The nation today ponders the irony of the slaughter of US soldiers, not on a battlefield in some dusty and distant land — but on an Army base deep in the heart of Texas.
But there is no irony.
In the terrorists’ war on America, every square inch of the nation is a potential battlefield, including Ft. Hood, Texas.
The point of terrorism is to terrorize.
It matters not at all whether the victims are soldiers on a military base, or office workers in downtown Manhattan, as long as the results are so shockingly bloody that they sap the will of Americans to stand up for their way of life.
But is the alleged gunman — Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan — really a terrorist?
Well, with no warning and less provocation, Hasan on Thursday suddenly shouted “Allahu Akbar!” (Allah is great!) and opened fire on soldiers and civilians at a Ft. Hood deployment center. Thirteen people died, with 38 others wounded. Moreover:
* In Internet postings, Hasan reportedly praised suicide bombers.
* He opposed America’s missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and suggested that Muslims “fight against the aggressor” — presumably, America.
* A classmate said he “viewed the war against terror” as a “war against Islam.”
Now there’s (so far) no reason to suspect that Hasan’s name will turn up on an al Qaeda duty roster somewhere. But terrorism also can be a state of mind — and, anyway, terrorists don’t need Osama-issue dog-tags to be effective.
Hasan was nothing if not effective.
What is truly astonishing, though, is that someone like Hasan — whose background was replete with bright red flags — was allowed by the Army to be anywhere near troops.
Let alone serving as a psychiatrist.
Were his superior officers asleep?
More likely, they just closed their eyes, fearing for their careers. Political correctness is everywhere — including, alas, in the highest reaches of the Pentagon.
Certainly there’s more to be learned about what motivated Hasan.
But be careful of glib excuses (it’s being suggested, for example, that he had been traumatized by treating traumatized soldiers — as if trauma can be transmitted like the mumps).
Fact is, the lesson of Ft. Hood is simple enough: Terrorists terrorize — and innocent people die.
So terrorists can be given no quarter.
They intend to give America none.