Why šµ UnitedStatesNews-NoOpEd picked: Pentagon plan to livestream execution of Fort Hood shooter prompts fierce political backlash ā US politics live
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Source: theguardian.com
<p>Lawmakers branded the move as ādisturbingā and compared it to the actions of some terror groups and oppressive governments</p><p>Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.</p><p>The Pentagonās plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, a former army psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, has received fierce criticism from across the political spectrum.</p><p>I mean, thatās disgusting. What, is he mimicking ISIS executions? I mean, I understand that in this country we have the death penalty, but public execution is medieval. Itās frankly one of the things that we abhor about terrorist groups, and the fact that the United States is doing it - I just learned this.</p><p>That is just absolutely extraordinary, galling. No matter whether you support or oppose the death penalty, public hangings and executions? Thatās what America has become? Um, thatās, thatās pretty extraordinary.</p><p>Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting. Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America.</p><p>We can seek justice in this country without glorifying violence and turning an execution into a grotesque public spectacle. What this criminal did was abhorrent and must be punished ā but we as a country cannot condone livestreaming a manās death for entertainment.</p><p>We are long past the days of public hangings in the town square. Kids watch what our leaders do and say, is this kind of bloodshed really what we want them seeing? The Pentagon must revoke this decision immediately.</p><p>Secretary Hegsethās desire to conduct a public execution is disturbing and should be stopped. The Army has not conducted an execution by firing squad since World War II and the U.S. has not had a public execution since 1936. Nidal Hasan has been found guilty of his crimes and should be held accountable for them but turning a federal execution into a media spectacle is appalling and unbecoming of the U.S. military.</p><p>It was a radical Islamist attack in uniform inside the ranks, and so heās going to get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be, and weāll make sure that people are able to watch it, that itās public, because people need to understand thereās serious consequences for these types of things.</p><p>In a televised Maine Senate debate Democrat Troy Jackson said that, in addition to Brett Kavanaugh, Republican Susan Collins has voted to confirm dozens of anti-abortion judges.</p><p>Republican Mike Rogers continually used Islamophobic attacks on Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in a Michigan Senate debate, accusing the Muslim candidate of being ābought off by Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaidaā.</p><p>Donald Trump claimed that the US will not strike Iran āat any time priorā to the midterm elections on 3 November.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/oct/09/pentagon-fort-hood-livestream-firing-squad-execution-reaction-backlash-pete-hegseth-donald-trump-mussolini-latest-news-updates" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer ugc" target="_blank">Continue reading...</a>