The Cutting Edge

The Fort Hood killings, perpetrated by Major Malik Nadal Hasan, a psychiatrist by training, no matter what the judiciary reports will conclude is for now the largest single Terror act in America since 9/11. This quantitative finding will take into consideration the dramatic changes in the injury data released by authorities. However the most important matter now is not to fail to analysis the motives.

This mass murder was not an issue of sheer frustration because of foreign policy or revenge for racist slurs, nor is this an issue of simply being a Muslim American or indeed a member of any faith. This is an issue of radicalization of individuals by an extremist ideology, Jihadism, which fuels acts of terror.

The main question should be, when did Hasan radicalize and who indoctrinated him? Everything else will fall in place once we have these answers. Moreover, this would allow us to detect other potential terror acts that may be in the making.  

The shooting inside a US military installation that led to the killing of many personnel compels us to ponder. Over the past few years and months authorities have stopped attempts on similar attacks. The Fort Dix Jihadi plot, dismantled in 2006, hoped to kill kill military personnel inside the base. Other cells, dismantled in Georgia, New York and North Carolina also had plans for attacking military installations on U.S. soil. But more importantly a number of lone wolves have also expressed intentions to attack military personnel.
 
This year, a person by the name Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, 23, shot two US military at the Army-Navy Career Center in a shopping center in west Little Rock, killing one. In cyberspace Jihadi threats against U.S. military in the homeland and against American cities has been ongoing. Information collected by authorities, including from suspects and indicted individuals has shown a pattern by the Jihadists (militants or propagandists) indicating their intentions to strike at military and security installations.
 
Whatever is the personal motive, such incidents as that at Fort Hood, falls in the category of Jihadi demonization of the U.S. and its military. Meaning, whatever were the causes of the individual aggression, the latter was legitimized by the perception that America is the "enemy."

According to Retired Colonel Terry Lee, who was interviewed by Fox News and who knew Major Malik Nadal Hasan, the latter has made several statements indicating his ideological attitude such as: “The killing of the soldier in Arkansas and any attack against US military inside the homeland is legitimate because of American military involvement in the Middle East.” Terry detailed remarks made by the killer “against US policy and in support of potential suicide attacks inside the country.”
 
While waiting for the wider investigation to be released, the specific circumstances point to the wider context: the evolution of what we call homegrown radicalization. It seems the conclusion will be that the Fort Hood massacre is the single largest terror attack in America since 9/11. This is true regardless of its homegrown origin or not, of the psychological reason or not. We are witnessing a wider ideological war, generated by radicalization, inciting individuals to perform such acts. Lone wolf or not, organized or not, fully self aware perpetrator or not, influenced by overseas or not, this massacre of servicemen has moved America from one stage to another.

Cutting Edge Terrorism Analyst Dr. Walid Phares is the author of The Confrontation: Winning the War against Future Jihad and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.