behaviour...And above all you have the nerve to lie and misrepresent the old post I posted to bring your English rant to the task.That 45 minutes is the time of the day that post was being posted after your delusional farcical petty rants about the English language and you out of your Embarrassment,humiliation of the worse kind was hiding yourself in the closet for three week,You can't blame me for the time lapsed would you idiotic man who wishes real hard to be a lawyer with money and guns...But I wouldn't be surprise that you are on welfare handouts sitting all day long looking at our countless posts filled with the rants of truth and justice,thus you unable to confront the facts and resort to finding English and spelling mistakes like those girly men of the la cage folles musicals...Nah its not canada idiot ...Its the united state of america ...Where learning is considered a heresy and sin ...You can't blame canada for your retardations of the masses,Its not our fault that you as a citizen of america is not able to understand your country affairs and failures ...unbelievable hypocrisy ...

It really doesn't matter how miniscule your mistakes was because you only post one liners,therefore less of chance to make countless mistakes,with these one liners you will make disgraced trial attorney To say the least which takes hours and hours to conduct illiterate man,To me this issue was irrelevant since an idiot old man like you brought it up I had to put you in your hole where you truely belong and not conversing with me, because you are not a successful lawyer or a person case closed ...via con dios?lololol...See if you can match this with your one liners dumber as they come ...A fool wants to play English footsie with the mighty shazmichamps...lololololololololololololololol...You have been just danged by the shazmiforce....cheers?

[50BMS13]

HUGE GOVERMENT COVER-UP Obama cannot have his muslim brothers exposed as to behind the scenes ties to terror. Hasan knew the 911 hi-jackers. They went to the same mosque and learned hate for America. There is too much to be learned about terror and that is why Obama has said let's sweep this one under the rug. But he releases information that Bush waterboarded so they hate us more. Obama is a HUGE NATIONAL SECURITY RISK. He is the VERY BEST at raising money at home for the DNC. Do you think he is not taking donations from Islamic leaders in the middle east as well? All he does is photo op and raise cash for the Democrats. He is taking money from muslim groups as well. YOU CAN BET ON IT! He will be a one term president unless impeached first. He will never be assassinated because the enemy loves him and is using him. I don't want him to be assassinated of course, but every other president with the exception of Clinton and Carter fear for their lives when they travel abroad. Hell, Obama doesn't even need a Secret Service. Why not have a Congressional hearing?

[us_1776]

You really need to get back on your meds. Your paranoia is unbelievable.

[jgg000015]

so political theater in NYC is ok

[bubbadubba]

Another headline could be " Republicans demand circus clown time for dead at Fort Hood"
I hate Republicans.