Trump cancels Hasan execution livestream but keeps firing-squad plan

FBI failures and an incomplete timeline

Trump’s post also blamed the Obama administration for the FBI’s handling of Hasan’s emails with extremist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. That criticism refers to genuine failures, but its Obama-centred framing omits when the bureau first identified Hasan. [2] [8]

The congressionally mandated 9/11 Review Commission’s March 2015 report dates that first identification to an email Hasan sent to al-Awlaki on 17 December 2008, before Barack Obama took office. The attack itself occurred during Obama’s first year as president. [8] [5]

In a statement on 11 November 2009, the FBI explained that investigators on a multi-agency terrorism taskforce had considered the communications consistent with Hasan’s research as an Army psychiatrist. They had concluded that he was not involved in terrorist activity or planning, and further dissemination of the information was neither sought nor authorised. [7]

The later review documented serious shortcomings. It said the emails had not been treated as serious intelligence leads and described poor coordination between FBI offices: Washington closed the assessment and declined requests for further interviews, while San Diego failed to escalate the disagreement to FBI headquarters. [8]

The FBI had also acknowledged failings in policy, technology, information review and training in its 2012 congressional testimony on the Webster Commission. It quoted the commission’s finding that the personnel involved had made mistakes but acted with good intent, rather than through intentional misconduct or disregard of their duties. [9]

The record therefore supports serious institutional failure, while placing the initial warning before Obama’s presidency. The 2015 commissioners also cautioned that they could not say better intelligence work would have detected the plots they reviewed beforehand. [8]

The sentence and further legal options

Hasan was sentenced to death in 2013 for 13 premeditated murders and 32 attempted premeditated murders following the attack on 5 November 2009. The military appeal judgment distinguishes 31 people wounded by his gunfire from the 32 attempted-murder convictions: an additional count concerned a police officer he fired at but did not hit. One of those killed was a pregnant soldier whose unborn child also died; the child’s death was not separately charged. [5]

The US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces upheld the conviction and death sentence on 4 March 2024. The Supreme Court declined to review the case on 31 March 2025. [5] [6]

The death sentence remains in place, although further legal action could affect the timetable. Hasan’s lawyer, John Galligan, told ABC News on 8 October that a further challenge in federal court was “a distinct possibility”, but they had not yet decided how to proceed. Such a challenge could delay the execution. [10]