By ANDREW GUMBEL
The man suspected of being the sniper who has killed 10 people in the Washington area was trained for notoriety by the best.
Not only did John Allen Muhammad, 41, serve in the US military in the 1980s and 1990s, including a stint in the Gulf War, he
was also for some years attached to a West Coast Army base famous for its sniper training programme - motto: One shot, one kill.
In the swirl of information that spilled out in the first hours after the arrest of Muhammad and John Lee Malvo, a 17-year-old regarded as his stepson, it was not clear what exactly he had learned during his years in the military or what sorts of psychological and behavioural testing he had undergone.
He was not a sniper but was classed as an expert marksman. He was described by a fellow soldier as "clean-cut" and "very competitive".
"He was just an altogether 100 per cent soldier," Randy Lyons, who served with Muhammad, said in a television interview.
But the wall-to-wall media coverage of his case and the questions it raises are likely to cause considerable embarrassment to the military establishment, especially when Americans are being asked to throw their support behind the flag for a possible invasion of Iraq.
It wasn't so long ago that another Gulf War veteran, Timothy McVeigh, used his military skills to commit mass murder on a horrific scale with the Oklahoma City bombing.
But despite Muhammad's proficiency with a weapon, the nation's highest military officer said yesterday the service could in no way be held responsible for anything he might have done later.
"Personally, I think it's ludicrous to think this is a black eye on the military," said Air Force General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Tens of millions of people had served in the armed forces and it was wrong to blame the military, he said.
Muhammad has not yet been charged with any of the sniping incidents and appeared in court yesterday charged with an unrelated federal gun law violation.
Wearing a dark green prison uniform, he seemed dazed and dishevelled and kept his eyes on the floor as he was led into a Baltimore courtroom in handcuffs.
Muhammad answered questions with a military-style "Yes, ma'am" during the 15-minute hearing, but his voice was sometimes muffled.
Asked why he was in the courtroom, Muhammad replied, "I know where I'm at. I know why I'm here."
He was remanded to prison to await a detention hearing set for next week.
Federal officials said the lesser charge was seen as a way to keep him in custody while more evidence was sought in the sniper case.
It was not immediately clear what, if any, charges were filed against Malvo. Because he is under 18, federal officials said they would not be commenting on any of the proceedings in Baltimore against him.
According to the criminal complaint, Muhammad owned a Bushmaster semi-automatic .223 calibre rifle.
That was the type of rifle found in the car, officials said, and used in the shootings.
Muhammad was charged with possessing the firearm in violation of the terms of a restraining order that barred him from threatening or harassing an ex-wife.
The young Muhammad, born John Allen Williams, was described by his first wife yesterday as quiet, friendly and non-violent, although it was also reported yesterday that he was involved in a custody battle after they split up.
By the time he broke up with his second wife in 1999 it was a different story.
Court records show his spouse twice accused him of domestic violence and eventually sought a court protection order against him.
Wildred Muhammad, who lives in Maryland, described her former husband as an irrational man who had repeatedly threatened to "destroy my life".
She also accused him of stealing their three children once divorce proceedings were under way.
Sheron Norman, a former sister-in-law, said he and Malvo came to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in July for a three-day visit.
Norman, whose sister Carol is Muhammad's first wife, said the teenager was allowed to eat only crackers and honey. "You could tell he was scared," she said.
Public records show Muhammad living the life of a drifter in recent years, with addresses as far distant as Tacoma in Washington state and Louisiana.
Four years ago he went into business running a Tacoma karate school with businessman Felix Strozier, who described him as "a pretty nice person". But they fell out when Muhammad borrowed US$500 from the school but never repaid the debt.
A year ago, he was running a car and truck mechanic business in Tacoma, drawing on his Army experience as a combat engineer and a mechanic.
Rory Reublin, a staff member at a Christian shelter for the homeless where Muhammad stayed, said although Muhammad was a Muslim he did not raise any objections to the shelter's daily Christian services.
"He was always very respectful," he said.
Reublin said Muhammad never demonstrated any hatred except when discussing talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who he said would be "the downfall of mankind".
According to the police officials who tracked him down, he approved of the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Centre and the radical anti-American ideology behind them.
Officials do not believe, however, that he had links to al Qaeda or any other radical Islamic group.
A senior law enforcement source said police believe Malvo, who is a citizen of Jamaica, became an informal stepson to Muhammad because Muhammad had a relationship with the boy's mother and for a time the three lived in a family-type arrangement.
- INDEPENDENT, additional reporting from AGENCIES
Further reading:
The Washington sniper
Related links
By ANDREW GUMBEL
The man suspected of being the sniper who has killed 10 people in the Washington area was trained for notoriety by the best.
Not only did John Allen Muhammad, 41, serve in the US military in the 1980s and 1990s, including a stint in the Gulf War, he
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.