Bob McCarty Writes

Army Maj. Malik Nadal Hasan

What did Fox News Channel’s Shepard Smith mean when, while speaking with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) this afternoon, he asked the senator the question, “The name says a lot, doesn’t it, Senator?”

It turns out he was alluding to the Muslim name of the alleged main suspect in a shooting spree that has reportedly left 12 dead and as many as 30 wounded this afternoon at Fort Hood, the largest military post in the world located near Killeen, Texas.

At the time of his interview with Senator Hutchison, Smith was reluctant to share the officer’s name until he had absolute confirmation.  He didn’t want to open the “can of worms” that might follow if his information was not 100 percent verified as fact.

Just after 5 p.m. Central, Fox finally identified the officer as Major Malik Nadal Hasan, confirming what ABC News had reported more than 30 minutes earlier and what Brenda Price, a reporter for KUSV radio in nearby Temple, Texas, had also reported.

According to Price, the Army major was is from Virginia and had converted to Islam and was due to deploy soon to Iraq.

The name does say a lot.

Developing…

UPDATE 11/5/09 at 5:57 p.m. Central: Added photo above from ABC source.

UPDATE 11/5/09 at 10:29 p.m. Central: A cousin is telling reporters that Major Hasan has been a Muslim his entire life.

UPDATE 11/5/09 at 10:31 p.m. Central: Army Major Played Role in Presidential Transition