Obama: No religious faith justifies Fort Hood shootings

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By Jon Ward

President Obama on Tuesday told 15,000 mourners at Fort Hood, Texas, that no religious faith could justify the murderous attack by a Muslim U.S. Army officer on his fellow soldiers last week, the president's first acknowledgment that fanatical Islam may have motivated the shooter.

"No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts. No just and loving God looks upon them with favor," Mr. Obama said. "And for what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice, in this world and the next."

Mr. Obama has urged caution before concluding that Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan - whom Mr. Obama never mentioned by name - fatally shot 12 soldiers and one civilian, while wounding 29, because of his Muslim faith. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey has expressed concern in the wake of the rampage about a backlash within the military against Muslims in the different service branches.

But the president's comments were a recognition that the growing body of evidence that has come out since last Thursday's shooting reveals a suspect who was deeply opposed to many of the U.S. military's current operations in the Middle East because of his Muslim faith.

U.S. officials told the Associated Press on Monday that a Pentagon worker on a terrorism task force had looked into Maj. Hasan's background months ago and had concluded he did not merit further investigation.

Two officials said the group had been notified of communications between the major and a radical imam overseas, and the information had been turned over to a Defense Criminal Investigative Service employee assigned to the task force. The two spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation, the wire service reported.

The White House said it is actively investigating why Maj. Hasan was allowed to remain on the base in light of his communication with Anwar al-Aulaqi, a cleric who taught at a mosque in Northern Virginia before Sept. 11, 2001, and had links to the September 11 hijackers.

"The president has asked every agency involved and everybody that ... would have had some purview over this to investigate why this happened, how this happened, and to ensure that they can tell him that it won't happen again," said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

Mr. Gibbs steered clear of the questions surrounding Maj. Hasan's faith.

"Obviously, there are people ... of all faiths and all ethnicities serving with distinction and valor in our armed services today. The investigation is ongoing to figure out what would motivate an individual to carry out the type of act that this major carried out," Mr. Gibbs said.