us obama fort hood 111409
On the homepage
Sunday's paper
Out There
View Finder
Access Vikings
Obama asks Congress to wait for other investigations before launching Fort Hood shooting probe
Print this story
E-mail this story
Save to del.icio.us
Share on Facebook
Share on DiggMore from Politically Connected
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Saturday urged Congress to hold off on any investigation of the Fort Hood rampage until federal law enforcement and military authorities have completed their probes into the shootings at the Texas Army post, which left 13 people dead.
On an eight-day Asia trip, Obama turned his attention home and pleaded for lawmakers to "resist the temptation to turn this tragic event into the political theater." He said those who died on the nation's largest Army post deserve justice, not political stagecraft.
"The stakes are far too high," Obama said in a video and Internet address released by the White House while the president was flying from Tokyo to Singapore, where Pacific Rim countries were meeting.
Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, was charged on Thursday with the shooting spree at Fort Hood last week. Army investigators have said Hasan is the only suspect and could face additional charges.
Obama already had ordered a review of all intelligence related to Hasan and whether the information was properly shared and acted upon within government agencies. Several members of Congress, particularly Michigan Rep. Peter Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, have also called for a full examination of what agencies knew about Hasan's contacts with a radical Muslim cleric in Yemen and others of concern to the U.S.
Hoekstra confirmed this week that government officials knew of about 10 to 20 e-mails between Hasan and the radical imam, beginning in December 2008.
A joint terrorism task force overseen by the FBI learned late last year of Hasan's repeated contact with the cleric, who encouraged Muslims to kill U.S. troops in Iraq. The FBI said the task force did not refer early information about Hasan to superiors because it concluded he wasn't linked to terrorism.
Lawmakers, however, already have announced they want their own investigations and were frustrated with what they view as a less-than-forthcoming administration.
Rep. Howard McKeon, R-Calif., said he wanted to go ahead with an investigation from the House Armed Services Committee, where he is the top Republican. He said he wanted an investigation that wouldn't compromise law enforcement or military investigations that were continuing on separate tracks.
In the Senate, Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, said his Homeland Security Committee was opening an investigation. On Saturday, he and Sen. Susan Collins, the ranking Republican on the committee, said the panel still planned to meet Thursday to begin the first congressional hearings and hoped for cooperation from the administration.
"We very much agree with President Obama's sentiments that the full story behind the murderous act at Fort Hood must be told," the senators said in a joint statement.
"Our goal, and the purpose of this inquiry, is to make as certain as possible that no such attack ever occurs again on an American military base. We will focus on national and homeland security and will not compromise the criminal case being conducted by law enforcement."
Obama said he was not opposed to hearings — eventually. But he strongly pressed lawmakers to hold off until the probes now under way are completed.
"There is an ongoing investigation into this terrible tragedy," Obama said. "That investigation will look at the motives of the alleged gunman, including his views and contacts."
"We must compile every piece of information that was known about the gunman, and we must learn what was done with that information. Once we have those facts, we must act upon them."
___
On the Net: http://www.whitehouse.gov
Recent Politically Connected stories
Millions of couples, retirees must repay part of Obama tax credit - November 14, 2009
Millions of couples, retirees must repay part of Obama tax credit - WASHINGTON — More than 15 million taxpayers may owe the government $250 or more because of how the IRS last spring set up President Barack Obama's tax break that was designed to help consumers spend the U.S. economy out of recession. More
- McCain says he enjoyed reading Sarah Palin book
- Millions of couples, retirees must repay part of Obama tax credit
- No guarantees on Senate health bill's public plan
- Pentagon looking for Fort Hood management lapses
- Survey: Obama would beat Pawlenty in 2012
- House Roll Call: How they voted on abortion issue
- GOP governors push for 2010 party rebirth
The Whistleblower blog has moved
The Star Tribune is still blowing the whistle, but our look and location have changed. Click here to get to the new blog. If you want the actual URL, it’s www.startribune.com/blogs/whistleblower.html. Our blog posts will now be easier to search on the web site, but you’ll need to register to post a comment. In the [...]
Recent posts
 Open House ShowcaseThousands of homes open this weekend!View all open houses >> View all homes for sale >> |
Comment on this story | Read all 11 comments | Hide reader comments