WASHINGTON — The military remains vulnerable to another Fort Hood-like massacre, with religious radicalization on the rise and too little attention being paid to internal threats, senior Pentagon officials said Friday.
An internal investigation into the shooting at the Texas Army post in November found that several officers failed to use “appropriate judgment and standards” in overseeing the career of Army Maj. Nidal Hasan and that their actions should be investigated immediately.
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, has been charged with killing 13 people.
“I would ask all commanders and leaders at every level to make an effort to look beyond their day-to-day tasks and be attuned to personnel who may be at risk or pose a danger,” said Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Separately, the FBI said it would revise its procedures to make sure that when it does investigate a member of the military, it notifies the Pentagon.
In the Hasan case, a local, joint terrorism task force run by the FBI with some military personnel examined Hasan but did not alert the Pentagon that concerns had been raised.
The FBI also says it will increase training for task force members to better search bureau databases when conducting investigations.
A separate White House assessment concluded the government doesn’t do enough to share information on “disaffected individuals” and that closer scrutiny of some information is needed.
Of particular concern is “self-radicalization” by individuals seeking out extremist views, said Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
According to two officials familiar with the case, as many as eight Army officers could face discipline for failing to do anything when Hasan displayed erratic behavior early in his military career.
