http://timesofearth.com/Worldnews/?NT=0&nid=13493 Texas - U.S. President Barack Obama led a public memorial on Tuesday to each of the 13 people killed in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas last week. The president told each victim's story at a service at the massive Army post.
An estimated 15,000 mourners gathered in the warm sunshine, where President Obama told the families of those who were slain that their loved ones endure through the life of their nation.
"Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town, every dawn that a flag is unfurled, every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - that is their legacy," said President Obama.
Mr. Obama honored the 12 soldiers and one civilian who died by telling a short, personal story about each one.
"Staff Sergeant Amy Krueger was an athlete in high school, joined the Army shortly after 9/11 [September 11, 2001], and had since returned home to speak to students about her experience," said Mr. Obama. "When her mother told her she could not take on Osama bin Laden by herself, Amy replied: 'Watch me.'"
Mr. Obama also praised the heroism of the soldiers who rushed to help the fallen.
"Amber Bahr was so intent on helping others that she did not realize for some time that she, herself, had been shot in the back," said President Obama. "Two police officers - Mark Todd and Kim Munley - saved countless lives by risking their own."
The president did not mention the alleged shooter, Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Malik Hasan, by name. But he condemned the shootings and spoke indirectly to questions about whether Hasan had ties to extremist Islamic ideology.
"No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor," said Mr. Obama. "And for what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice - in this world and the next."
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says President Obama has asked every agency involved in the investigation to determine why and how the shooting happened and to assure him it will not happen again.
The suspected gunman, Army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan, also is accused of wounding 30 other people on the Army post last week before he was shot by a civilian police officer.
The Washington Post newspaper reported Tuesday that Hasan, who is Muslim, warned senior Army physicians a year-and-a-half ago that to avoid "adverse events," the military should allow Muslims to be released as conscientious objectors in wars that involve fighting other Muslims.
Hasan was about to be deployed to Afghanistan.
Authorities say he exchanged 10 to 20 communications since last year with a radical Muslim cleric in Yemen known for his anti-American teachings -- but officials determined that the contacts were part of Hasan's research.
The cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, once taught at a mosque in(the southeastern U.S. state of Virginia that Hasan attended. On Tuesday, a posting on the cleric's English-language Web site praised Hasan as a "hero" and "man of conscience."
Officials at an Army hospital near San Antonio, Texas, where he was taken, say he is in serious condition but is awake and talking.
His family has retained a retired Army military judge to represent him.
Some of Hasan's friends have told reporters he was outspoken in his opposition to the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Copyright 2009 THE TIMES OF EARTH (TOE). All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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impeachobamanow2010 8 months ago
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bad1man746 8 months ago
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BornePro 9 months ago
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impeachobamanow2010 11 months ago
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impeachobamanow2010 11 months ago
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bad1man746 11 months ago
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impeachobamanow2010 1 year ago
Obama's policies and attitude has emboldened our enemies.
sigmundphreud 2 years ago
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AOKproductions123 2 years ago