U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the Department of Defense will not broadcast the execution of Nidal Hasan, which had been scheduled for December 3 at the Fort Hood military base in Texas.
The Pentagon had previously announced that U.S. Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people at the base in 2009 and was sentenced to death by a military court in 2013, would be executed by firing squad and that it would be streamed online. Hasan had previously said he shot at American soldiers to prevent them from going to Afghanistan and killing Muslims.
Trump stated on social media that “many good and well-intentioned people would rather not watch him die, via streaming or any other visual device,” but also assessed that publicly showing the execution “could be a strong deterrent for the world to witness how America deals with terrorists and scum like Hasan.” He added that the execution may be viewed by victims’ family members “if they wish.”
The announcement of the broadcast was met with criticism from various political circles, including Vice President Jay De Vence, with assessments that such images could encourage Islamic radicalization. The U.S. military has not executed one of its own by firing squad since World War II; the last military execution was carried out by hanging on April 13, 1961.
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