FINALLY - AT 7:43 P.M. ET:  The president of the United States has taken action.  Well, sort of:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama has ordered a review of all intelligence related to Fort Hood shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, and whether the information was properly shared and acted upon within government agencies.

We already know the basic answer, but they've got to go through the motions.

The review will be overseen by John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism. The first results are due to the White House by Nov. 30.

Obama also ordered the preservation of the intelligence. Members of Congress, particularly Michigan Rep. Peter Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, have called for a full examination of what agencies knew about Hasan's contacts with a radical imam and others of concern to the U.S., and what they did with the information.

The FBI confirmed this week that the U.S. government knew about 10 to 20 e-mails between Hasan and a radical imam beginning in December 2008.

COMMENT:  Douglas MacArthur used to say that all military disasters begin with two words:  Too late.

This is a classic example.  The Army knew about this man, knew of his contacts with the enemy, knew of his awful beliefs.  But nothing was done. 

November 12, 2009