The Army currently lacks adequate guidelines for handling Islamic jihadism within its own ranks, according to former Army Vice Chief of Staff and Retired Army General John M. Keane. In testimony before Congress on Thursday, Gen. Keane stressed the need for a new set of guidelines that would clarify procedures for reporting suspicious jihadist behavior. The general spoke at a hearing before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee investigating the recent attack at Fort Hood by Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan.
Gen. Keane stated that the Army’s only current guidelines on how to manage racism in the ranks focused on white supremacists. The attack at Fort Hood, which were described by several witnesses before the committee as a clear act of terrorism, has made clear the need for new preventive procedures. Improvements could include teaching soldiers how to indentify and report Islamic extremism to superiors without fear of reprisal from fellow soldiers. Several witnesses before the committee agreed that political correctness may have prevented Army personnel from reporting Maj. Hasan’s radical jihadist behavior, for which there were “warning signs and red flags galore,” according to one Senator.
The Committee’s hearings are the first to look into the attack at Fort Hood on November 5. An Army spokesman told the Washington Times that the Army remains vigilant about extremists activity within the ranks, and remains committed to its equal opportunity policies.
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