title: The Tortoise and the Hare

text: The many other variants of the story in oral folk tradition appear worldwide and are classed as Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 275. In most of these there is a race between unequal partners but most often brain is matched against brawn and the race is won by means of trickery. Broadly this is of two types: either the slower animal jumps on the other's back or tail and hops off at the end when the creature turns round to see where his challenger has got to, or else he is deceived by lookalikes substituting themselves along the course.


title: The Tortoise and the Hare

text: Tales with a similar theme emphasizing doggedness have been recorded in Native American culture. Hummingbird and Crane agree to race from one ocean to the other. Though Hummingbird flies faster, he stops at night to sleep. Crane, however, flies overnight and is overtaken by Hummingbird later and later during the day, at length coming in first. The ultimate prize differs between versions and includes choice of habitat, the love of a girl, or the right to cut the other down to size.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On November 5, 2009, a mass shooting took place at Fort Hood, near Killeen, Texas. Nidal Hasan, a U.S. Army major and psychiatrist, fatally shot 13 people and injured more than 30 others. It was the deadliest mass shooting on an American military base.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Hasan was shot and as a result paralyzed from the waist down. He was arraigned by a military court on July 20, 2011 and was charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. His court-martial began on August 7, 2013. Due to the nature of the charges (more than one premeditated, or first-degree, murder case, in a single crime), Hasan faced either the death penalty or life in prison without parole upon conviction. Hasan was found guilty on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder on August 23, 2013, and was sentenced to death on August 28, 2013.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Days after the shooting, reports in the media revealed that a Joint Terrorism Task Force had been aware of a series of e-mails between Hasan and the Yemen-based Imam Anwar al-Awlaki, who had been monitored by the NSA as a security threat, and that Hasan's colleagues had been aware of his increasing radicalization for several years. The failure to prevent the shootings led the Defense Department and the FBI to commission investigations, and Congress to hold hearings.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: The U.S. government declined requests from survivors and family members of the slain to categorize the Fort Hood shooting as an act of terrorism, or motivated by militant Islamic religious convictions. In November 2011, a group of survivors and family members filed a lawsuit against the government for negligence in preventing the attack, and to force the government to classify the shootings as terrorism. The Pentagon argued that charging Hasan with terrorism was not possible within the military justice system and that such action could harm the military prosecutors' ability to sustain a guilty verdict against Hasan.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: According to pretrial testimony, Hasan entered the Guns Galore store in Killeen on July 31, 2009, and purchased the FN Five-seven semi-automatic pistol that he would use in the attack at Fort Hood. According to Army Specialist William Gilbert, a regular customer at the store, Hasan entered the store and asked for "the most technologically advanced weapon on the market and the one with the highest standard magazine capacity". Hasan was allegedly asked how he intended to use the weapon, but simply repeated that he wanted the most advanced handgun with the largest magazine capacity. The three people with Hasan—Gilbert, the store manager, and an employee—all recommended the FN Five-seven pistol. As Gilbert owned one of the pistols, he spent an hour describing its operation to Hasan.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Hasan left the store, saying he needed to research the weapon. He returned to purchase the gun the next day, and visited the store once a week to buy extra magazines, along with over 3,000 rounds of 5.7×28mm SS192 and SS197SR ammunition total. In the weeks prior to the attack, Hasan visited an outdoor shooting range in Florence, where he allegedly became adept at hitting silhouette targets at distances of up to 100 yards.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: At approximately 1:34 p.m. local time, November 5, 2009, Hasan entered the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, where personnel receive routine medical treatment immediately prior to and on return from deployment. He was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan with his unit and had been to the Center several times before. He was armed with the FN Five-seven pistol, which he had fitted with two Lasermax laser sights: one red, and one green. A Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver (an older model) was later found on Hasan's person, but he did not use it to shoot any of the victims.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: After entering the building, Hasan went to the first desk to the right of the North doors and asked to see Major Parrish. MAJ Parrish worked in the building (and had been assisting Hasan in his deployment preparations). The worker went down the hall to get Parrish. According to eyewitnesses, Hasan then went around behind the desk and bowed his head for several seconds, before he suddenly stood up, shouted ""Allahu Akbar"!" and opened fire. Witnesses said Hasan initially "sprayed bullets at soldiers in a fanlike motion" before taking aim at individual soldiers. Eyewitness SGT Michael Davis said: "The rate of fire was pretty much constant shooting. When I initially heard it, it sounded like an M16."


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Army Reserve Captain John Gaffaney tried to stop Hasan by charging him, but was mortally wounded before reaching him. Civilian physician assistant Michael Cahill also tried to charge Hasan with a chair, but was shot and killed. Army Reserve Specialist Logan Burnett tried to stop Hasan by throwing a folding table at him, but he was shot in the left hip, fell down, and crawled to a nearby cubicle.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: According to testimony from witnesses, Hasan passed up several opportunities to shoot civilians, and instead targeted soldiers in uniform, who – in accordance with military policy – were not carrying personal firearms. At one point, Hasan reportedly approached a group of five civilians hiding under a desk. He looked at them, swept the dot of his pistol's laser sight over one of the men's faces, and turned away without firing. While this was going on, an Army Specialist broke a window in the back of the building where MAJ Parrish worked. Two soldiers and Parrish exited the building through the broken window on the east side of the building and escaped to the parking lot, though one soldier severely cut his hand on broken glass. All of this happened as Hasan was still roaming the building and shooting.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Base civilian police Sergeant Kimberly Munley, who had rushed to the scene in her patrol car, encountered Hasan in the area outside the Soldier Readiness Processing Center. Hasan fired at Munley, who exchanged shots with him using her 9mm M9 pistol. Munley's hand was hit by shrapnel when one of Hasan's bullets struck a nearby rain gutter, and then two bullets struck Munley: the first bullet hit her thigh, and the second hit her knee. As she began to fall from the first bullet, the second bullet struck her femur, shattering it and knocking her to the ground. Hasan walked up to Munley and kicked her pistol out of reach.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: As the shooting continued outside, nurses and medics entered the building. An unidentified soldier secured the south double doors with his ACU belt and rushed to help the wounded. According to the responding nurses, there was so much blood covering the floor inside the building that they were unable to maintain balance, and had difficulty reaching the wounded to help them. In the area outside the building, Hasan continued to shoot at fleeing soldiers. Herman Toro, Director of the Soldier Readiness Processing Site, arrived at this time. Hasan had gone around the building and was out of sight, but still shooting. Toro and another site worker rushed to assist Lieutenant Colonel Juanita Warman, who was down on the ground north of the medical building. They both took her by the arms and tried to carry her to safety when Hasan returned and aimed his red laser across Toro's chest, but did not fire. Toro took cover behind an electrical box and saw civilian police Sergeant Mark Todd arrive and shout commands at Hasan to surrender. Todd said: "Then he turned and fired a couple of rounds at me. I didn't hear him say a word, he just turned and fired." The two exchanged shots, Hasan emptying his pistol in the process. He stopped, turned, and reached into his pocket for a new magazine before being felled by five shots from Todd. Todd then ran over to Hasan, kicked the pistol out of his hand, and put handcuffs on him as he fell unconscious. LTC Tom Eberhart, Deputy Director of Human Resources, Fort Hood, arrived and entered the Medical Building to help. He had to step over bodies to enter the building's north entrance. He assisted another soldier in performing CPR on one of the wounded soldiers at the building's waiting area. Folding chairs were scattered all around. He noticed a soldier outside the south doors of the building and went to help, removing the belt from the door. The downed soldier was Staff Sergeant Alonzo Lunsford, a medical assistant from the building. He had two wounds in the abdomen and a wound to the scalp. He was unconscious and LTC Eberhart went back into the building to retrieve a folding table. Other soldiers assisted in getting SSG Lunsford onto the table and around the building to the triage area.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: An investigator later testified that 146 spent shell casings were recovered inside the building. Another 68 casings were collected outside, for a total of 214 rounds fired by the attacker and responding police officers. A medic who treated Hasan said his pockets were full of pistol magazines. When the shooting ended, he was still carrying 177 rounds of unfired ammunition in his pockets, contained in both 20- and 30-round magazines. The incident, which lasted about 10 minutes, resulted in 13 killed12 soldiers and one civilian; 11 died at the scene, and two died later in a hospital; and 30 people wounded.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Initially, officials thought three soldiers were involved in the shooting; two other soldiers were detained, but subsequently released. The Fort Hood website posted a notice indicating that the shooting was not a drill. Immediately after the shooting, the base and surrounding areas were locked down by military police and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) until around 7 pm local time. In addition, Texas Rangers, Texas DPS troopers, deputies from the Bell County Sheriff's Office, and FBI agents from Austin and Waco were dispatched to the base. U.S. President Barack Obama was briefed on the incident and later made a statement about the shooting.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On November 5, 2010, one year later, 52 individuals received awards for their actions in the shooting. The Soldier's Medal was awarded posthumously to Captain John Gaffaney, who died trying to charge the shooter; fifty other medals were presented to other responders, including seven others who were awarded the Soldier's Medal. The Secretary of the Army Award for Valor was awarded to police officers Kimberly Munley and Mark Todd, for the roles they played in stopping the shooter. On May 23, 2011, the Army Award for Valor was posthumously awarded to the civilian physician assistant Michael Cahill, who died trying to charge the shooter with a chair. In May 2012, Senator Joe Lieberman and Representative Peter T. King proposed legislation that would make the victims of the shooting eligible for the Purple Heart. In the 113th Congress, Representative John Carter introduced legislation to change the shooting designation from "workplace violence" to "combat related" which would make the victims of the shooting eligible to receive full benefits and the Purple Heart.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: In July 2014, a memorial for those killed during the attack began to be built in Killeen. The dedication ceremony for the memorial was held in March 2016.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On February 6, 2015, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a press release, in which Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh announced that he was approving the awarding of the Purple Heart and its civilian counterpart, the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom, to victims of the shooting. This is a result of Congress expanding the eligibility requirement under a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015. On April 10, 2015, nearly 50 awards were handed out to dozens of survivors.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: In October 2018, the Program on Extremism at George Washington University published a case study about the radicalization of Nidal Hasan . The report is based on previously unpublished as well as new sources including primary source documents, discussions with those close to Hasan, and interviews with Hasan himself. The paper concludes that his faith was fundamental to the development of his worldview and his pathway towards radicalization, and that his radicalization followed a linear pathway.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Thirteen people - 12 soldiers and 1 civilian - were killed in the attack. Over thirty people were wounded; some from gunshots, others from falls or other injuries incurred during the incident, and many suffered psychological trauma or shock. The Army, press, and investigative bodies have reported several numbers for the total number of injured, without indicating what sorts of injuries they were counting, nor how: 29; 30; 31; 32; 38; and 42.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Hasan, the gunman, was taken to Scott and White Memorial Hospital, a trauma center in Temple, Texas, and later moved to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, where he was held under heavy guard. Hasan was hit by at least four shots. As a result of bullet wounds to his spine, he is now paraplegic. He was later held at the Bell County jail in Belton, Texas.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Ten of the injured were also treated at Scott and White. Seven wounded victims were taken to Metroplex Adventist Hospital in Killeen. Eight others received hospital treatment for shock. On November 20, 2009, it was announced that eight of the wounded service members would deploy overseas.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: During his court-martial on August 6, 2013 before a panel of 13 officers, Major Nidal Malik Hasan declared that he was the shooter. Hasan is unmarried and was described as socially isolated. Born in the United States, Hasan is a practicing Muslim who, according to one of his cousins, became more devout after the deaths of his parents in 1998 and 2001. His cousin did not recall him ever expressing radical or anti-American views. Another cousin, Nader Hasan, a lawyer in Virginia, said that Nidal Hasan's opinion turned against the United States after he heard stories from his patients, who had returned from fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. Because of what Hasan said was discrimination and his deepening anguish about serving in a military that fought against Muslims, he told some members of his family that he wanted to leave the military.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: From 2003 to 2009, Hasan was stationed at Walter Reed Medical Center for his internship and residency; he also had a two-year fellowship at USUHS completed in 2009. According to National Public Radio (NPR), officials at Walter Reed Medical Center repeatedly expressed concern about Hasan's behavior during the entire six years he was there; Hasan's supervisors gave him poor evaluations and warned him that he was doing substandard work. In early 2008 (and on later occasions), several key officials met to discuss what to do about Hasan. Attendees of these meetings reportedly included the Walter Reed chief of psychiatry, the chairman of the USUHS Psychiatry Department, two assistant chairs of the USUHS Psychiatry Department (one of whom was the director of Hasan's psychiatry fellowship), another psychiatrist, and the director of the Walter Reed psychiatric residency program. According to NPR, fellow students and faculty were "deeply troubled" by Hasan's behavior, which they described as "disconnected", "aloof", "paranoid", "belligerent" and "schizoid".


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Once, while presenting what was supposed to be a medical lecture to other psychiatrists, Hasan talked about Islam, and said that, according to the Koran, non-believers would be sent to hell, decapitated, set on fire, and have burning oil poured down their throats. A Muslim psychiatrist in the audience raised his hand, and challenged Hasan's claims. According to the Associated Press, Hasan's lecture also "justified suicide bombings". In the summer of 2009, after completion of his programs, he was transferred to Fort Hood.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: At Fort Hood, Hasan rented an apartment away from other officers, in a somewhat rundown area. Two days before the shooting, Hasan gave away furniture from his home, saying he was going to be deployed. He also handed out copies of the Qur'an, along with his business cards, which gave a Maryland phone number and read "Behavioral Heatlh – Mental Health – Life Skills | Nidal Hasan, MD, MPH | SoA(SWT) | Psychiatrist". The cards did not reflect his military rank.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: In May 2001, Hasan attended the funeral of his mother, held at the Dar Al-Hijrah mosque in Falls Church, Virginia, which has 3,000 members. He may also have occasionally prayed there but, for a period of ten years, he prayed several times a week at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, closer to where he lived and worked. He was regularly seen at the Muslim Community Center by the imam and other members. His attendance at the Falls Church mosque was in the same period as that of Nawaf al-Hazmi and Hani Hanjour, two of the hijackers in the September 11 attacks, who went there from April 2001 to later in the summer. A law enforcement official said that the FBI will probably look into whether Hasan associated with the hijackers. A review of Hasan's computer and his e-mail accounts revealed he had visited radical Islamist websites, a senior law enforcement official said.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Hasan expressed admiration for the teachings of Anwar al-Awlaki, the imam at the Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Falls Church, Virginia between 2000 and 2002. Awlaki had been the subject of several FBI investigations, and had helped hijackers al-Hazmi and Hanjour settle, and provided spiritual guidance to them when they met him at the San Diego mosque, and after they drove to the east coast. Considered moderate then, Al-Awlaki appeared to become radicalized after 2006 and was under surveillance. After Hasan wrote nearly 20 e-mails to him between December 2008 and June 2009, Hasan was investigated by the FBI. The fact that Hasan had "certain communications" with the subject of a Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation was revealed in an FBI press release made on November 9, 2009, and reporting by the media immediately revealed that the subject was Awlaki and the communications were e-mails. In one, Hasan wrote: "I can't wait to join you" in the afterlife. Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, a military analyst at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, suggested that Hasan was "either offering himself up or [had] already crossed that line in his own mind".


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Army employees were informed of the contacts at the time, but they believed that the e-mails were consistent with Hasan's professional mental health research about Muslims in the armed services, as part of his master's work in Disaster and Preventive Psychiatry. A DC-based joint terrorism task force operating under the FBI was notified, and the information reviewed by one of its Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) employees, who concluded there was not sufficient information for a larger investigation. Senior officers at the Department of Defense stated they were not notified of such investigations before the shootings.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Immediately after the shooting, analysts and public officials openly debated Hasan's motive and preceding psychological state: a military activist, Selena Coppa, remarked that Hasan's psychiatrist colleagues "failed to notice how deeply disturbed someone right in their midst was". A spokesperson for U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, one of the first officials to comment on Hasan's background, told reporters that Hasan was upset about his pending deployment to Afghanistan on November 28. Noel Hamad, Hasan's aunt, said that the family was not aware he was being sent to Afghanistan.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: "The Dallas Morning News" reported on November 17 that ABC News, citing anonymous sources, reported that investigators suspect that the shootings were triggered by superiors' refusal to process Hasan's requests that some of his patients be prosecuted for war crimes based on statements they made during psychiatric sessions with him. Dallas attorney Patrick McLain, a former Marine, said that Hasan may have been legally justified in his request, but he could not comment without knowing what soldiers had said. Fellow psychiatrists complained to superiors that Hasan's actions violated doctor-patient confidentiality.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Duane Reasoner, a convert to Islam whom Hasan was mentoring in the religion, said the psychiatrist did not want to be deployed. "'He said Muslims shouldn't be in the U.S. military, because obviously Muslims shouldn't kill Muslims. He told me not to join the Army.'"


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Senator Joe Lieberman called for a probe by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which he chairs. Lieberman said "it's premature to reach conclusions about what motivated Hasan ... I think it's very important to let the Army and the FBI go forward with this investigation before we reach any conclusions." Two weeks later, when opening his committee's hearings, Lieberman labeled the shooting "the most destructive terrorist attack on America since September 11, 2001".


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Michael Welner, M.D., a leading forensic psychiatrist with experience examining mass shooters, said that the shooting had elements common to both ideological and workplace mass shootings. Welner, who believed Hasan wanted to create a "spectacle", said that a trauma care worker, even under mental distress, would not normally be expected to be homicidal toward his patients unless his ideology trumped his Hippocratic Oath–Welner thought Hasan expressed this in shouting, ""Allahu Akhbar,"" as he shot unarmed men. An analyst of terror investigations, Carl Tobias, opined that the attack did not fit the profile of terrorism, and was more similar to the Virginia Tech massacre, committed by a student believed to be severely mentally ill.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Michael Scheuer, the retired former head of the Bin Laden Issue Station, and former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey have called the event a terrorist attack, as has the terrorism expert Walid Phares. Retired General Barry McCaffrey said on "Anderson Cooper 360°" that "it's starting to appear as if this was a domestic terrorist attack on fellow soldiers by a major in the Army who we educated for six years while he was giving off these vibes of disloyalty to his own force".


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Some of Hasan's former colleagues have said he performed substandard work and occasionally unnerved them by expressing fervent Islamic views and deep opposition to the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Others were more concerned about his apparent mental instability and paranoid behaviors. Throughout his years at Walter Reed, heads of departments had regularly discussed his mental state, as they were "deeply concerned" about his behavior.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Brian Levin of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism wrote that the case sits at the crossroads of crime, terrorism and mental distress. He compared the possible role of religion to the beliefs of Scott Roeder, a Christian who murdered Dr. George Tiller, who practiced abortion. Such offenders "often self-radicalize from a volatile mix of personal distress, psychological issues, and an ideology that can be sculpted to justify and explain their anti-social leanings".


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: At his trial in June 2013, Hasan declared his motive as wanting to defend the lives of the Taliban leadership in Afghanistan. Army prosecutors said that he sought to align himself with Islamic extremists.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: In August 2013, Fox News released documents from Hasan in which he explained his motives. Most of the documents included the acronym "SoA", which is considered shorthand for "Soldier of Allah". In one document, Hasan wrote that he was required to renounce any oaths that required him to defend any man-made constitution over the commandments mandated in Islam. In another document, he wrote "I invite the world to read the book of All-Mighty Allah and decide for themselves if it is the truth from their Lord. My desire is to help people attain heaven by the mercy of their Lord."


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: In another document, Hasan wrote that there is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between American democracy and Islamic governance. Specifically:


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: ... in an American democracy, 'we the people' govern according to what 'we the people' think is right or wrong, even if it specifically goes against what All-Mighty God commands.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: He further explained that separation of Church and State is an unacceptable attempt to get along with unbelievers, because "Islam was brought to prevail over other religions" and not to be equal with or subservient to them.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Many have characterized the attack as terrorism. Two weeks after recommending no conclusions be drawn until after the investigation was completed, Senator Joe Lieberman called the shooting "the most destructive terrorist attack on America since September 11, 2001." Michael Scheuer, the retired former head of the Bin Laden Issue Station, and former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey also described it as a terrorist attack. A group of soldiers and families have sought to have the defense secretary designate the shooting a "terrorist attack;" this would provide them with benefits equal to injuries in combat.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: The FBI found no evidence to indicate Hasan had any co-conspirators or was part of a broader terrorist plot, classifying him as a homegrown violent extremist. Conversely, the Defense Department currently classifies Hasan's attack as an act of workplace violence and would not make further statements until the court martial.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: The U.S. President's initial response to the attack came during a scheduled speech at the Tribal Nations Conference for America's 564 federally recognized Native American tribes. Obama was criticized by the media for being "insensitive", as he addressed the shooting only three minutes into his prepared speech, and then for not according it sufficient gravitas. Later, the President delivered the memorial eulogy for the victims. Reaction to his memorial speech was largely positive, with some deeming it one of his best. The speech was criticized by a reporter from "The Wall Street Journal", who found the speech largely absent of emotion, while a "National Review" columnist criticized Obama for refusing to acknowledge Islamic terrorism as having a role in the shooting.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On December 6, 2015, in his speech addressing terrorism, Obama included the Fort Hood shooting among Islamic inspired terrorist incidents.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Retired Army colonel Terry Lee, who had worked with Hasan, said the psychiatrist expressed the hope that Obama would withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, and argued with military colleagues who supported the wars.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: A spokesman for the Defense Department called the shooting an "isolated and tragic case", and Defense Secretary Robert Gates pledged that his department would do "everything in its power to help the Fort Hood community get through these difficult times." The chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin, and numerous politicians, expressed condolences to the victims and their families.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano stated "we object to—and do not believe—that anti-Muslim sentiment should emanate from this ... This was an individual who does not, obviously, represent the Muslim faith." Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr. said "I'm concerned that this increased speculation could cause a backlash against some of our Muslim soldiers ... Our diversity, not only in our Army, but in our country, is a strength. And as horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that's worse."


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: In January 2010, a senior Obama administration official, who declined to be named, referred to the shooting as "an act of terrorism", although other administration officials have not referred to the shootings as a terrorist event. Several people, including Senator Joe Lieberman and General Barry McCaffrey, have called the event a terrorist attack. The United States Department of Defense and federal law enforcement agencies had classified the shootings as an act of workplace violence. This was changed by the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act which broadened the criteria for awarding the Purple Heart to include "an attack by a foreign terrorist organization….if the attack was inspired or motivated by the foreign terrorist organization." This allowed the Army to award the Purple Heart, and its civilian equivalent, The Defense of Freedom Medal, to victims of the attack. The U.S. government declined requests from survivors and family members of the slain to categorize the Fort Hood shooting as an act of terrorism, or motivated by militant Islamic religious convictions. In November 2011, a group of survivors and family members filed a lawsuit against the government for negligence in preventing the attack, and to force the government to classify the shootings as terrorism. The Pentagon argued that charging Hasan with terrorism was not possible within the military justice system and that such action could harm the military prosecutors' ability to sustain a guilty verdict against Hasan.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Victims of the shooting were denied Purple Hearts as well as associate benefits. In 2013, during the 113th United States Congress, Representative Carter submitted the Honoring the Fort Hood Heroes Act for consideration. The bill was referred to committee. In 2015, a similar bill was introduced in the legislature of Texas, to award the Texas Purple Heart Medal to the shooting victims.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: The National Defense Authorization Act 2015 authorizes the Department of Defense to award Purple Heart Medals to those wounded during the attack. The award was previously denied due to the categorization of the event as "workplace violence". The law requires that the Department of Defense to define the event as an "international terrorist attack". In February 2015, the Department of the Army approved awarding of the Purple Heart to those injured by Hasan during the shooting, providing those injured with a higher degree of services from the Veterans Affairs. The Army planned to present the Purple Hearts in April 2015; which was carried out on 10 April 2015. Following the awarding benefits for those wounded in hostile-fire were extended to the Purple Heart recipients, and it was announced that those killed and injured during the 2009 Little Rock recruiting office shooting would also receive the Purple Heart.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Veterans groups across the United States expressed condolences for victims of the attack. American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill stated, "The American Legion extends condolences to the victims and the families of those affected by the shootings at Fort Hood." Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander Thomas J. Tradewell Sr. states, "The entire military family is grieving right now. I just want them to know they do not grieve alone. Our hearts and prayers are with them."


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: The Army places strict restrictions on personal firearms carried onto Fort Hood and other bases. Military weapons are used only for training or by base security. Personal weapons brought on base are required to be secured at all times and must be registered with the provost marshal. Specialist Jerry Richard, a soldier working at the Readiness Center, said he felt this policy left the soldiers vulnerable to violent assaults: "Overseas you are ready for it. But here you can't even defend yourself." Jacob Sullum, an opponent of gun control, described the base as a "gun-free zone."


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: A spokeswoman for the Hasan family said that the actions of their cousin were "despicable and deplorable", and did not reflect how they were raised.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the shooting and noted that it was not in keeping with Muslim teachings. The spokesman asked Americans to treat it as an "isolated incident of a deranged individual." He pointed out that disturbed individuals could use any religion for their own purposes, but the Muslim community condemned this violence.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Salman al-Ouda, a dissident Saudi cleric and former inspiration to Osama bin Laden, condemned the shooting, saying the incident would have bad consequences:


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: ...undoubtedly this man might have a psychological problem; he may be a psychiatrist but he [also] might have had psychological distress, as he was being commissioned to go to Iraq or Afghanistan, and he was capable of refusing to work whatever the consequences were." The senior analyst at the NEFA Foundation described Ouda's comments as "a good indication of how far on a tangent Anwar al-Awlaki is.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Soon after the attack, Anwar al-Awlaki posted praise for Hasan for the shooting on his website. He wrote, "Nidal Hasan is a hero, the fact that fighting against the U.S. army is an Islamic duty today cannot be disputed. Nidal has killed soldiers who were about to be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in order to kill Muslims." In March 2010, Al-Awlaki alleged that the Obama administration tried to portray Hasan's actions as an individual act of violence from an estranged individual, and that it was trying to suppress information for the American public. He said:


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Until this moment the administration is refusing to release the e-mails exchanged between myself and Nidal. And after the operation of our brother Umar Farouk the initial comments coming from the administration were looking the same – another attempt at covering up the truth. But Al Qaeda cut off Obama from deceiving the world again by issuing their statement claiming responsibility for the operation. (Note: The US investigation found no evidence that ties Hasan to al-Qaeda. See section below.)


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On April 6, 2010, "The New York Times" reported that President Obama had authorized the targeted killing of al-Awlaki, who had been hunted by the Yemen government since going into hiding. On September 30, 2011, two Predator drones fired missiles at a vehicle with al-Awlaki aboard, killing him and Samir Khan.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: The criminal investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and the Texas Rangers Division. As a member of the military, Hasan is subject to the jurisdiction of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (military law). He was initially represented by Belton, Texas-based John P. Galligan, a criminal defense attorney and retired US Army Colonel. Hasan regained consciousness on November 9, but refused to talk to investigators.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: The investigative officer in charge of his article 32 hearing was Colonel James L. Pohl, who had previously led the investigation into the Abu Ghraib abuses, and is the Chief Presiding Officer of the Guantanamo military commissions.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On November 9, 2009, the FBI said that investigators believed Hasan had acted alone. They disclosed that they had reviewed evidence which included 2008 conversations with an individual that an official identified as Anwar al-Awlaki, but said they did not find any evidence that Hasan had received orders or help from anyone. According to a November 11 press release, after preliminary examination of Hasan's computers and internet activity, they had found no information to indicate he had any co-conspirators or was part of a broader terrorist plot, stressing the "early stages" of the review. They said no e-mail communications with outside facilitators or known terrorists were found.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Investigators were evaluating reports that, in May 2001, Hasan had attended a mosque in Virginia for the funeral of his mother, which was attended that spring and summer by two of the 9/11 hijackers. The imam was the American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, then considered a moderate. Awlaki has since been accused of aiding the 9/11 plot and since 2006–2007 has been identified as radicalized. Investigators were trying to determine if al-Awlaki's teachings influenced Hasan. For ten years, Hasan prayed several times a week at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, closer to where he lived and worked.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Army officials said, "Right now we're operating on the belief that he acted alone and had no help". No motive for the shootings was offered, but they believed Hasan had written an Internet posting that appeared to support suicide bombings. Sen. Lieberman opined that Hasan was under personal stress and may have turned to Islamic extremism.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: In pressing charges against Hasan, the Department of Defense and the DoJ agreed that Hasan would be prosecuted in a military court. Observers noted this was consistent with investigators' concluding he had acted alone. During a November 21 hearing in Hasan's hospital room, a magistrate ruled that there was probable cause that Hasan committed the November 5 shooting, and ordered that he be held in pre-trial confinement after being released from hospital care. On November 12 and December 2, respectively, Hasan was charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder by the Army; he may face additional charges at court-martial.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Prosecutors did not file a count for the death of the Francheska Velez's three-month old fetus. Such a charge is available to prosecutors under the Unborn Victims of Violence Act and also Article 119a of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. If civilian prosecutors indicted him for being part of a terrorist plot, it could have justified moving all or part of his case into federal criminal courts under U.S. anti-terrorism laws. The military justice system rarely carries out capital punishment—and no executions have been carried out since 1961, though Ronald Gray came close to execution in 2008. Neither has any incident of mass murder been prosecuted by the military since then. (From 1916 to 1961, the U.S. Army executed 135 people.)


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: In late January 2011, Hasan was judged sane for trial by an Army sanity board, normally composed of doctors and psychologists. This allowed a capital trial, and more information about his mental state at the time of the shootings was able to be introduced by the defense during the trial.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: He was formally arraigned on July 20, 2011. He did not enter a plea, and the judge granted a request by Hasan's attorneys that a plea be entered at a later, unspecified, date. The judge initially set a trial date for May. Hasan's court-martial for March 5, 2012. Later, the court-martial date was pushed back after Hasan switched lawyers, to provide them time to prepare his defense.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Having previously instructed Hasan to follow Army regulations and shave a beard he had grown, the judge, Colonel Gregory Gross, found him in contempt in July 2012 and fined him. His court-martial was set to begin on August 20, 2012. He was fined again for retaining his beard, and warned that he could be forcibly shaved prior to his court-martial.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On August 15, Hasan was scheduled to enter pleas to the charges brought against him before the beginning of the court-martial; he would not be allowed to plead guilty to the premeditated murder charges as the prosecution is pursuing the death penalty in his case. Hasan objected to being shaved against his will, and his attorney's appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Hasan said having a beard was part of his religious belief.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On August 27, the Appeals Court announced that the trial could continue, but did not rule whether Hasan could be forcibly shaved. The Appeals court has rejected previous attempts by Hasan to receive "religious accommodation" from Army Regulation to wear his beard. On September 6, Gross ordered that Hasan be shaved after it was determined that the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act did not apply to this case; however, it will not be enforced until his appeals are exhausted, further delaying the trial.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: During the hearing on September 6, 2012, Hasan twice offered to plead guilty; however, Army rules at the time prohibited the judge from accepting a guilty plea in a death penalty case. On September 21, defense attorneys of Hasan filed two appeals with the Army Court of Criminal Appeals regarding his beard, postponing the trial. Residents of Killeen were upset about the delays in going to trial.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: In mid-October, the Army Court of Criminal Appeals upheld Colonel Gross' decision that Hasan could be forcibly shaved. Hasan's attorneys filed an appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces seeking to overturn the lower court, and to have Gross removed.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On December 4, 2012, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces vacated Major Hasan's six convictions for contempt of court and removed the judge, Colonel Gregory Gross, from the case, stating he had not shown the requisite impartiality. The Court of Appeals overturned an order to have Hasan's beard be forcibly shaven; it did not rule on whether Hasan's religious rights had been violated. The Court of Appeals additionally ruled that it was the military command's responsibility, not the military judge, to ensure Hasan met grooming standards. The Army's Judge Advocate General appointed a new judge to replace Gross. The ruling was called "unusual" by Jeffrey Addicott of the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary's University, and called "rare" by military defense attorney Frank Spinner.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Colonel Tara A. Osborn was appointed as the new judge for the trial on the same day that Gross was removed. In 2011 Osborn presided over a death penalty case, the court martial of SGT Joseph Bozicevich, who was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole for killing his squad leader and another soldier. In January 2013, Osborn was deliberating whether to remove the death penalty, due to the Defense attorney's claim that LTG Campbell was not impartial when it was decided that Hasan would face the death penalty. On January 31, Osborn ruled that a capital murder trial was constitutional, based on a 1996 Supreme Court case regarding Dwight J. Loving; Osborn additionally ruled that her court did not have jurisdiction regarding Hasan's beard, and it was a matter to take up with Hasan's chain of command. As of February 2013, the court-martial had been set to start on May 29, 2013, with jury selection to begin on July 1, 2013.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On June 3, 2013, a military judge gave approval for Hasan to represent himself at his upcoming murder trial. His attorneys were to remain on the case but only if he asked for their help. Jury selection started on June 5 and opening arguments took place on August 6. U.S. Army Judge Colonel Tara Osborn ruled on June 14, 2013 that Hasan couldn't claim as a part of his defense that he was defending the Taliban. The trial was scheduled to begin on August 6. During an exclusive interview with Fox News, Hasan justified his actions during the Fort Hood shooting by claiming that the US military was at war with Islam.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: During the first day of the trial on August 6, Hasan—who was representing himself— admitted that he was the gunman during the Fort Hood shootings in 2009 and stated that the evidence would show that he was the shooter. He also told the panel hearing that he had "switched sides" and regarded himself as a Mujahideen waging "jihad" against the United States. By August 7, disagreements between Hasan and his stand-by defense team led Judge Osborn to suspend the proceedings. Hasan's defense attorneys were concerned that his defense strategy would lead to him receiving the death penalty. Since the prosecution had sought the death penalty, his defense team sought to prevent this.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: Overall, the trial cost almost $5 million, with the largest expense being transportation, followed by expert witness fees.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On August 23, 2013, Hasan was convicted on all charges after the jury deliberated for seven hours. Five days later, a U.S. military court sentenced him to death for the shootings. At the time of his sentencing, he became the sixth person on military death row.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: The FBI noted that Hasan had first been brought to their attention in December 2008 by a Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). Communications between Hasan and al-Awlaki, and other similar communications, were reviewed and considered to be consistent with Hasan's professional research at the Walter Reed Medical Center. "Because the content of the communications was explainable by his research and nothing else derogatory was found, the JTTF concluded that Major Hasan was not involved in terrorist activities or terrorist planning."


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On December 2009, FBI Director Robert Mueller appointed William Webster, a former director of the FBI, to establish a commission to conduct an independent review of the FBI's handling of assessing the risk that Hasan posed.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On January 15, 2010, the Department of Defense released the findings of its investigation, which found that the Department was unprepared to defend against internal threats. Secretary Robert Gates said that previous incidents had not drawn enough attention to workplace violence and "self-radicalization" within the military. He also suggested that some officials may be held responsible for not drawing attention to Hasan prior to the shooting. The Department report did not touch upon Hasan's motives.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: James Corum, a retired Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel and Dean at the Baltic Defence College in Estonia, called the Defense Department report "a travesty", for failing to mention Hasan's devotion to Islam and his radicalization. Texas Representative John Carter criticized the report, saying he felt the government was "afraid to be accused of profiling somebody". John Lehman, a member of the 9/11 Commission and Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan, said he felt that the report "shows you how deeply entrenched the values of political correctness have become." The columnist Debra Saunders of the "San Francisco Chronicle" wrote in an opinion piece: "Even ... if the report's purpose was to craft lessons to prevent future attacks, how could they leave out radical Islam?"


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: The leaders of the investigation, former Secretary of the Army Togo West and retired Admiral Vernon Clark, responded by saying their "concern is with actions and effects, not necessarily with motivations", and that they did not want to conflict with the criminal investigation on Hasan that was under way.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: In February 2010, "The Boston Globe" obtained a confidential internal report detailing results of the Army's investigation. According to the Globe, the report concluded that officers within the Army were aware of Hasan's tendencies toward radical Islam since 2005. It noted one incident in 2007 in which Hasan gave a classroom presentation titled, "Is the War on Terrorism a War on Islam: An Islamic Perspective". The instructor reportedly interrupted Hasan, as he thought the psychiatrist was trying to justify terrorism, according to the Globe. Hasan's superior officers took no action related to this incident, believing Hasan's comments were protected under the First Amendment and that having a Muslim psychiatrist contributed to diversity. The report noted that Hasan's statements might have been grounds for removing him from service, as the First Amendment did not apply to soldiers in the same way as for civilians.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: In July 2012, the Webster Commission's final report was submitted. Webster made 18 recommendations to the FBI. The report found issues in information sharing, failure to follow up on leads, computer technology issues, and failure of the FBI headquarters to coordinate two field offices working on leads related to Hasan.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: In August 2013, "Mother Jones" magazine described multiple intercepted e-mails from Hasan to Awlaki. In one 2008 e-mail, Hasan asked Awlaki whether he considered those who died attacking their fellow soldiers "Shaheeds", or martyrs. In a 2009 e-mail, Hasan asked Awlaki whether "indiscriminately killing civilians" was allowed. Both e-mails were forwarded to the Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS). However, DCIS failed to connect the two e-mails to each other, and the 2008 e-mail was given only a cursory investigation. A DCIS agent later explained that the subject was "politically sensitive".


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: In November 2013, Army Secretary John M. McHugh is quoted as writing that he has "directed my staff to conduct a thorough review of the record of trial in the court-martial of Major Hasan to ascertain if those proceedings revealed new evidence or information that establishes clearly the necessary link to international terrorism".


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: A lawsuit filed in November 2011 by victims and their family members alleges that the government's failure to take action against Hasan before the attack was willful negligence prompted by "political correctness". The 83 claimants seek $750 million in compensation from the Army.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: As of 2012, the Department of Defense classifies the case as one of workplace violence. A spokesman for the Department stated,


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: The Department of Defense is committed to the integrity of the ongoing court martial proceedings of Major Nadal Hasan and for that reason will not further characterize, at this time, the incident that occurred at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009. Major Hassan has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder, and 32 counts of attempted murder. As with all pending UCMJ matters, the accused is innocent until proven guilty.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: A group of 160 victims and family members have asked the government to declare the Fort Hood attack an act of terrorism, which would mean that injuries would be treated as if the victims were in a combat zone, providing them more benefits. US Representatives John R. Carter and Michael T. McCaul wrote, "Based on all the facts, it is inconceivable to us that the DOD and the Army continue to label this attack 'workplace violence' in spite of all the evidence that clearly proves the Fort Hood shooting was an act of terror." Carter and McCaul drew their conclusions from their interpretation of existing investigations.


title: 2009 Fort Hood shooting

text: On November 5, 2012, 148 plaintiffs, including victims and families of victims, filed a wrongful death claim against the United States Government, Hasan, and the estate of Anwar al-Awlaki. Their lawsuit alleges there were due process violations, intentional misrepresentation, assault and battery, gross negligence, and civil conspiracy. The lawsuit was featured on "ABC News" on February 12, 2013, but was placed on hold pending the conclusion of Hasan's court martial. As of June 2016, the stay on the civil suit remains in place.


title: Transoxiana

text: Transoxiana or Transoxania (Land beyond the Oxus) is the Latin name for a region and civilization located in lower Central Asia roughly corresponding to modern-day eastern Uzbekistan, western Tajikistan, parts of southern Kazakhstan, parts of Turkmenistan and southern Kyrgyzstan. Geographically, it is the region between the rivers Amu Darya to its south and the Syr Darya to its north.


title: Transoxiana

text: Historically known in Persian as ' (, – 'beyond the [Amu] river'), ' () and ' (), the area had been known to the ancient Iranians as Turan, a term used in the Persian national epic "Shahnameh". The corresponding Chinese term for the region is Hezhong (). The Arabic term ' (, – 'what is beyond the [Jayhūn] river') passed into Persian literary usage and stayed on until post-Mongol times.


title: Transoxiana

text: The region was one of the satrapies (provinces) of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia under the name Sogdia. It was defined within the classical world of Iran to distinguish it from Iran proper, especially its northeastern province of Khorasan, a term originating with the Sasanians, although early Arab historians and geographers tended to subsume the region within the loosely defined term "Khorasan" designating a much larger territory. The territories of Khwarazm, Sogdiana, Chaghaniyan and Khuttal were located in the southern part of Transoxiana; Chach, Osrushana and Farghana were located in the northern part.


title: Transoxiana

text: The name Transoxiana stuck in Western consciousness because of the exploits of Alexander the Great, who extended Greek culture into the region with his invasion in the 4th century BCE. Alexander's successors would go on to found the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, ushering in a distinct Greek cultural presence within Transoxiana that existed for over two hundred years. The city of Ai-Khanoum, situated on the Oxus in northern Afghanistan, remains the only Graeco Bactrian city to have been found and extensively excavated.


title: Transoxiana

text: During the Sasanian Empire, it was often called Sogdia, a provincial name taken from the Achaemenid Empire, and used to distinguish it from nearby Bactria.


title: Transoxiana

text: The Chinese explorer Zhang Qian, who visited the neighbouring countries of Bactria and Parthia along with Transoxiana in 126 BCE, made the first known Chinese report on this region. Zhang Qian clearly identifies Parthia as an advanced urban civilisation that farmed grain and grapes, and made silver coins and leather goods. It was ruled successively by Seleucids, the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, the Parthian Empire and the Kushan Empire before Sassanid rule.


title: Transoxiana

text: In Sasanian times, the region became a major cultural center due to the wealth derived from the Northern Silk Road. Sassanid rule was interrupted by the Hephthalite invasion at the end of the 5th century and didn't return to the Sassanids until 565.


title: Transoxiana

text: Many Persian nobles and landlords escaped to this region after the Muslim conquest of Persia. It was also ruled by Göktürks until the Arab conquest between 705 and 715, the area became known by the Arabic phrase "Mā warāʼ al-Nahr" "what is beyond the river", sometimes rendered as "Mavarannahr".


title: Transoxiana

text: Transoxiana's major cities and cultural centers are Samarkand and Bukhara. Both are in the southern portion of Transoxiana (though still to the north of the Amu Darya itself, on the river Zarafshan) and Uzbekistan, and the majority of the region was dry but fertile plains. Both cities remained centres of Persian culture and civilisation after the Islamic conquest of Iran, and played a crucial role in the revival of Persian culture with establishment of the Samanid Empire.


title: Transoxiana

text: Part of this region was conquered by Qutayba ibn Muslim between 706 and 715 and loosely held by the Umayyads from 715 to 738. The conquest was consolidated by Nasr ibn Sayyar between 738 and 740, and continued under the control of the Umayyads until 750, when it was replaced by the Abbasid Caliphate. The Tang dynasty also controlled the eastern part of the region until about the same time, when a civil war known as the An Lushan Rebellion occurred.


title: Transoxiana

text: In the early Islamic period, the people of Transoxania spoke Sogdian (an Iranian language) and were divided among several principalities. The Arab conquest resulted in the spread of Arabic elite culture, and, more paradoxically, of Persian "as a spoken and eventually written language" in the region. The Arab conquest also resulted in contacts with Tang China, where fragments of the Sasanian ruling elite had taken shelter after Iran's conquest by the Arabs. However, it did not result in Transoxania having major interactions with Chinese culture.


title: Transoxiana

text: Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire, invaded Transoxiana in 1219 during his conquest of Khwarezm. Before his death in 1227, he assigned the lands of Western Central Asia to his second son Chagatai, and this region became known as the Chagatai Khanate. In 1369, Timur, of the Barlas tribe, became the effective ruler and made Samarkand the capital of his future empire. Transoxiana was known to be flourishing in the mid-14th century.


title: Transoxiana

text: Muslims had conquested into Transoxiana by the 7-8th century. There were multiple figures in the Muslim world who had conquered these lands. Some include the Umayyad and Abbasid Arabs that took over lands that are now Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.


title: Transoxiana

text: Transoxania was a great center of Muslim civilization, it was also the centre of the Timurid Empire and there were even leaders like the great Oghuz Khan.


title: Transoxiana

text: "Oghuz Khan, who could speak at the age of one and whose first word was “Allah.” He rebelled against his father, eventually slaying him, before embarking on a series of conquests that brought Islam to all of “Transoxiana and Turkestan.”


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Ellie Phimister) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, and named after the song "Negasonic Teenage Warhead" by Monster Magnet. The character is a mutant who displays telepathic and precognitive powers, and is a student of Emma Frost. She is portrayed by Brianna Hildebrand in the Deadpool live action films.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: The character appears in the 2016 film "Deadpool" and its 2018 sequel "Deadpool 2", albeit with a different look, and the superpower to cause high-impact kinetic charges, much like New Mutants/X-Men member Cannonball. This was done through a deal between 20th Century Fox and Marvel Studios, which allowed Marvel Studios to use Ego the Living Planet in the 2017 film "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" in exchange for changing the character's powers. In "Deadpool" and "Deadpool 2", Negasonic Teenage Warhead is a member of the X-Men, portrayed by actress Brianna Hildebrand. Similar to Wesley Snipes' Eric Brooks/Blade, Negasonic is an example of a comic character's film appearance retconning their comic appearance. Due to the positive reception, the character's appearance and powers were eventually altered in the comics to match her appearance in the Deadpool films, followed by this new version appearing in a number of Marvel-themed mobile games, such as "Marvel Puzzle Quest", "Marvel Future Fight" and "Marvel Strike Force".


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: Negasonic Teenage Warhead first appeared in "New X-Men" #115 (2001), written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Frank Quitely.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: Ellie Phimister was a Genoshan teenager, with pale skin and dark hair, who dressed as a goth and was a student of Emma Frost's telepathy class. During a tutoring session, Ellie reported having a recurring nightmare 50 times the previous night where all people in Genosha were exterminated. She then pointed out that she had experienced the same vision during the class. Almost simultaneously, Cassandra Nova's Wild Sentinels appear on Genosha and wipe out half the world's mutant population: 16 million people.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: Carrying what appeared to be Ellie's corpse, Emma Frost, who had survived the Genoshan genocide thanks to the manifestation of her secondary mutation turning her into diamond, was found by the X-Men's Beast and Jean Grey. Emma proclaimed the teenager, who had named herself Negasonic Teenage Warhead, to be a credit to her family and the mutant race and then suffered a mental breakdown when she found out Ellie was dead.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: Much later, Negasonic Teenage Warhead was apparently seen to be alive as a member of the latest incarnation of the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club, alongside Cassandra Nova, Sebastian Shaw, Perfection, and Emma Frost. The new Inner Circle attacked the X-Men at the Xavier Institute. While Shaw, Frost, and Nova dealt with Beast, Wolverine, and Colossus, Ellie claimed she had a dream of Shadowcat phasing down into the Earth's core and was unable to stop; the suggestion caused Shadowcat to lose control of her phasing powers.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: Later, a comatose Cyclops wakes up and begins shooting the members of the Club, including Ellie, with a pistol. It is revealed, however, that Ellie and all the other members of the Hellfire Club were projections of Emma Frost's mind; these projections disappeared after they were revealed to be illusions.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: After hearing Negasonic Teenage Warhead's codename, Shadowcat remarks, "Wow, we really have run out of names."


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: During the Necrosha event, Negasonic Teenage Warhead is revealed to be amongst the deceased mutant population of Genosha that is resurrected by the Transmode Virus by Selene and Eli Bard. However, unlike the other resurrected mutants, Ellie isn't under Selene's control as seen when she refused to tell the Black Queen her real name. Ellie apparently perished once again when the Black Queen absorbed the souls of the entire deceased mutant populace of Genosha.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: Ellie remained alive after the events of the 2009–2010 "Necrosha", storyline, and at some point dropped her Gothic wardrobe and appearance. She uses her telepathic and precognitive abilities to establish a new, mundane life for herself in an Albuquerque suburb. Deadpool and the Mercs for Money capture her at the behest of an organization called Umbral Dynamics, unaware that the group intends to siphon her power into the Presence. After her rescue and the defeat of Presence, Negasonic Teenage Warhead adopts a new punk-inspired look and joins up with Domino's incarnation of the Mercs for Money alongside Hit-Monkey.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: While Deadpool was sulking that Domino had stolen his team from him, she chose to cheer him up while out on an operation for S.H.I.E.L.D, using her powers to make Deadpool-themed costumes for everybody. It is later revealed after the Mercs probe their employers while getting their pay, that Hit-Monkey was assigned to them as a liaison to monitor their progress. In truth, however, he was sent to keep an eye on Ellie because S.H.I.E.L.D was wary of her growing abilities.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: During a fight in an alternate future brought about by Negasonic's intervention in the "Inhumans vs. X-Men" storyline, the conflict between the two superpowered races never died down. Instead, they were further inflamed by the Inhuman fanatic Lash, who instigated a witch hunt against the Mutants, whom he deems have blasphemed against the T-Mist cloud and, in response to mutant deaths caused by them, Magneto launched a counter-assault which ended up decimating the world. She chose to hide out deep in the Amazon with an enclave of mutants who were tired from all the fighting with the Inhumans, but Lash and his tribe soon caught up with them when Deadpool's Mercs inadvertently led them there. As Deadpool lay dying due to the former absorbing her energies, the future Negasonic travels back to the past in order to fix her mistake of tampering with the T-Cloud, thus averting another dystopian parallel.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: Negasonic is the only one of the Mercs to remain in Deadpool's employ after his defection to Hydra during "Secret Empire" and subsequent memory wipe at the conclusion of "The Despicable Deadpool", helping him run a new business called "Deadpool, Gun/Swords for Hire."


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: In "New X-Men" #115, Ellie possessed a limited cache of psychic powers, mainly precognition, a possible subsidiary of minor telepathy.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: In "X-Force #24", Ellie is the only person aware that Proteus has possessed Destiny and she shows her precognitive abilities, announcing to Selene the imminent return of her victorious inner circle.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: During the "Deadpool & the Mercs for Money" vol. 2 series, Ellie showcased a host of new abilities she previously lacked, creating a house and home for herself out of thin air with her thoughts. She is able to overpower a host of skilled, military, or uniquely trained mercenaries in hand-to-hand combat, as well as showcasing superhuman physical prowess beyond the norm, battling the likes of Scorpia and Titania.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: Over the series, Ellie shows even greater amounts of power and capabilities within her. She has the ability to harness, generate, and absorb radioactive energy into herself, allowing her to achieve feats such as fabricating objects out of thin air like clothes or shelter and levitating people or objects with her mind.


title: Negasonic Teenage Warhead

text: It is later revealed that Ellie's newfound power stems from an ability to manipulate reality at a quantum level. In an alternate dystopian future, Negasonic used her powers to alter the Terrigen cloud to make it harmless to mutants. Further exhibitions of her power include rearranging matter and energy into different shapes and forms at will, such as morphing Jack Chain's Darkforce binds into butterflies, changing Inferno's fire into flaming monkeys, mentally disassembling Domino's and Gorilla-Man's guns, and creating energized duplicates of herself at will.


title: Megxit

text: On 8 January 2020, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, announced on Instagram their decision to "step back as 'senior' members" of the British royal family, split their time between the United Kingdom and North America, and become financially independent. This was dubbed Megxit, a portmanteau of the words "Meghan" and "exit" and a play on the term Brexit, and adopted globally on mainstream and social media, spawning various Internet memes and "Megxit" merchandising.


title: Megxit

text: The announcement of their decision led to a meeting of the royal family on 13 January, dubbed the "Sandringham Summit" and described as "unprecedented". Queen Elizabeth II issued a rare personal statement on her family, and was praised for her rapid handling of the matter. On 18 January, an agreement was announced whereby the couple would "no longer be working members of Britain's royal family", and would not use their "Royal Highness" styles.


title: Megxit

text: The outcome was described as a "hard Megxit". "Collins English Dictionary" added "Megxit" to its online edition as a top-ten Word of 2020. A twelve-month review period was allowed in case the couple changed their minds. On 19 February 2021, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Duke and Duchess would relinquish their royal patronages, as they were not returning as working members of the royal family. The couple's announcement of their decision came to signify the break by the couple from the royal family and its protocol, and their plans for independence under their new brand, then tentatively named "Sussex Royal". In November 2021, Harry described "Megxit" as a misogynistic term aimed at Meghan.


title: Megxit

text: Megxit is a play on the term 'Brexit' and refers to Prince Harry and his wife Meghan stepping back as members of the British royal family. It derives from Meg(han) + (e)xit; influenced by Brexit, which was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community at the end of January 2020. "Collins English Dictionary" included 'Megxit' as one of their ten "Words of 2020", and listed it in the online edition of their dictionary: Collins told "The Times": "It immediately caught on due to its echoes of 'Brexit'". The use of Meghan's name has been taken in some quarters as identifying her as the instigator of the withdrawal.


title: Megxit

text: British tabloid newspaper "The Sun" is credited with the first headline use of 'Megxit' on 9 January 2020. BBC News commented that "Sussexit" was trending on social media, but it did not reach the level of use as Megxit in mainstream media. Alternative terms appeared but did not catch on to the same degree either. By 15 January, the term had become so widespread that "The Times" reported: "Megxit turns into a moneyspinner" for merchandisers who had made clothing and souvenirs using the term. "The New York Times" wrote that the parallels between "Megxit" and "Brexit" were greater than just "clever wordplay", and that the two terms involved the same divisions in British public opinion from "young liberals" (who supported the couple, and who supported staying in the EU), and "older conservatives" (who supported the Queen, and who supported leaving the EU).


title: Megxit

text: On 19 January, in reviewing the final agreement, "The Guardian" argued that "stepping back" was no longer appropriate, however, the couple had also still not "resigned" nor "abdicated" from the royal family. When reviewing the media reaction to the final agreement, BBC News said "there are no winners as a result of what many of the front pages are calling "Megxit" - the exit of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as front-line royals". BBC News, and other British news media, called the final agreement a "hard Megxit", in a further word-play on political term, hard Brexit. On 28 January, the term had become sufficiently pervasive, that the "Financial Times" in their "FT Advisor" supplement ran a piece for taxation professionals titled, "What if your client wants to do a 'Megxit'?", while "Vanity Fair" reported on actor Brad Pitt's "Megxit joke", at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards. The outlet had previously reported on an analysis by the social data analytics firm Brandwatch, which concluded that the term "Megxit" had been in use on Twitter since at least the beginning of 2019 and was utilized in negative comments aimed at Meghan. Sky News had also claimed that the term was being used by trolls on the Internet back in April 2019. In November 2021, in a panel at "Wired"s Re:Wired Conference, Harry stated that "the term Megxit was or is a misogynistic term, and it was created by a troll, amplified by royal correspondents, and it grew and grew and grew into mainstream media. But it began with a troll."


title: Megxit

text: Immediately after the announcement in January 2020, journalist Tom Bradby claimed that the Sussexes were told during their six-week Christmas break (which turned into a four-month stay) at Vancouver Island in Canada that they would not be part of a proposed "slimmed down monarchy". Other concerns raised included perceived ongoing hostile treatment by some in the British tabloid press and alleged issues of racism towards Meghan. "The Guardian" reported that Prince Harry appeared to "lay the blame at the feet of the press". In a March 2021 television interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry and Meghan said Megxit was caused by them not getting the help they sought from the royal establishment on issues such as refuting false tabloid stories about Meghan and getting her mental health help. Harry also indicated members of his family closest to the royal institution are trapped ― British constitutional scholar Robert Hazell agrees, and argues that the institution requires a very significant loss of human rights from some of its members.


title: Megxit

text: "The Times" speculated as to whether the "Sandringham Summit" would result in a "Hard Megxit" or a "Soft Megxit". After the meeting, the Queen issued a first-person statement, concluding that there was agreement to "a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK". After just under four months in Canada, Harry and Meghan moved with their son Archie to the United States, where their daughter Lilibet was born in 2021.


title: Megxit

text: The 'Megxit' statement gave a "Spring 2020" deadline for completion of the agreement, specific known details are as follows:


title: Megxit

text: "The Times" reported Meghan had signed a voiceover deal with Disney, saying that "The arrangement offers a hint of the couple's future life, using their celebrity status to benefit their chosen causes". "Business Insider", speaking to various brand experts, reported: "Megxit, how Harry and Meghan could build a billion-dollar brand".


title: Megxit

text: On 19 January 2020, it was reported that Prince Charles would provide the couple with "private financial support" (but not funds from the Duchy of Cornwall), for a full year to give the couple time to establish themselves, and to address fears of the increased costs of their proposed new lifestyle. Later, Harry claimed that security protection and financial support had been cut off by the royal family in "the first quarter" of 2020 and he was able to provide for the family through the money he inherited from his mother, who left him £6.5 million which was invested and gathered substantial interest, and an estimated £10 million was given to Harry on his 30th birthday. During a Clarence House briefing on finances preceding the annual Sovereign Grant report, a spokesperson stated that Charles "allocated a substantial sum" to support the Duke and Duchess until the summer of 2020. Representatives for the couple responded that Harry's statements were "in reference to the first quarter of the fiscal reporting period" which begins in April.


title: Megxit

text: On 21 January 2020, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau again refused to say who would be picking up the security cost tab upon Harry's reported return to Canada that same day. Separately, "The Canadian Press" confirmed that Harry, Meghan, and Archie were staying at a rented house north of Victoria, British Columbia.


title: Megxit

text: On 14 February 2020, it was reported that the couple had decided to close their office at Buckingham Palace, leading to the suspension of at least 15 employees.


title: Megxit

text: On 19 February 2020, the announcement was made that the couple would continue undertaking royal duties until 31 March, after which they would step back and no longer undertake engagements on behalf of the Queen. The couple would continue engagements on behalf of organisations they were involved with, including the 2020 London Marathon in April and the Invictus Games in May (although the latter two events were postponed for October 2020 and 2021 respectively due to the COVID-19 pandemic). They would cease using their HRH titles, while the Duke would retain his military ranks, but see the honorary military positions he holds suspended. The situation would then be reviewed after twelve months, in March 2021. Additionally, the couple's attempt to make use of the word "Royal" as part of their planned "Sussex Royal" brand venture was put under review, with an announcement to be made at the planned organisation's official launch.


title: Megxit

text: On 21 February 2020, the couple confirmed they would not use the "Sussex Royal" brand "in any territory" following their withdrawal from public life in spring 2020 and all applications filed for trademarking the name were removed. A spokesperson for the couple added that they would continue to work with their existing patronages in addition to establishing a non-profit organisation.


title: Megxit

text: On 27 February 2020, Bill Blair, the Canadian Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness issued a statement saying "As the Duke and Duchess are currently recognized as Internationally Protected Persons, Canada has an obligation to provide security assistance on an as-needed basis. At the request of the Metropolitan Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has been providing assistance to the Met since the arrival of the Duke and Duchess to Canada." The statement went on to say that Canada would cease providing security for the couple on 31 March, "in keeping with their change in status." In the same announcement, it was confirmed the RCMP had provided security for the couple on an as-needed basis, since their arrival to Canada in November 2019. During their five-month stay on Vancouver Island, Harry and Meghan were protected by the Metropolitan Police and the RCMP, at a cost to Canadian taxpayers of $56,384.00 (CAD). In February 2020 and after their exit from the monarchy was negotiated, the term Internationally Protected People was removed from their website.


title: Megxit

text: In late March 2020, it was reported that the couple had relocated to the United States. In response to the US President Donald Trump's comments that the U.S. government would not pay for the couple's security, a representative of the couple said they had "no plans to ask the U.S. government for security resources". During the couple's initial months in California, Tyler Perry provided them with a secure house (in Beverly Hills), until they were able to make an alternative plan. The American-based private security firm, Gavin de Becker and Associates, was eventually contracted to provide security arrangements for the couple.


title: Megxit

text: On 30 March 2020, the couple announced that they would no longer use either their "SussexRoyal" Instagram account or website. Furthermore, it was reported that after closing their office at Buckingham Palace a new team would manage the couple's public image and philanthropic interests in the U.S. with Sunshine Sachs hired to manage their image and Catherine St. Laurent, a former Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation employee, to serve as their chief of staff and run their non-profit organisation.


title: Megxit

text: On 6 April 2020, it was reported the couple started the paperwork in the U.S. for a new non-profit organisation, which will be called Archewell (named for their son Archie and from the Greek word "archē").


title: Megxit

text: On 20 April 2020, the Duke and Duchess announced that they would no longer cooperate with the British tabloids, including "Daily Mail", "The Sun", "Daily Mirror", and "Daily Express", as well as the Sunday and online editions of those publications.


title: Megxit

text: In July 2020, the Duke and Duchess bought a mansion in Montecito, California, with the intention to make it their family home. It was later claimed by royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand that the couple had taken out a mortgage on their new home. In September 2020, the Duke paid back the refurbishment costs of Frogmore Cottage in full, an estimated £2.4m. In November and December 2020, it was reported that his cousin Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank had moved in and out of Frogmore Cottage at Home Park, Windsor, after six weeks' stay.


title: Megxit

text: On 15 February 2021, CBS revealed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be giving an interview to Oprah Winfrey. Meghan would discuss "stepping into life as a royal, marriage, motherhood, philanthropic work (and) how she is handling life under intense public pressure," with Winfrey. Harry would join them to "speak about their move to the United States and their future hopes and dreams for their expanding family".


title: Megxit

text: In April 2021, data obtained after the submission of a request under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office had dealt with "calls recorded as phone requests, alarm activations and property crimes" between July 2020 and February 2021, all of which were related to the couple's security issues at their residence in Montecito. In the same month, "The Daily Telegraph" reported that Harry and Meghan had held meetings surrounding "well-developed proposals" with the now-defunct streaming service Quibi a year before their departure from the royal family. The couple reportedly met with Jeffrey Katzenberg and other executives "throughout 2019", with alleged plans to "discuss [..] their own series of 10-minute videos".


title: Megxit

text: In January 2022, it was revealed that Harry had been in a legal fight since September 2021 to challenge the Home Office's refusal to allow him to pay for police protection in a personal capacity when in the UK. His legal representative stated that Harry initially made the offer during the Sandringham Summit, but it was dismissed. After stepping back from his duties, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) had placed him in an "exceptional category", as a result of which his future police protection in the UK would be contingent on the reason and circumstances of each visit as well as the functions he carries. After receiving applications by the Duke and the Home Office to keep parts of the case private, the High Court ruled in March 2022 that some parts of it would remain confidential. Mr Justice Swift also reacted to the Duke's legal team sending a copy of the ruling to someone who was not a lawyer, describing it as "entirely unacceptable". Harry's lawyers later claimed that his suggestion to pay for his security was not conveyed properly to the committee by members of the Royal Household, including the Queen's private secretary Sir Edward Young, whose membership in the committee was allegedly not known to him and with whom Harry was facing "significant tensions". Lawyers for the Home Office stated that tensions between Harry and the Royal Household were irrelevant to his change of status and his representations to the committee would have made no difference in the outcome. In July 2022, Mr Justice Swift granted permission for part of Harry's claim to proceed for a judicial review.


title: Megxit

text: In April 2022 and on their way to attend the Invictus Games in the Netherlands, the couple made their first joint visit to the United Kingdom since stepping back from royal duties and met the Queen and Prince Charles. The Duke had previously been in the UK on his own for his grandfather's funeral in April 2021 and for unveiling a statue of his mother in July 2021. The couple made their first official appearance in the UK in June 2022 while attending the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving. They are expected to visit the UK and Germany in September 2022 for a number of charity events in Manchester, Düsseldorf, and London.


title: Megxit

text: In May 2022, Santa Barbara Police Department received reports of two trespassing incidents at Harry and Meghan's California home within the span of 12 days. As of July 2022, they have had six security incidents in total at the property since May 2021, though one of them occurred after the alarm was "mistakenly tripped". In August 2022, Harry filed a lawsuit against the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police, challenging the decision by RAVEC from January 2022 which stated that State security could not be made available to private individuals even if they wished to pay for it themselves. In November 2022 and in an interview with "Channel 4 News", Neil Basu, the former National Police Chiefs' Council lead for Counter Terrorism Policing, confirmed the existence of threats against Meghan and Harry, some of which were investigated and resulted in prosecutions.


title: Megxit

text: On 19 February 2021, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the couple would not return as working members of the royal family. They further added that the couple would not "continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service". As a result, the Duke and Duchess were required to give up several military, honorary and charitable appointments. Among the patronages and appointments that were given up by the Duke were:


title: Megxit

text: Harry will keep his patronages of the Invictus Games Foundation, Sentebale, WellChild, and Walking With The Wounded, while Meghan will remain patron of Smart Works and Mayhew. A spokesperson for the couple stated that Harry and Meghan "have offered their continued support to organisations ... regardless of official role", and asserted that "service is universal".


title: Megxit

text: The initial British reactions to the 8 January announcement was of surprise, and concern whether the decision was properly thought through; the story dominated the British news cycle. "The Washington Post" noted several British polls that showed general support for the couple's desire to move, but with concern over the future exposure of the British exchequer to the couple (and issues of the renovation costs of Frogmore Cottage), and with unhappiness that the Queen's approval had not been sought for their announcement.


title: Megxit

text: British prime minister Boris Johnson distanced himself from the news, stating: "The royal family is one of the great, great assets of this country. I'm sure they are going to sort it out and I don't think it's necessarily helped by commentary from me." Former House of Commons Speaker John Bercow stated that Meghan experienced "racism, sexism and misogyny". Bercow maintained Meghan's support of feminist values and criticism of Donald Trump angered UK "bigot factions". Bercow stated further he understood Meghan and Harry choosing to leave their royal roles, and added "They are entitled to put their marriage and health first." NBC News reported on analysis implying that the impact to the British economy from the loss of the couple could be material. Madame Tussauds immediately moved its waxwork figures of Harry and Meghan away from the display including the other members of the British royal family to a separate area.


title: Megxit

text: On 19 January, "The Daily Telegraph" described the final agreement between the couple and the royal family as "the hardest possible Megxit", a view shared by many other British news sources; and that "Royal history was made". "The Guardian" reported that the "outcome is, perhaps, not the half-in, half-out role the couple appear to have anticipated". On 20 January 2020, royal biographer Penny Junor also told "The New York Times" that "The family is trying to prevent a half-in, half-out arrangement, which doesn't work". On 22 January, "The Guardian" published a cartoon by illustrator Andrzej Krauze, titled "Brexit and Megxit", saying "The rest of the EU is mesmerised as the UK prepares for Brexit – and Harry and Meghan begin their transition to exiting the royal family".


title: Megxit

text: The initial news was for the most part positively received in Canada, where the Duchess of Sussex had based herself with her son, Archie. The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, publicly welcomed the couple, and indicated that Canada would fund security protection for the couple while they were resident there. "The Wall Street Journal" reported: "'Megxit' Causes Global Uproar. Canada Shrugs".


title: Megxit

text: An opinion poll by the "National Post" found that 61 per cent of 1,515 Canadians polled wanted Harry to become Governor General of Canada. Chris Selley of the "National Post" was cynical of the national response and the poll, writing: "The prospect of the Sussexes decamping to Canada seems to have activated a sort of dormant monarchism in many of us, or at least an appreciation for the "modern-day fairy tale" – and that in turn has utterly incensed those who think monarchies are a grotesque anachronism and can't understand why everyone else doesn't agree with them". "The Globe and Mail" published an editorial that rejected the idea of the couple moving to Canada, stating that it broke an "unspoken constitutional taboo" about Canada maintaining distance from the monarchy, expected to rule from afar, stating: "They reign from a distance. Close to our hearts, far from our hearths." The editorial also called for the Canadian government to reject the moving plans. However, the chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada commented that it "doesn't change the constitutional status of the Queen or the vice-regals" in the country".


title: Megxit

text: In a poll released on 15 January by the Angus Reid Institute, 70 per cent of Canadians surveyed followed the developments of Megxit. In the same poll, half of Canadians surveyed stated they do not care if the couple spent significant time in Canada, while 39 per cent of respondents were in favour of it, and 11 per cent found it upsetting. Support for the couple spending significant time in Canada was strongest in Atlantic Canada, and Ontario, and was weakest in Quebec. However, 73 per cent of those surveyed by Angus Reid say that the security costs should be covered by the couple themselves. An online petition from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation garnered more than 90,000 signatures by 23 January 2020, demanding that the couple pay out of their own pocket for their security, which according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation came to C$56,384 in overtime and expenses for the November 2019 to January 2020 portion of their stay that ended in mid-March 2020. Aaron Wudrick, Federal Director of the CTF, said, "We're proud to have given voice to the vast majority of Canadians who felt subsidizing the Sussexes’ lifestyle choices was an outrageous use of tax dollars." As of February 2021, the total for security costs, as well as reimbursements made by the Sussexes, if any, have not been disclosed by the RCMP.


title: Megxit

text: On 1 July 2019, documents were filed at Companies House registering the incorporation of "Sussex Royal The Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex" listing the Duke and the Duchess as Directors. During August through to October 2019 they appointed broadcaster and former Desert Island Discs presenter Kirsty Young, financier and philanthropist Stefan Allesch-Taylor, business leader and media executive Karen Blackett and banker Steven Cooper to serve as Directors of their Foundation.


title: Megxit

text: On 8 January 2020, the couple provided further back-up statements to their Instagram post, via a link on their Instagram post to a new website, "sussexroyal.com", a brand platform that was initially expected to form an important part of their plans for financial independence, and which posted follow up statements on their announcement. The website was designed by the same Canadian team who built "The Tig" for Meghan in 2017, and was completed over the Christmas holidays when the couple were in Canada.


title: Megxit

text: By 10 January, newspapers were reporting that the couple filed for a trademark for "Sussex Royal" on a range of items including clothing and printed items, though it also emerged that an Italian applicant had registered an EU application to trademark products using a "Sussex Royal" brand. The word "Royal" and images of royal crowns have special protection under UK intellectual property law.


title: Megxit

text: On 11 January, "The Daily Telegraph" reported that couple would launch their "Sussex Royal Foundation" in April modelled along the lines of Obama Foundation, Clinton Foundation, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Follow-up reports showed the couple had filed World Intellectual Property Organization trademarks for: "Sussex Royal the Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex". In 2019, the couple stepped back from The Royal Foundation, which they had led jointly with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Later reports indicated that the couple would not establish a foundation of their own.


title: Megxit

text: It was not clear from the final agreement on 18 January, how the "Sussex Royal" brand would be affected, or whether it could be used by the couple in the manner anticipated. "The Guardian" reported Palace sources saying, "The prospect of the Sussexes cutting commercial deals, while still at times representing the monarch, was too great a risk to the reputation of the House of Windsor and the monarchy". "The Guardian" noted that a previous attempt by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, to gain financial independence from the British royal family had failed.


title: Megxit

text: On 21 February 2020, it was confirmed that "Sussex Royal" would not be used as a brand name for the couple. Harry and Meghan were expected to establish a non-profit organisation later in 2020. Meanwhile, Sussex Royal Foundation was renamed MWX Foundation on 5 August 2020 and dissolved the same day. Companies House filings showed that Sussex Royal had more than £280,624 ($380,000) in 2020 and spent £41,084 ($55,600) on attorneys.


title: Megxit

text: In March 2021, it was reported that the Charity Commission for England and Wales was conducting a review of the organisation in a "regulatory and compliance case" regarding its conduct under charity law during dissolution. Representatives for the couple claimed that Sussex Royal was "managed by a board of trustees" and that "suggestion of mismanagement" directed exclusively at the Duke and Duchess was incorrect. Representatives for the couple stated that around $350,000 was transferred from Sussex Royal to Travalyst, which is a non-profit organisation established by Harry "for which [he] receives no commercial or financial gain".


title: Megxit

text: In May 2020, two months after the couple's exit, HarperCollins announced the publication of "Finding Freedom: Harry, Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family", a biography of the Duke and Duchess authored by royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand. The book was reported to detail the events leading up to Megxit and reveal "unknown details about the couple's life together" with "participation of those closest to the couple". Media outlets reported that the Sussexes gave an interview to the book's authors before their royal departure, which representatives for the couple denied.


title: Megxit

text: Extracts of the book were serialised in "The Times" and "The Sunday Times" in the weeks prior to its release. "Finding Freedom" was released on 11 August 2020. The book subsequently topped bestseller lists in the United Kingdom and the United States. "Finding Freedom" received mixed reviews from critics.


title: Megxit

text: After the book's release, a spokesperson reiterated that the couple "were not interviewed and did not contribute to ‘"Finding Freedom"'." In November 2020, Meghan's legal team admitted that she had permitted a close friend to communicate with Scobie and Durand, "so the true position... could be communicated to the authors to prevent any further misrepresentation", confirming the Duchess's participation in the book.


title: Black Mesa (video game)

text: Black Mesa is a 2020 first-person shooter game developed and published by Crowbar Collective. It is a third-party remake of "Half-Life" (1998) made in the Source game engine. Originally published as a free mod in September 2012, "Black Mesa" was approved by "Half-Life" developers Valve for a commercial release; the first commercial version was published as an early-access version in May 2015, followed by a full release in March 2020 for Microsoft Windows and Linux.


title: Black Mesa (video game)

text: "Black Mesa" was developed in response to "" (2005), Valve's port of "Half-Life" to the Source engine, which lacked new features or improvements. Two teams wanted to improve on the Source remake and eventually merged to become Crowbar Collective. While they had originally targeted a release by 2009, the team realized they had rushed to this point and reevaluated their efforts to improve the quality of the remake.