Page 87 - Hasan News Today

And when the judge asked whom he was defending major hasan replied, "the leadership of the islamic emirate of afghanistan, the taliban." he specifically named taliban leader mullahar. the question is is that a defense? busy night for cnn legal analyst jeffrey toobin he joins me once again. what do you think of what hasan is saying in court, that his defense is he was killing troops at ft. hood as a defense to protect the taliban? >> no, i dont think this is a legal defense. this is really i thin...

But as i understand the law, if he can prove that hes sane, and he has to the judges satisfaction, the judge more or less has to let him do this with standby counsel sitting by his side. so its an awful scenario, especially for those victims. but i think the judges hands really are tied. >> and this is a death penalty case, right? >> it is. and hasan really does seem bent on getting the death penalty. his defense is not something thats going to persuade anyone. a military jury like this case or ...

Asan, he is convicted of his crime, and even if he pushes a button to trigger one of us to physically react on him, it is what he calls gods will and he will get what is coming to him. >> you were just doing your job that day when suddenly you felt a bullet hit the left side of your head, and then more bullets pounded into your back. are you prepared to testify that this was this man major nadal hassan who did this to you. do you feel you can sit on the witness stand and look him in the eye just...

Would say the 4th amendment is getting attacked here. >> they say once the government has your dna in a database, what happens to that information? and what if youre innocent and never charged with anything in the end. >> a prosecutor in the court martial fell into enemy hands. he the spus respected in the ft. hood shootings will be allowed to represent him. they ruled that hasan is mentally competent to serve as hi own attorney. the doctor testified that piz par list suffered in the attack woul...

Accused of killing 13 people in a shooting spree at ft. hood. he is now paralyzed from the chest down. hasan had the mental capacity to conduct his own defense. due to the nature of the charges, former army jag attorney greg rinkly tells us that it is possible the judge will require that a defense council remain present. the trial begins on july 1st. a u.n. official is expected to call for a moratorium on lethal autonomous robotics or what some call killer robots. during an address to the u.n....

An attorney for robert bails confirmed the army staff sergeant agreed to plead guilty to charges of premeditated murder in the killing of 16 afghan villagers. in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. the decision to seek a plea deal which was first reported by the associated press must be approved by the judge and the commanding general of the division. the u.s. military alleges bails left his outpost in the middle of the night and single-handedly attacked two villages. a hearing is scheduled...

How do the victims feel about him collecting his paycheck. you still have a bullet in your back from thisattack, as well as dealing with the post traumatic stress. how do you feel about the fact that hasan is being treated more of a victim than you? >> its an embarrassment for all of the fallen that have made the supreme sacrifice for this country and for the injured that survived. >> were finding out hes accrued $268,000 while behind bars and is still receiving his salary. only a guilty verdict...

>> reporter: hasans total pay since the shooting, more than $2 $278,000. the defense department confirmed the numbers in response to a freedom of information act request. the army tells us under the military code of justice they cannot suspend hasans pay unless he is proven guilty but more than three years later, he is still awaiting trial. >> were giving the defendant in this case every benefit of the doubt, but yet were not giving benefits to victims. >> reporter: congressman rooney is a forme...

Our military, which just so happened to be in the united states of america. >> reporter: rooney says he is also willing to consider whether congress should change the rules. so the army could suspend the pay of soldiers arrested for crimes. if hasan had been a civilian defense department employee, nbc 5 learned the army could have suspended his pay after just seven days. personnel rules for most civilian government workers allow for indefinite suspensions. in cases when the agency has reasonable...

The 9/11 attack on the pentagon. burnett, his wife, torry, earth families of other fort hood victims miss out on thousands of additional assistance every year. >> they dont need to be treated like this. they dont need to sit and fight everyday for this, you know, this benefit or that. >> reporter: while the families argue for more help, nbc 5 investigates learned major nidal hasan received hundreds of thousands of dollars in military pay since his arrest. >> i want to show you something. this is...