Trump approves execution of former major for massacre at base
The U.S. president, Donald Trump, approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Malik Hasan, a former Army major convicted of death for the attack that killed 13 and injured 32 at a military base in Texas in 2009. The decision was announced on Monday (5).
The president of the Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, approved the firing squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, a former Army major sentenced to death for the attack that left 13 dead and 32 wounded at a military base in Texas in 2009. The decision was announced on Monday (5).
According to Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell, the president approved the execution following a recommendation from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The army secretary will be responsible for setting the date, time and place of execution, Parnell said. Until the publication of this report, this information had not been disclosed.
Reminiscent of the attack on Fort Hood
Hasan has been on death row since 2013, when a military jury convicted him of 13 premeditated murders and 32 attempted murders in the attack on Fort Hood on November 5, 2009. At the time, Hasan was an Army major and worked as a psychiatrist. He opened fire inside a facility where military personnel went through procedures before and after overseas missions.
Twelve of the 13 killed and 30 of the 32 wounded were military personnel. The attack shocked the country and raised debates about extremism and mental health in the Forças Armadas. The Fort Hood base, located in Texas, is one of the largest military installations in the world.
Trial and motivation of the crime
During the trial, Hasan represented himself and admitted to having planned the attack. He himself pointed out that he wanted to be sentenced to death. The major was considered a "lone wolf" of the al-Qaeda terrorist network. According to the investigation, the man wanted to defend "Muslim brothers" from an illegal war led by the Estados Unidos in Afghanistan.
Born in the United States, he is the son of Palestinian parents. The defense did not dispute the authorship, and the trial was marked by statements from the defendant himself, who justified the act as a way to protect the lives of Muslims. The death sentence was unanimous among the military jurors.
Current condition and prison
Hasan became paraplegic after being shot during the attack and is being held at the military maximum security penitentiary in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He serves his sentence on military death row, awaiting the definition of execution. The condition of health did not prevent the maintenance of the sentence.
The case went through more than a decade of appeals before reaching the stage where the sentence could be submitted to the president. Under U.S. military law, the death penalty of a military cannot be executed without presidential approval. With Trump’s decision, the process moves to the final stage.
First military execution since 1961
If the sentence is served, it will be the first execution carried out by the Forças Armadas dos Estados Unidos since 1961. The last soldier executed was John A. Bennett, hanged for rape and attempted murder. The resumption of this type of punishment reignites the debate on capital punishment in the military.
Trump’s decision comes in a context of tightening security policies and criminal justice. The announcement was made by the Pentagon, which highlighted the severity of the crime and the need to comply with the sentence. The exact date of execution has not yet been set.
The Boca no Trombone Portal will continue to follow the developments of the case and will bring new information as it is released by the US authorities.
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