Trump is evidently not going to allow the livestream which – I hope – was not his idea.
Even if you are OK with state-sponsored executions (which I am not!) it’s still dumb as the Wall Street journal explains here – it creates an instant recruiting tool.
Mr. Hasan killed 13 and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood in 2009 in the name of Islam.
But his execution is best done quietly with few witnesses beyond officials and the families of the victims who wish to attend. This consigns him to history with ignominy but no fanfare. Mr. Hasan has said “I would still be a martyr” if executed, and that he killed those soldiers because they were “going against the Islamic Empire.” A livestreamed death, complete with some incendiary last words, is what he wants.
Mr. Hegseth seems to think a livestreamed execution by firing squad will be a show of U.S. resolve and deter others from such murderous acts. …
Mr. Hasan and his ilk understand they are likely to die. That is part of their fevered calculation. They imagine that by their violence they will contribute to the bloody caliphate they hope to build on earth.
A public death by firing squad would give Mr. Hasan that publicity in perpetuity. It would assist the cult of death promoted by the perversion of Islam seeking to recruit more suicide attackers. Far from deterring jihadists, it would serve as a YouTube recruiting video.