One appreciates the initial restraint by the U.S. military officials in reporting the mass killing at Fort Hood correctly described as terrorism by commentators. Circumspect and factual, the facts came out few but solid.
Now, suddenly this morning, Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, Fort Hood's base commander, tells CBS News that the presumed shooter is rumored to have said, 'Allahu Akbar' (Arab for 'God is great')during the shooting but Cone cannot confirm this.
What is the brass doing repeating rumors as the nation and stricken families ask 'why?' When the administration is deliberating the course in Afghanistan that has the brass pushing for a major escalation against some noun with a vaguely Islamic flavor?
Reporting a rumor seems a bit strange in light of the fact that during the first 12 hours, the brass was silent on the narrative of events and motivation. Now, the brass seems more interested in repeated rumors with no context, and no mention of the culture at Fort Hood.
Point being it's not beyond Pentagon and its lackeys to be utterly full of crap as they handle a crisis at a huge military base charged with maintaining military readiness during two politically unpopular wars.
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