Public access to Hasan’s execution strengthens accountability for military death sentences

Defence of a state against external and internal threats, spanning intelligence services, military operations, counterterrorism and the classification of information. Covers the tension between secrecy and oversight, and the agencies whose work is largely conducted beyond public view.

President Donald Trump approved the execution by Army firing squad of Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, on October 5, 2026. Hasan opened fire on unarmed American soldiers at Fort Hood, and the approval cleared the way for the execution.