PREMONITION

Hasan Sought an Out for Muslim Soldiers

Warned of potential for "adverse events."

A warning sign, perhaps? Major Nidal M. Hasan, the Army psychiatrist who allegedly killed 13 people at Fort Hood, told a group of physicians a year and a half ago that the military should let Muslim soldiers be released as conscientious objectors instead of making them fight other Muslims. "It's getting harder and harder for Muslims in the service to morally justify being in a military that seems constantly engaged against fellow Muslims," he wrote in a presentation he delivered in June 2007 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Entitled "The Koranic World View as It Relates to Muslims in the U.S. Military," the final slide of the PowerPoint presentation read: ""Department of Defense should allow Muslims [sic] Soldiers the option of being released as 'Conscientious objectors' to increase troop morale and decrease adverse events." Army spokespeople told The Washington Post on Monday that they were not aware of the presentation, and that they could not comment on whether Hasan had asked to resign or avoid deployment.