Case Study

From soldier to terroist

NAME

UMUC – online hmls302

March 2014

From soldier to terroist

Two different men, two different upbringings, two different religions, one common factor; Both sentenced to Death! Army Sergeant Timothy McVeigh and Army Major Nidal Hasan both sentenced to death by the Government of the United States of America the same country they both took an oath to defend, against all enemies foreign and domestic. Where did they turn from Soldier to terrorist? What was the reason for their acts? Why attack the same country that you choose to defend? Some questions can be answered but some of them will remain unanswered and only they know the answers.

Case Study Facts

In the case of Nidal Hasan his reasoning for the attack that took place on November 9, 2009 on Fort Hood, Texas that claimed the lives of 13 people and wounding over double that number. This case was easily understood by the FBI. In the FBI report dated July 2012 they state; “Radicalization - whether based on religious, political, social, or other causes - challenges the capability and capacity of the FBI and other members of the U.S. Intelligence Community to identify, collect, analyze, and act on accurate intelligence in time to detect and deter those who would commit violence.” (Webster, 2012) In the Nidal Hasan shooting there is no surprise that his motive to commit this act of mislabeled “Work Place Violence” is based off of his religious beliefs of Islam. Hasan did not try to hide his extremist views at any point during his trial or at any point of the investigation. In a 2013 news story by Fox, Hasan is quoted as saying, “"I don't think what I did was wrong because it was for the greater cause of helping my Muslim brothers," (Merchant & Graczyk, 2013)

Timothy McVeigh did not have a clear and concise reason for his Terrorist activities like Hasan did. At exactly 9:02 am on April 19, 1995 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building...