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Military Needs Muslims —and Worries About Them

Fort Hood shooter reflects conflicted loyalties, pressures

By Caroline Miller,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 7, 2009 9:41 AM CST
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(Newser) – It's a double-bind for the US military: They desperately need more Muslims in the armed services, both for their language skills and their cultural expertise, but they worry that some soldiers might be vulnerable to co-option by insurgents or extremists. Since the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, Muslims have been aggressively recruited—the Pentagon estimates there may be as many as 13,000 now serving—with hefty signing bonuses and a shortcut to citizenship for those willing to act as translators and cultural advisers.

But this week's shooting spree at Fort Hood by a disaffected Muslim major bares anxieties about their loyalties, and the effects of pressures they face. Another conflicted convert to Islam, Army Sgt. Hasan Akbar, rolled a grenade into a tent filled with soldiers in 2003, the Wall Street Journal reminds us, adding that Muslim soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan often use fake last names to prevent being targeted by insurgents, who also threaten their families.

A frame grab from a security video provided by CNN shows Maj. Nadal Malik Hasan in a convience store in Killeen, Texas early Thursday morning, Nov. 5, 2009.
A frame grab from a security video provided by CNN shows Maj. Nadal Malik Hasan in a convience store in Killeen, Texas early Thursday morning, Nov. 5, 2009.   (AP Photo/CNN)
The 2007 picture provided by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences shows Nidal Malik Hasan when he entered the program for his Disaster and Military Psychiatry Fellowship. Authorities said he went on the killing spree at Fort Hood, Texas which left 13 people dead.
The 2007 picture provided by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences shows Nidal Malik Hasan when he entered the program for his Disaster and Military Psychiatry Fellowship. Authorities...   (AP Photo/Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences)
This Thursday, Nov. 5. 2009 photo released by the Defense Department shows first responders using a table as a stretcher to transport a wounded Soldier to an awaiting ambulance at Fort Hood, Texas.
This Thursday, Nov. 5. 2009 photo released by the Defense Department shows first responders using a table as a stretcher to transport a wounded Soldier to an awaiting ambulance at Fort Hood, Texas.   (AP Photo/Defense Department, Sgt. Jason R. Krawczyk)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 15 comments
Ucantusethatname
Nov 8, 2009 8:35 AM CST
"A Muslim first and an American second." Just like Obama. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Shannonals
Nov 8, 2009 4:28 AM CST
MrsK, do you actually think before you hit the submit button or are you stuck on ignorant? Actually how would you determine if someone of Muslim faith has connections to a radical group? For that matter, how would you determine which Christians have connections to radical groups? For those who haven't serve their country, you couch warriors have alot to say about how our countries military operates.
Shannonals
Nov 8, 2009 4:24 AM CST
So by your reasoning no one should actually be allowed in the military cgbyrd. There is no one ethnic group in this country, nor is there on religion. Not sure how things in your secluded part of the world, but here in reality life is a bit different.
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US military • American Muslims • Fort Hood shooting • Nidal Malik Hasan

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