US Defense Secretary Proposes Public Execution of Former Army Psychiatrist

US Defense Secretary’s Proposal

The US defense secretary has suggested that the former army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan be executed in a public setting. The proposal was made on the right-wing Real America’s Voice network and was described as a way to demonstrate serious consequences for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting.

Reference to Iranian Execution

The defense secretary cited the 2005 public execution of Muhammad Bijeh in Pakdasht, Iran, where the condemned was hanged from a crane in front of a crowd. The Iranian event involved lashes and a public gathering that was encouraged by police. The comparison was used to justify the proposed U.S. spectacle.

Public Reaction

The plan has attracted condemnation for mirroring a notorious Iranian practice. Critics argue that staging a public execution would be a grotesque imitation of Iran’s methods and would damage the United States’ international standing.