Muslims in the U.S. Military

November 12, 2009 (WABC) -- The contradiction of being a fundamentalist Muslim in the U.S. military - and the conundrum it poses for the Pentagon.

No investigation into the massacre at Ft. Hood can be thorough if it doesn't attack that issue.

Right after the Ft. Hood massacre, there was speculation that some kind of post-traumatic stress was to blame. That was quickly dispelled when Major Nidal Hissan's radicalization process publicly emerged. But actually it must be incredibly stressful to be an extremist Muslim serving in a U.S. military that is at war on several fronts with extremist Muslims. What could be more stressful?

Tonight, ABC News is reporting that Hasan proclaimed himself a "soldier of Allah" on private business cards he bought over the Internet and kept in a box at his apartment. The cards do not mention that Hasan is an Army psychiatrist.

Meanwhile, Pres. Obama, trying to stop the blame game and finger pointing between the FBI and the military, and trying to figure out how so many agencies messed up the Ft. Hood case, has ordered an investigation into every shred of intelligence the feds of every stripe had garnered on Maj. Hassan. Garnered - and did nothing about.

Looking back with teeth clenched isn't what Presidents like to do. But Mr. Obama is clearly doing that with the Ft. Hood case. And it's something he just as clearly doesn't want to do with the war in Afghanistan. He has reportedly rejected all four military options presented to him for increasing troops in Afghanistan. It doesn't necessarily mean he's rejecting the idea of a surge - just that he didn't like the unanswered questions that were in his national security team's proposals. There are many who hope the President's skepticism continues.

We'll have the latest on the Ft. Hood case and the Afghanistan situation, tonight at 11.

Also at 11, we're looking into the mess that has become the H1N1 vaccination campaign.

This afternoon, the CDC acknowledged that vaccine manufacturers will fall short of the production forecasts - again - this week. Some of the problem involves testing - the rest involves shipping and transportation delays.

Whatever the reasons - if you've tried to get a swine flu shot from your doctor, you know, it's not easy. Many of them don't have the vaccine; others ordered only enough for their high-risk patients.

Turns out, I'm high risk, because I have newborn. But my doctor doesn't have enough of the vaccine to inoculate my wife or our nanny - neither of whom are patients of my doctor. I get it, but what a weird situation, where I'm vaccinated, but the two other people who come into daily contact with my infant daughter are not.

New York City is now offering the vaccine in a series of weekend inoculation clinics at public schools throughout the five boroughs. An earlier free-vaccine clinic drew few New Yorkers - perhaps they were skeptical about the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. But now health officials expect the upcoming clinics to be well-attended, because the people who could otherwise to pay their own doctors for the shot, can't get the shot at their physician's office.

Meanwhile, new figures from the CDC, and a broader definition of who died from complications of the swine flu. About 4,000 Americans have died so far - more than 3 times original estimates.

We'll have the latest, at 11 tonight.

We also have the bizarre story of a man from Long Island - busted tonight and charged with harassing the mother of the New York State Trooper who gave him a ticket for speeding.

Cops say the guy called the mother and told her the Trooper had been involved in a serious car accident and was in the hospital. Then he hung up.

Charming.

Last night, our investigative reporter Sarah Wallace broke the story of a Newark cop, under investigation for allegedly extorting money from a guy he arrested. Now, the FBI has gotten involved.

Tonight, our other investigative reporter, Jim Hoffer, lifts the lid on the lack of cleanliness at some New York City school cafeterias.

The biggest problem: Mice.

Eeek.

We'll also have any breaking news of the night, plus Lee Goldberg's AccuWeather forecast, which includes some storm tracking and coastal flooding, and Scott Clark with the night's sports. I hope you can join Liz Cho and me, tonight at 11.

BILL RITTER

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