US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that the execution of Nidal Hasan by firing squad will be livestreamed next month. This decision marks a radical departure from previous norms, with Hegseth stating, “We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand there’s serious consequences for these types of things.”
Nidal Hasan opened fire at a medical processing centre at Fort Hood, Texas, on 5 November 2009, resulting in 13 deaths and dozens of injuries. A military jury sentenced him to death in 2013, and he has since been held at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. The last recorded instance of a military firing squad in the US was in November 1945.
Separately, US President Donald Trump has pledged not to attack Iran before the upcoming November midterm elections, indicating a pause in the protracted conflict. A Reuters/Ipsos survey from late September indicated that approximately one-third of Americans approved of the strikes on Iran.