Media: the US Secretary of Defense's announcement of the execution took the Pentagon by surprise

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has confirmed that the scheduled execution by firing squad of Nidal Malik Hassan on December 3 will be broadcast live.

The public execution initiative caused shock among many military personnel and veterans, as well as criticism from Democrats and Republicans.

Details of the live execution situation are not yet clear, including where the execution will be broadcast and whether soldiers can refuse to participate.

MOSCOW, October 10 - RIA Novosti. The announcement by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the public execution by firing squad caught the Pentagon and the US army by surprise, CNN reported, citing three sources.

Hegseth confirmed Friday that the scheduled Dec. 3 execution by firing squad of Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 fellow soldiers at a base in Texas, will be broadcast live. This will be the first time an American soldier has been executed by firing squad in more than half a century.

"Hegseth's announcement that the execution of the Fort Hood mass shooter would be shown publicly caught the Pentagon and the Army by surprise," the channel said.

According to CNN, many military personnel immediately had questions about what “public” meant. According to army regulations, only a certain circle of people are allowed to observe the execution, including the families of the condemned man and his victims, representatives of the media and the chaplain. This was the first time many military personnel had heard the idea that Hassan could be executed publicly.

According to the source, Hegseth, acting US Army Secretary Adam Telle, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell and other employees decided that a public execution meant a live broadcast.

According to CNN, this initiative caused shock among many military personnel and veterans, as well as criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. According to the unnamed military officer, such an execution would have a negative impact on many generations of Americans, and the damage would be irreparable.