Saturday, November 7, 2009

Fort Hood--Too Soon To Comment [UPDATED]

It is too soon to develop any serious thoughts about the events at Fort Hood.  We really do not know much about the suspect.  There is probably still a lot of confusion about what really happened.  Did the guy really hit more than fifty people?  The press is already lionizing the female cop who may have been the one to take the guy down.  She definitely deserves much lauding, but we really do not know much yet.  If the first casualty of war is the truth, then the first casualty of this kind of event (other than obviously those who are harmed or killed by the attack itself) is what?  Clarity? Editorial discretion? Patience?

One Canadian side note on all of this: for quite sometime, the Canadian Force exchange officers with many of Canada's allies, including at relatively high levels.  Both the current and past Chiefs of Defense Staff, Natynczyk and Hillier respectively, served as Deputy Commander of III Corps, based at Fort Hood.  There may be a Canadian general serving in that post right now (not sure).  Just thought I would mention this relatively hidden Canadian connection.


UPDATED:  Good explainer at Slate on some questions about the event.

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