Since 2001 almost two million American service personnel have been deployed in either Afghanistan or Iraq. These conflicts have taken their toll on the mental wellbeing of many veterans — thousands have come home suffering from various levels of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Our partner, the BBC, has been investigating some innovative new programs to help identify, treat and prevent PTSD at Walter Reed military base in Washington D.C., and Fort Hood in Texas.
Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is charged with killing 13 people and wounding 31 others during a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Central Texas. Hasan has been hospitalized at Brooke Army Medical Center since the shooting. Civilan police reportedly shot and wounded Hasan, paralyzing him from the waist down. Trying Hasan in court may seem straightforward to most, but President Obama and several high-ranking army officials made statements in the days after the shooting that some say will prevent Hasan from getting a fair trial anywhere in the country. We talk with Hasan's attorney, Ret. Col. John P. Galligan. Galligan says his main concern is making sure his client is able to find a fair and impartial jury.
In the heat of a breaking story, news media frequently run details which later turn out to be incorrect. One case in point: it's recently come out that it wasn’t actually civilian police officer Kimberly Munley who shot down Hasan, as initially reported, but rather another officer, Sgt. Mark Todd. What else that's come from Fort Hood has been corrected since last week? To discuss and update the reporting thus far, we are joined by Campbell Robertson from our partner The New York Times, who has been reporting in Killeen, Tex. We also have Dave Cullen, author of "Columbine," about the Columbine High School massacre.
At a memorial for victims of the Fort Hood shootings, President Obama said the killer will "be met with justice in this world and the next." We focus on the legal challenges for the alleged shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, in this world. Hasan will probably face a long and complex trial, but only after an equally complex assessment of his mental health. We speak with Eugene Fidell, who teaches military law at Yale Law School and is president of the National Institute of Military Justice. We also speak to New York Times national security reporter Scott Shane, who gives us the latest on the case.
Here's a preview of the coming week with Marcus Mabry, international business editor for The New York Times, and Chris Hogg, BBC correspondent in Shanghai. This week: a look at how the Army moves forward after the Fort Hood shootings, President Obama's upcoming trip to Asia on Thursday, and what's next for health care reform now that House Demorats' House bill has passed.