>
The video speaks for itself. Another team from Fairfax leaves today. It is the first time that both rescue teams have been deployed to the same disaster at the same time.
Second group who is leaving tonight:
A Brutally Ugly Scene
The following video is a hideously ugly scene of death and destruction and desperation. Don’t watch if you are too sensitive. As we talk of the previous troubles of Haiti and the corrupt government, the thuggery, the poverty, we also need to remind ourselves of the human struggle and the humanitarian aid that is needed.
The Port-au-Prince area does indeed look like a war zone. Perhaps in the wake of this disaster, a ‘Marshall Plan’ can happen. There is no government left. There is just human misery. Maybe there is silver lining somewhere, if we dig deep enough.
Right now is not the time to talk politics. In a few weeks however, serious discussions have to take place. But right now, all efforts need to be towards rescue. Rebuild comes later and that is the time for toughness and accountability.
Army Officers Could Face Disciplinary Action over Fort Hood Suspect
As many as 8 army officers could face disciplinary action for failure to do anything about Major Hasan who went on a rampage and killed 13 soldiers at Fort Hood last November. Defense Secretary Gates is expected to turn over findings to the Army for further consideration today. The officers who could find themselves in trouble were those who supervised Hasan at Walter Reed during his training and who promoted him on down the line. Those supervisors are being questioned why red flags were not thrown up over this soldier’s competence and behavior.
According to Yahoo News:
The official said Thursday that a Pentagon inquiry finds fault with five to eight supervisors who knew or should have known about the shortcomings and erratic behavior of Hasan, who’s accused of killing 13 people at the Texas Army base on Nov. 5.
The official described the confidential report on condition of anonymity because it has not been made public.
According to information gathered during the internal Pentagon review and obtained by The Associated Press last week, Hasan’s strident views on Islam became more pronounced as his training progressed. Worries about his competence also grew, yet his superiors continued to give him positive performance evaluations that kept him moving through the ranks. That led to his eventual assignment at Fort Hood.
Recent statistics show the Army rarely blocks junior officers from promotion, especially in the medical corps.
The Army is not expected to delve into any contacts Major Nisan had with radical Muslim clerics. That is part of his criminal case. The Army is simply looking at the case from a supervisory point of view.
Should 8 people be punished or is this typical behavior of government agencies? There always seems to be a fall guy or 2. Were those who supervised Hasan acting in the spirit of army political correctness? Do governments, local, state, and federal, set a tone where certain behaviors are excused for certain groups of people? Are different people held to a different standard because of sub-grouping? Specifically, was Hasan allowed to be incompetent and erratic because he was Muslim? Do people who ignore behavior from members of a group do so out of sympathy or out of fear of reprisal from the group members or the higher ups?
Many of our contributors are former feds, military or local government employees. We want to hear from you. Feel free to choose an additional moniker if you need to double layer your anonymity.
Update: From the New York Times:
Pentagon Report on Fort Hood Shooting Details Failures Calling the military's defenses against threats from within its ranks outdated and ineffective, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said that the Army mishandled warnings about the poor performance and radical views of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the military psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in a shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas, on Nov. 5. Several officers who supervised Major Hasan during his psychiatric training in the Washington area may be disciplined, he said.
