Hegseth announces public execution

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Nidal Hasan, a former U.S. Army major who killed thirteen people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009, will be executed by firing squad on live stream.

Hegseth's justification for public execution

Hegseth told political activist Jack Posobiec that the execution will be public because people need to understand there are serious consequences for such crimes.

“We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public, because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things.”

A journalist's memory of Kabul

The announcement prompted the author's vivid memory of witnessing a public execution at Kabul Stadium in September 1998, when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan.

Afghanistan under Taliban rule

The Taliban seized power after seven years of anarchy following Soviet withdrawal in 1989. They imposed medieval order: women were prohibited from working, thieves lost hands, adulterers were stoned to death.

The stadium execution ceremony

Attendance at the Kabul Stadium execution was mandatory. A cleric with a loudspeaker tried to give the event a festive air. The arena was segregated by sex, with a special section for the handicapped.

“The people are coming! The people are coming to see, with their own eyes, what Sharia means.”

Amputation as warmup act

Before the main execution, a convicted pickpocket was brought onto the field in a white Toyota Hilux. Taliban men in green hoods amputated his hand while the loudspeaker said nothing violated God's law.

The condemned man Atiqullah

Another prisoner, Atiqullah, was brought to midfield. He was convicted of murdering a man in an irrigation dispute by beating him to death with an axe, according to the loudspeaker.

Taliban justification for execution

The Taliban said execution was necessary after the civil war's mayhem. The loudspeaker stated that the Quran requires the killer be killed to create peace and prevent anarchy and chaos.

“The Quran says the killer must be killed in order to create peace in society. If punishment is not meted out, such crimes will become common. Anarchy and chaos will return.”

The victim's family decides

Under Islamic law, the execution could be halted if the bereaved family decided. Atiqullah's father pleaded for his son's life, but the victim's father Ahmad Noor refused, saying his son would carry out the execution.

“He killed my son. Even if you gave me all the gold in the world, I would not accept it.”

The victim's brother executes Atiqullah

The victim's brother was handed a Kalashnikov. He walked to midfield, crouched, took aim, and fired. Atiqullah collapsed. The shooter fired again, then circled searching for signs of life.

Hegseth's history with violence

Hegseth has previously invoked God to justify violence. In March, after Israeli and American forces attacked Iran, he recited a prayer at the Pentagon calling for overwhelming violence against those deserving no mercy.

“overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy”

Brad Sigmon's execution in South Carolina

In March 2025, Brad Sigmon, convicted of killing his girlfriend's parents, was executed by firing squad at Broad River Correctional Institution in South Carolina.

Trump approves but hesitates

Trump said he personally approved the live stream of Hasan's execution. But when asked whether the video could be used as a recruiting tool for terrorists, he hesitated and said he would make a determination.

“I'm going to make a determination about that. But he will be killed.”