Treason

From Col. Austin Bay

One word aptly describes Ft. Hood mass murderer Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan: traitor.

Traitor is a tough word. It doesn't smudge and squish. "Traitor" draws a hard line, one that sharply divides essential life-determining values and marks a defining personal choice between the profound and the profane.

Hasan's treason employed terrorist tactics. Sure, the lawyers can argue Hasan attacked soldiers, with civilians as incidental targets, and the assault occurred on a military post, but the tactics are those used by jihadis in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Indonesia and a score of other nations -- the armed killer entering an open facility and massacring unarmed men and women. 

 Wordsmiths can split hairs about Hasan's motives and what to call it. This works for me, but according to the some at the WSJ:

In fact, this was not a terrorist attack. By definition, terrorism targets noncombatants. When an irregular force like al Qaeda attacks a military target, such as the bombing of the USS Cole, that is more accurately termed guerrilla warfare. 

When our politically correct establishment creates an environment where soldiers on a military base are less well armed than the surrounding off base populace I think the whole 'non-combatant' part of the definition becomes less than moot.

In fact this is yet more proof that politically correct 'gun free zones' are an invitation to this type of killing spree, regardless of the motivation driving the shooter.

Political correctness is a losing bet, in or out of the military and our enemies, both foreign and domestic know this and use it to their advantage.