10 November 2009 - 23H03
- al Qaeda - shootings - USA

Fort Hood and Killeen are not Obama territory
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Barack Obama has joined thousands of mourners at a memorial honoring those killed in last week's shooting at the US military base at Fort Hood. The emotional tribute comes as the investigation continues into what motivated the suspect.

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By Gallagher Fenwick

In the heart of Republican Texas, the president is far from being the most popular figure in towns where most people did not vote for him, and have denounced his incompetence on many different fronts.
 
Killeen is Fort Hood’s neighbouring city. There are very few Obama fans around here. It is a conservative town whose economy is heavily dependent on the soldiers stationed at the post.
 
And one quickly notices that in the ranks, just like in these shops, democrats are not very popular.
 
In town, the military wives vent their frustration over a president who has never been in the military and simply cannot understand, according to them, what the families are going through after Thursday’s tragedy at Fort Hood.
 
But for others, grieving times are when politics should be set aside in order for the community to come together in honor of those shot and killed by Major Nidal Malik Hasan. Back at the post, most soldiers agree.
 
But, off camera, many confess their distrust of a president who does not appear to be sympathetic to the military in general.


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