Free Republic

Army Maj. Nidal Hasan was convicted Friday in the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, a shocking assault against American troops at home by one of their own who said he opened fire on fellow soldiers to protect Muslim insurgents abroad. A jury of 13 high-ranking military officers reached a unanimous guilty verdict on all charges -- 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder -- in about seven hours. Hasan is now eligible for the death penalty. Hasan had no visible reaction as the verdict was read. After the jury and Hasan left the courtroom,...

<p>FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- Maj. Nidal Hasan has been convicted of premeditated murder for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood. That means he's now eligible for the death penalty.</p>

FORT HOOD — Yesterday at about 5:20 p.m. the call came into the media center: the military jury deciding the fate of Maj. Nidal Hasan was ready to reconvene. A group of journalists hastily convened and speed-walked toward the courthouse, about a quarter mile away, anxiously anticipating a verdict. The atmosphere in the courtroom was heavy: A small group of family members sat quietly as prosecutors stared straight ahead. Hasan stroked his beard and occassionally leaned in to whisper with his lead standby attorney, Lt. Col. Kris Poppe. We sat in near silence for about 15 long minutes. As we...