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Fort Hood victims want shootings to be called 'terrorist attack'

by The Associated Press

FORT HOOD, Texas - Nearly three years after the shooting rampage at Fort Hood, many of those affected are urging the government to declare it a terrorist attack, saying wounded soldiers and victims' relatives otherwise won't receive the same benefits as those in a combat zone.

About 160 people, including relatives of the 13 people killed at the Texas Army post and some of the more than two dozen wounded and their families, released a video Thursday expressing their frustration.

They say soldiers injured or killed deserve fair benefits and Purple Heart eligibility.

"The victims are being forgotten and it's frustrating," Kimberly Munley, one of the first two officers who arrived at the shooting scene on Nov. 5, 2009, told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The soldiers injured or killed have not received certain benefits and are not eligible for the Purple Heart, because the defense secretary has not declared it a terrorist attack, said John Stone, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. John Carter. The Texas Republican has sponsored a bill that would make those provisions available for the Fort Hood victims.

Maj. Nidal Hasan, an American-born Muslim, faces the death penalty if convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder. The case is on hold as his lawyers fight the trial judge's order that Hasan either shave his beard, which violates Army rules, or be forcibly shaved before trial. Staff Sgt. Shawn Manning, who was shot six times that day, said his injuries prevented him from continuing to serve. But he won't receive the same benefits as those severely wounded on the battlefield because an Army medical evaluation board didn't deem his injuries to be combat-related, he said.

Manning also said he is upset that the Defense Department has referred to the shooting as workplace violence.

An October 2011 letter on behalf of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was sent to U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, saying "the department is dealing with the threat of violent Islamist extremism in the context of a broader threat of workplace violence."

The Department of Defense did not return a call or email seeking comment from the AP.

Witnesses have said that after lunch on Nov. 5, 2009, a gunman wearing an Army combat uniform opened fire after shouting "Allahu Akbar!" - or "God is great!" in Arabic - inside a Fort Hood medical building where deploying and returning soldiers received vaccines and other tests. He rapidly fired, pausing only to reload, shooting at soldiers hiding under desks and those fleeing the building, according to witnesses.

In the "Fort Hood coalition of heroes" video, soldiers recount being shot that day while others describe how they tried to crawl to safety.

"It was an act of terrorism," said Munley, who was shot three times.

A Senate report released last year said the FBI missed warning signs about Hasan, who the report said had become an Islamic extremist and a "ticking time bomb" before the rampage.

U.S. officials have said they believe Hasan's attack was inspired by the radical U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, and that Hasan and the cleric exchanged as many as 20 emails. Al-Awlaki was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen last fall.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_21809473/fort-hood-victims-want-shootings-be-called-terrorist

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Bomb Threat Prompts 5-Hour Evacuation at Texas A&M

Texas A&M University's campus was shut down for about five hours Friday after an emailed bomb threat prompted an evacuation of more than 50,000 people and a building-by-building search.

A&M Police Lt. Allan Baron said officials were still searching some buildings late Friday afternoon, but no bombs had been found and people were being allowed to come back on campus to retrieve personal belongings and their cars. Evening activities campus, about 100 miles northwest of Houston, were set to go on as planned.

The threat also would not prompt extra security for Saturday's football game between sixth-ranked LSU and No. 20 A&M.

"We're not preparing for a high influx of problems. We're treating it like any other game that is sold out," Baron said.

High-traffic buildings and facilities, including dining and residence halls, had been cleared by police, Baron said, adding that he didn't know how many more buildings still needed to be searched.

Baron said the bomb-threat email was sent around 11 a.m. Friday to the university's computing information services center. Campus police were notified 15 minutes later and officials made the decision to evacuate by 11:30 a.m.

The threat indicated there was a bomb on campus but did not specify where it was located, he said.

The evacuation order, posted on the university's website as a "Code Maroon" warning, directed those on campus to immediately evacuate by foot and not to use a vehicle.

Bus service on the sprawling campus in College Station was rerouted during the evacuation, but it had resumed by late Friday afternoon.

After the evacuation, the campus seemed like a ghost town. People could be seen off-campus, sitting under trees or waiting at the local restaurants.

Lindsay Cochrum, a graduate student who works at student activities, learned about the evacuation from the university's internal emergency message system.

"A box flashed on my computer screen telling us to evacuate by foot ... then we got a tweet" with more information, she said.

"No one was shocked per se," Cochrum said, adding that it wasn't uncommon to have bomb threats on college campuses. She said people were on their cellphones trying to let others know they were OK, but no one was panicking.

Andrew Oordt, a freshman studying petroleum engineering, said he was in class when students received a text message from Code Maroon, the university's emergency notification system.

"It said there was a bomb threat, so we walked out and there were people outside directing us where to go," the 18-year-old said. "Code Maroon did a really good job. People were just walking out, no panic, no worries."

Texas A&M has more than 50,000 students, according to the school's website.

On Thursday, an emailed bomb threat prompted Texas State University in San Marcos to evacuate three buildings on its campus. No bombs were found. Baron said officials would look into whether there was any connection between the two threats.

Last month, telephoned bomb threats at the University of Texas at Austin, as well as ones made to campuses in North Dakota and Ohio, prompted tens of thousands of people to evacuate. No bombs were found at any of those campuses.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/texas-evacuates-campus-bomb-threat-17518691

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New York

Masons willing to donate land for playground

by Rob Juteau

St. Johnsville, N.Y. — Impressed with the ongoing community policing initiative in the village, members of St. Johnsville Masonic Lodge No. 611 are willing to donate land to be used a children's playground.

Lodge member William Farber on Tuesday approached the mayor and village board of trustees about donating the land off Bridge Street, which he said measures nearly two acres.

“The lodge is willing to donate the land to the village so it can be used as a playground for toddlers and elementary school-aged children,” said Farber. “The lot isn't big enough to support activities for older children, at least in the lodge's opinion, but it should be fine for younger children.”

Farber said the lodge would donate the land with the understanding if the village determines the plot is no longer needed for a playground, the property be returned to the lodge.

“The lodge members are also willing to do everything they can to raise moneys, or to help raise moneys, for the purchase of equipment for the playground,” he said. “Conducting extra fundraisers, collecting donations, whatever we can do to help. The members believe this is a good project.”

The community policing initiative includes activities for St. Johnsville children and adults. Members hope to distribute Halloween safety bags to village children and bicycle helmets to youth 14 years of age and younger. Committee members also hope to raise money to send emergency contact forms to village residents through the New York State Sheriffs' Association's Yellow Dot Program.

“It's a nice piece of property. It might need a little cleanup, but it's a nice piece of property,” said Farber. “It also isn't close to the street, which means parents wouldn't have to worry about their children as much. The lodge feels this piece of land would be perfect for children to use.”

Mayor Bernard Barnes thanked Farber and the lodge for coming forward with the donation.

“It's certainly something worth considering,” he said, adding the board would have to discuss the proposal before a decision could be made. “I want to thank the lodge for coming forward and thinking about the village's youth. It's great when organizations get involved in the community.”

Anyone wishing to donate toward any of the initiatives is asked to contact Chief Diana Callen at the St. Johnsville Police Department on Washington Street. The phone number is 518-568-2141.

http://www.littlefallstimes.com/news/x470407959/Masons-willing-to-donate-land-for-playground