- Reviews & Essays
- Terrorists are Stupid Reprise
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On November 5th, Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, also known as the Fort Hood shooter, went through Ft. Hood with a handgun, equipped with a laser sight, and went on a shooting spree.
Not too long ago, I mentioned that Terrorists Are Stupid.
The more I learn about Maj. Hasan, the more evidence I have.
For those of you who are not familiar with the technology, a laser sight is supposed to show you where the bullet is going to land. A commercial laser pointer will guide you to bullet points on your PowerPoint presentation. A laser gunsight will guide your bullet to the point on the target you want to shoot.
Part of his rampage included going through a processing center on the base. If it's laid out like other offices, I can only imagine it as shooting fish in a barrel. His path also took him through a soldier-readiness center (go there, get a checkup and sign your will before heading to a war zone). The Military Police had no bullets in their weapons, making one conclude that their rifles are only for clubbing people over the head (note to army: I hope someone has rescinded whatever stupid order armed your MPs with empty guns).
One of Hasan's first attempted victims was a Sergeant Alonzo M. Lunsford. Sgt. Lunsford was in the readiness center when Hasan stood, shouted "Allahu akbar," and opened fire.
Sgt. Lunsford was shot five times, at least once in the face, requiring reconstructive surgery and has resulted in the loss of eyesight in his left eye. At least one of Hasan's bullets obviously hit him in the head.
Sgt. Lunsford is alive, at least in part, because Hasan is obviously an idiot.
Major Hasan "Chop," terrorist idiot, killed thirteen people, and shot thirty-two others.
It is most likely my mindset for creative havoc that leads me to think: Only thirteen? Hasan "Chop" had the shooting equivalent of training wheels on his handgun, shot up a bunch of soldiers in the midst of paperwork, and he had no armed resistance, AT ALL, until the local police arrived. He could only kill a baker's dozen?
Pretend that you are a terrorist ... if it makes you feel better, pretend I am a terrorist ... you now have the ability to hit what you aim at. Your mission is to kill as many people as possible. You have surprise on your side. One victim you shoot in the head, emptying five bullets into him; would he have survived the first bullet?
From the point of view of a terrorist attack, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, had "the right idea." If a terrorist is doing it right, they should spread, well, terror. If al-Qaeda wanted to wage a campaign, they would have recruited a dozen other Major Hasans, and have a day of shootings.
I am not worried about inspiring al-Qaeda, by the way. If this idea can be thought up a guy in the back end of Queens, NY, who has never even seen a gun up close, I suspect that someone in the AQ hierarchy just MIGHT have thought of it by now.
However, let's take a closer look. Because, even if al Qaeda decided to wage such a campaign, it would be proof that terrorists were ineffectual bunglers, who only manage to kill people if they get lucky.
Maj. Hasan shot forty-five people, and killed thirteen. He couldn't even assassinate one-third of the people he shot at.
He fired over one HUNDRED rounds of ammunition and only HIT forty-five people?
Let's do some basic math.
13 (Killed) + 32 (Wounded) = 45 (Shot).
13 (Killed) / 45 (Shot) = 28.8% (Of victims died.)
Hasan had all of the advantages on his side, and had a rather pathetic "success rate." If success for a terrorist is mass casualties and widespread panic, Hasan is a complete and utter failure.
A twenty-three-year-old college student with a history of mental illness did a "better job" at Virginia Tech, and he was an utter nutbar: 58 shot; 33 dead; 25 injured. That caused fear and trembling all over the place, and was a cause of conversation for weeks, at least on college campuses.
When I applied to be an Air Force historian, I was told that I would have weapons training, even though I would be a civilian employee. One can assume that someone doesn't get to being a Major in the U.S. Military without something like basic weapon's training, no matter the position.
And yet this wannabe terrorist couldn't even outperform a schizophrenic college student at Virginia Tech.
Hasan's rampage was an attack waged by an idiot, full of sound and gunfire. He had all the advantages one could have, and still managed a paltry outcome.
However, for all that, thirteen people still died.
Which leads to the same conclusion I had at the end of my last "Terrorists Are Stupid" article. Even idiots can get lucky.
- COMMENTS
Anonymousalmost 4 years agoFirstly, excepting suicide, over nine out of ten people shot survive.
Secondly,Hassan did better than most mass shooters in terms of hit rate and in terms of fatality per person hit.
Thirdly he used an FN with a very fast FPS but a relatively low energy transferred amount. That pistol round he used is more oriented toward defeating very light valiant vest or thin metal of car doors but does cause as much tissue damage as normal HP 9mm or 40 cal.
Fourthly if one is going to begin with a timeline then it begins with the start of his many contacts with AQ in Yemen.
Fifthly in the last ten years there have been a total of four mass murders of 50 or more people in the US and the EU. One has been on the US and three have been in the EU. Two of the four, the largest two, have not used guns at all.
Sixthly, Hassan, like any of us who have been in the service in the last couple of decades, KNEW that the base was a “gun free zone.”
Azrael556about 12 years agowas live-fire testing that the FN 5.7mm cartridge sucks. It's an overpowered .22 Mag, and acted accordingly.
Anonymousover 12 years agoSo, the lesson learned is to not send an officer to do a job that would be better performed by a regular soldier, who is trained to kill or be killed. But then, a common soldier would have had more smarts than this Major.
Anonymousabout 13 years agoOf course if the ACLU/CAIR/Muslim Brotherhood had not acted for the Major and other terrorists the tracking agency would have been able to link the SOB after his Iman was declared to be a terrorist. Kind of surprising they let the MPs even carry empty weapns, but that is today's PC Army, where Hasan was an "Army of one". Remember the Marine guards in Beriut guarding the barracks were not allowed to have loaded weapons and hundreds were killed and injured and we ran form Lebanon.
Total idiot, who carried TWO handguns (.357 which he may or may not have fired), guess we will know if there ever is a trial. But Chubby had to change clips several times, surely someone could have tried to stop him then. It is not a one handed operation. Guess we should be happy he was not using the old 45, when you are hit much more damage. One of the guys who tackled the left wing idiot in AZ was a 74 year old wounded former National Guard officer, different training then they give them now.
Maybe it is hard to aim while shooting God/Allah is Great and Allah is Merciful while you are killing innocents. Islam is the religion of Peace. Does anybody get a disconnect?
RHinSCabout 13 years agoAnd me. There is a high probability that he was not using the laser sight. He was not using the iron sights for that matter. He was pointing and shooting. A simple thing like your grip on the gun can cause you to miss the target completely. A gun does not automatically fit your hand, some have to shop to find one that does. I own a couple that feel like two by fours in my hand. He was nervous, his brain was confused by the noise of the firearm and a few other things. And I agree with Harry, they love to finger point, it takes up all of their time.
