Fort Hood shooting suspect renounces citizenship

(AP) Fort Hood shooting suspect renounces citizenship
FORT HOOD, Texas
Days before he’s set to go on trial, the Army psychiatrist charged in the Fort Hood shooting rampage released more of his writings about America and Islam.

Foxnews.com on Thursday posted documents in which Maj. Nidal Hasan renounced his U.S. citizenship and soldier’s oath and denounced democracy. Hasan is charged in the November 2009 rampage that killed 13 soldiers and wounded more than 30 people at the Texas Army post. His court-martial is scheduled to start Tuesday.

The renunciation of U.S. citizenship is contained in a handwritten note dated Oct. 18, 2012, Fox News reported. A typewritten note that does not have a date says it is not “permissible” for someone to prefer American democracy over traditional Islamic Sharia law, the network also reported. Hasan wrote that Muslims should not “compromise their beliefs” for the sake of non-Muslims.

Hasan also wrote about Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical U.S.-born Islamic cleric killed by a drone strike in Yemen in 2011. The government has said that Hasan, a U.S.-born Muslim, had sent more than a dozen emails to al-Awlaki starting in December 2008. Hasan described al-Awlaki as his “teacher, mentor and friend,” Fox News reported.

The documents were released by Hasan through his attorney for civil issues, John Galligan. The Belton, Texas, attorney confirmed to The Associated Press that he provided the writings to Fox News at Hasan’s direction. Galligan said his client did not authorize release of the documents to other news media outlets.

Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder. Hasan, who faces the death penalty if convicted, is serving as his own attorney in his court-martial.