A “Smiling and Jovial” President Addresses What the FBI Said was “Not a Terrorist Attack”

(The following early report and updates are reprinted from J.F. Beck’s Perth, Australia-based blog, Asian Correspondent.

The hysterical, counterfactual insistence by the FBI that an obvious terrorist attack was not a terrorist attack, reminds me of the denials by the FAA, immediately following the November 12, 2001 crash of Flight 587, that the dead—251 passengers, nine crewmen, and five locals on the ground—had not been the victims of a terrorist attack, while simultaneously telling the public that it was too soon to draw any conclusions. Although we were in Trinidad at the time, visiting The Boss’ family, the FAA’s immediate hysteria, which lasted through daily changing stories of causes of the catastrophe, was the giveaway that, whatever the actual cause of the crash, the agency believed that it was a terrorism.)
 
 

Breaking news: Armed men attack Fort Hood army base
 
Nov. 06 2009 - 04:43 am [That’s Perth time; it was 3:43 p.m., November 5, New York time.]

Seven are confirmed dead, 12 wounded. The story is still developing. MSNBC live local coverage here. (Live news feed terminated.)

Update: Three shooters, possibly in army uniform, one still at large. 20 wounded.

Update II: Confusion as the story develops. Two shooters now reported still at large.

Update III: Two shooters, not three, both reported to be in custody.

Update IV: A number of SWAT police reported injured.

Update V: Reports of continued shooting. Fox News reports up to 30 wounded.

Update VI: Fox News quotes FBI sources saying shooting is not a terrorist attack.

Update VII: A briefing from a military official is expected soon.

Update VIII: More unconfirmed reports of shooting in military residential areas.

Update IX: Additional police SWAT teams reported entering Ft Hood.

Update X: AP apparently reporting nine dead.

Update XI: One confirmed shooter, a soldier, killed at the scene by civilian police. Two soldier suspects in custody. Twelve dead (including the shooter) at the Soldier Readiness Facility (processes soldiers about to be deployed overseas). Situation seems to be resolved but all clear not yet sounded.

Update XII: President Obama’s statement was rather odd in that the shooting at Ft Hood was not addressed first in his remarks - he first spoke about the importance of the conference he was attending. Further, he was smiling and jovial at the start only becoming somber when speaking about the shooting incident. A very poor performance.

by Chistery
on 11/06/2009 07:36 am [8:36 p.m., November 5, NY time]

Update XII: I’m sure Michael Moore will be pouncing on Barack Obama’s My Pet Goat moment any time now....any time... patience...oh.