Trump approves death by firing squad for convicted terrorist

President Donald Trump has authorized the execution by firing squad of Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who was responsible for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage in Texas. The U.S. military has not carried out the death penalty since 1961, with the Army Secretary determining the execution's time and location. Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, opened fire on soldiers receiving medical checkups, shouting "Allahu akbar" and killing thirteen and injuring over thirty.

He claimed to be fighting to prevent Muslims from fighting in Afghanistan, showing little defense during his trial. Trump's approval sets off procedural steps, but Hasan could delay it with a habeas corpus appeal in civilian federal court. Military death sentences and executions are rare, with only four men currently on death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

The last execution in the military system occurred in 1961. Trump's move comes after a failed lethal injection attempt in Tennessee led to a review and halted further executions in the state. He has resumed the federal death penalty, being the most prolific execution president in over 130 years. When asked about the Tennessee execution, Trump stated it "shouldn't be very difficult."