Fort Hood Suspect Was Lousy Student

Nidal Malik Hasan’s superiors had major concerns about him during his psychiatric training, but decided to pass him anyway, say restricted emails obtained by the Washington Times. In one, Hasan’s residency director, Maj. Scott Moran, tells a superior that he’s “a chronically somewhat unprofessional officer with a somewhat poor work ethic.” But the superior begged Moran not to put Hasan on probation, because it would “require me to convene a relook board.”

Moran later told another superior that Hasan didn’t have enough clinic hours to graduate, but the superior waved off the requirement. And when Hasan presented his final thesis, one supervisor wrote, “I am confused as to how this is acceptable as a scholarly activity. … This seems to be a history/religious class” on Islam, rather than a psychiatric scholarly activity. The Army is considering disciplining Hasan’s medical superiors for ignoring concerns over his conduct. (More Nidal Malik Hasan stories.)