Trying to absorb Fort Hood events

It is a rule of thumb with especially dramatic news events that the first few reports will include significant inaccuracies and it could be some time before something resembling a complete picture emerges. When it comes to interpreting such events and their implications a certain amount of caution is warranted.

The families of those who were killed or seriously wounded, apparently by Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, at Fort Hood on Nov. 5, may never come to grips entirely with the devastating losses they have suffered.

As bits and pieces about Hasan’s recent past have been teased out, however — much more is yet to come, no doubt — a picture emerged that suggested some possible warning signs were missed.

Hasan, who was wounded but not killed during the shooting spree, has, as they say in the law enforcement business “lawyered up.” So it is possible that it may be months or years before we hear anything from the horse’s mouth. And if that time ever comes, we can’t be sure he will be telling the truth. Due to the nature of the widespread investigation, it is unlikely many details of the inquiry will be made public for now.

But we are getting bits and pieces of information that invoke speculation. For instance, this week there were reports that the shooter passed over chances to gun down civilians and seemed to target soldiers. We’ll see how that figures in the bigger picture later.

What appears likely, however, is that Hasan, a U.S. native of Palestinian lineage, was not just a Muslim, as are many Americans serving in the military, but was moving in an increasingly radical, jihadist direction in his beliefs.

Many people, even in the military, have sharp questions about the wisdom of the Iraq and/or Afghan wars, but not many leap to conclude that the U.S. is engaged in a purposeful war on Islam. Not all critics of the wars bring them up whenever possible, as Hasan reportedly did.

One can understand, of course, a commitment by military leaders not to accuse somebody, especially a Muslim during a sensitive period in our history, of something untoward in his religious beliefs, or to punish somebody for thoughts. But it does seem that Hasan’s actions — especially coupled with an ABC News report that he had made efforts to contact al-Qaida in ways that had come to the attention of U.S. intelligence agencies — should at least have raised some eyebrows.

It may be too early to conclude that the shooting at Fort Hood was a conscious terrorist act. It is certainly too early to conclude that the military is full of potential mass murderers. People who do such horrendous acts are sometimes mentally unhinged, sometimes simply evil, and sometimes they concoct religious or political justifications for their murderous madness.

The slayings at Fort Hood, however, should encourage paying more attention to people in the military who appear unstable, troubled or constantly angry. Surely it can be done without stereotyping or violating religious freedom.