ONLY if orchestrated to have a 'greater meaning' through propaganda that directed an entire military.
What Nidal Hasan did was NOT terrorism.
What occurred on September 11, 2001 IS.
Is it because of the 'volume' of the violence that September 11, 2001 is an act of terrorism? No.
Was the violence, anger and hatred of Timothy McVeigh terrorism as his act was more damaging and included a building? No. Although the argument can be made when one includes Terry Nichols and others.
However, the 'network' Timothy McVeigh belonged to was superficial in its ability to organize against the people of the USA and was isolated to the incident that occurred. Therefore, McVeigh and Nichols acted TOGETHER to carry out the attacks in Oklahoma City, but, they had NO CAPACITY to carry out more!
Terrorism is COMMITTED by a terrorist network such as al Qaeda. It is why the USA declared war with the nation of Afghanistan after the attacks of al Qaeda that killed thousands of people.
Terrorism is the act of people engaged in a war against humanity that leads to greater danger to the populous of a country. Are the suicide bombings in Iraq, Afghansitan, Israel and other places acts of terrorism? Yes. Why? Because they are conducted with the THREAT OF MORE. And that 'threat' is connected with human beings CONSENTING to carry out more violence in the same manner to obtain an ideological goal.
Is having contact with a radical Islamic Imam an act of terrorism? No.
It is however suspicious and why it wasn't questioned with Hasan is because of his 'military status.' He was an officer and it was concluded when investigated by the military that he was engaged in research in regard to his practice in psychiatry.
Professionals at any point in their career are 'granted' authority to act within their capacity to do so. That is especially true in the military where 'authority' is granted because of rank. If military investigators found that Nidal Hasan was in contact with this Imam and questioned him, they would give him the benefit of the doubt considering his rank and his status.
That would be true if the Secretary of Defense did the same thing. Scary thought to think Secretary Gates might have that kind of contact, right?
"W"rong.
Why?
Because all Secretary Gates can do is issue orders to the USA military to act. Any act of terrorism ordered by Secretary Gates would be stopped with the next person he spoke to. The ONLY capacity Secretary Gates has in this 'rank' is to do what Nidal Hasan did and seek to be full of hatred toward the military structure he found authority within and act in a single act of violence.
That is ALL any military personnel can do and it is why the USA miltiary is NOT a threat to the people of the USA and/or any other country, except, when propaganda wars against the American people are carried out, ie: The war into Iraq.
It is why the media is guilty as hell of propaganda surrounding this case and accusing the violence to the status of September 11th by a misguided and conflicted Muslim in the ranks of the USA military.
Nidal Hasan acted ALONE. There is NO further danger to the people of the USA and his contact with the Muslim Imam in question was isolated. What occurred is troubling. It occurred among people most near and dear to our democracy and we are extremely worried about this occurrence and its propagation, HOWEVER, this is NOT terrorism and this is NOT an ideological issue with Islam and its practice in a peaceful manner.
What Nidal Hasan is guilty of is murder. He acted alone as LONE WOLF does and caused the death of people dedicated to defending this country. It is NOT an act of terrorism and it never will be in a way that will wage war anywhere else in this world. Absolutely not!
The military investigation will be welcome and hopefully will include strong recommendations as to 'containment' of authority to the individual involved when this occurs UNTIL the individual is found to be 'completely' harmless. It might be that the 'intelligence capacity' of the people within its ranks has to be expanded and perhaps an 'Anti-violence' Task Force established to stop not only 'murderous acts,' but, also suicide among the soliders that serve this country.
I find the statements that Nidal Hasan is a terrorist acting in a form of terrorist act irresponsible, misguided and completely stupid UNLESS he is proven to be connected to a greater and organized threat.
file - This Oct. 2008 file photo by Muhammad ud-Deen shows Imam Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen. The imam, who communicated with the Fort Hood shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, said he did not pressure Hasan to harm Americans, The Washington Post reported Monday, Nov 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Muhammad ud-Deen, File)
Photo Credit: AP Photo
