President Obama went to Fort Hood, Texas to say goodbye to the victims of a senseless act:
FORT HOOD, Tex. — President Obama took on the role of national eulogist in a moment of tragedy on Tuesday for the first time since taking office as he led the country in mourning 13 current or retired soldiers gunned down not on a foreign battlefield but here on their home base by one of their own.
Mr. Obama met with survivors of the murderous rampage here at the nation’s largest Army base and relatives of those who were killed, then led a memorial service where he vowed that the memory of the slain would “endure through the life of our nation.” He mentioned each victim by name and described them and their families in personal terms.
“It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy,” the president told thousands of soldiers and relatives gathered outside the headquarters of III Corps. “But this much we do know: No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts. No just and loving God looks upon them with favor. And for what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice, in this world and the next.”
As he rejected the logic of Islamic extremists like the one who had been in contact with Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist accused of the killings, Mr. Obama offered no judgment on whether the incident should be viewed as linked to terrorism. Nor did he discuss whether the government missed warning signs, given that intelligence agencies intercepted communications between Major Hasan and a radical cleric in Yemen known for his anti-American rhetoric, but concluded they did not warrant further action.
The president also dealt only obliquely with the sensitive question of Muslims serving in the American military. Senior Army officers have expressed concern about a backlash, but Mr. Obama did not use the opportunity to address that directly and never used the word “Muslim” in his address.
Instead, he simply noted and praised the diversity of the military. “They are,” he said, “man and woman; white, black and brown; of all faiths and stations — all Americans, serving together to protect our people, while giving others half a world away the chance to lead a better life.”
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And here’s the full transcript.
All in all, it was a well-written, well-delivered speech, something that the community at Fort Hood needed and I’m sure appreciated.
Well done, Mr. President.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
[...] Below The Beltway [...]
November 11th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Mr. Obama offered no judgment on whether the incident should be viewed as linked to terrorism
And Jihadist both within and outside of the US will take note.