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Last update - 03:04 08/11/2009
Fort Hood gunman's family: America made him what he is
By Reuters
Tags: U.S. Army, Fort Hood shooting 

The grandfather of a U.S. Army psychiatrist accused of shooting dead 13 people and wounding 30 others at a base in Texas said on Saturday he found it impossible to believe his grandson had committed the act.

"He is a doctor and loves the U.S.," Ismail Mustafa Hamad said in an interview at his home in the Palestinian town of al-Bireh. "America made him what he is."
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U.S.-born Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, the son of immigrant parents, was shot during the attack and is being held at a hospital in San Antonio, Texas.


"Whether he became angry or something else, I don't know... What I do know is that it is impossible that he would do something like that," Hamad, 88, said.

Hasan, who had spent years counseling wounded soldiers, many of whom had lost limbs fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, last visited him in the West Bank some 10 years ago. Hamad said he had since visited his grandson in the United States.

Hamad appeared to rule out a political motive.

"He used to come to my house, to stay with me and entertain me. He never took an interest in politics and he didn't even like watching television," Hamad said.

Colonel John Rossi, a spokesman at the Fort Hood army base, the biggest military facility in the world, said Hasan was unconscious but in stable condition.

The gunman, with two guns including a semi-automatic weapon, opened fire apparently without warning at Fort Hood base, where troops were getting medical checkups before leaving for foreign deployments.

Hasan was transferred to Fort Hood in April and was to have been deployed to Afghanistan, where the U.S. military is fighting Taliban and al-Qaida.

Hasan's cousin, Nader Hasan, said in interviews that he had agitated not to be sent overseas. "We've known over the last five years that was probably his worst nightmare," he said.

Nader Hasan also said his cousin had complained, as a Muslim, of harassment by fellow soldiers.

Hasan yelled "Allahu Akbar" - Arabic for "God is Great" - just before the shooting, Chuck Medley, Fort Hood's director of Emergency Services, said.

The Palestinian uncle of Nidal Malik Hasan said his nephew loved America and wanted to serve his country.

Hasan allegedy shot 13 people and wounded 30 others at the Fort Hood military base in Texas on Thursday.

Rafik Hamad, 64, said Saturday that he last saw his nephew two years ago. He said Hasan was shaken by difficult cases he was treating as an army psychiatrist but wanted to serve his country because of the opportunities he was given as an American.

Hamad said his nephew was harassed by other soldiers because of his Muslim faith but that he was not angry.

Another cousin, Mohammed Hasan from al-Bireh, said the shooting may have been motivated by what he said was the U.S. Army's refusal to allow him to leave the armed forces.

"About a week before the incident, he hired a lawyer in order to leave the army, get married and live his life. But they rejected his request, and asked him to go to Afghanistan.

"This was the biggest shock for him. So there is another reason why he did what he did, not just because of the harassment of the soldiers, there is another reason," Mohammed Hasan said.


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      1.   Acts of terrorism 16:49  |  Anonymous 07/11/09
      2.   Being loyal to the USA 17:06  |  Anonymous 07/11/09
      3.   Going Postal 18:01  |  Mark Lincoln 07/11/09
      4.   "America made him what he is" 18:21  |  Malone 07/11/09
      5.   Muslim Veterans Groups say no reports of 18:49  |  Lynn 07/11/09
      6.   one plausible explanation 19:00  |  ivo 07/11/09
      7.   #3 Malone 19:04  |  John 07/11/09
      8.   Hasan owed the Army for his education 19:25  |  Lynn 07/11/09
      9.   #7 John....Read the article again 19:30  |  Lynn 07/11/09
      10.   American Arab 19:32  |  Muslim 07/11/09
      11.   Muslim s believe he is Pal Muslim who happens to to be born in US 20:01  |  Alan SA 07/11/09
      12.   AMERICA MADE HIM 20:26  |  TOBIA 07/11/09
      13.   Incredible naivete 20:29  |  Mark Marshall 07/11/09
      14.   Fort Hood Gunman 20:49  |  A.Abrahams 07/11/09
      15.   America Allows US Born Citizens To Become Presidents Not Psychos 21:04  |  Lavi 07/11/09
      16.   Malone Hfx 21:20  |  ClearCut 07/11/09
      17.   "America made him what he is" 21:22  |  Lynn 07/11/09
      18.   #.6. Ivo. I do tend to agree with you. 22:10  |  Stephen. 07/11/09
      19.   #8 Real Simple 22:12  |  Dale 07/11/09
      20.   Psychiatrist Hasan graduated from Virgia Tech and... 22:14  |  Maureen Ann 07/11/09
      21.   He had good taste in side arms 22:30  |  Mark Lincoln 07/11/09
      22.   Amazing how many excuses have been found for this man`s mass 22:33  |  lily 07/11/09
      23.   Poor Man, he wanted to settle but asked to go to Afganistan 22:34  |  Pax O 07/11/09
      24.   Yeah... Well... 22:54  |  Yosemite 07/11/09
      25.   " Ismail Mustafa Hamad said in an interview at his home in the.. 23:40  |  Canadian Historian 07/11/09
      26.   Stephen #16: about the antidepressants - 23:53  |  ivo 07/11/09
      27.   Accepting resposibility 00:34  |  Gil 08/11/09
      28.   We just don`t know 00:45  |  Farid H. 08/11/09
      29.   GOD AND PSYCHIATRY 01:36  |  jake 08/11/09
      30.   Just an American with guns 02:31  |  O C 08/11/09
      31.   Grandfather`s intent 02:41  |  Fred Swenson 08/11/09
      32.   Fort Hood 03:53  |  Rigoletto 08/11/09
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      34.   Gaza massacre 04:16  |  Gully Foyle 08/11/09
      35.   Obama quoted in NY Times: "Don`t jump to conclusions" 04:41  |  parole for Sirhan S. 08/11/09
      36.   AS usual ,it is everybody else`s fault.Immigrants always face 04:51  |  PETER SM 08/11/09
      37.   great expectations - get real 05:51  |  Mark Lincoln 08/11/09
      38.   #24 05:58  |  Rab Buirns 08/11/09
      39.   on a personal note 06:05  |  Rab Burns 08/11/09
      40.   GULLYFOYLE how many Qassams had these G.I.`s fired? 06:19  |  PETER SM 08/11/09
      41.   Yes, just like Israel does with it`s kids... 06:31  |  Niva dos Santos 08/11/09
      42.   "America made him what he is".USA love it or leave it 07:10  |  PETER SM 08/11/09
      43.   Niva dos Santos 07:23  |  Brad 08/11/09
      44.   #26 PeterSM. How many were sleeping in their beds? 07:57  |  Maureen Ann 08/11/09
      45.   HASSAN`s link to Sept 11 terrorists,Dar al-Hijrah mosque 08:58  |  PETER SM 08/11/09
      46.   HASSAN`s Shooting 16:31  |  The Teacher/Instruct 08/11/09
      47.   #37 Mark Lincoln....I told you so 16:52  |  Lynn 08/11/09
      48.   #44 Maureen....Every one of those troops were unarmed 16:56  |  Lynn 08/11/09
      49.   Lynn & Mark Lincoln #37, 47: on Obama - 19:59  |  ivo 08/11/09
      50.   #49 ivo....Obama has made huge mistakes 20:52  |  Lynn 08/11/09
      51.   Lynn #50: I`d still give him time - 21:39  |  ivo 08/11/09
      52.   fort hood gunman title #3 Malone 00:33  |  cfjr 09/11/09
      53.   Radicial Islam made him what he has become 03:11  |  David 11/11/09
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