Armed Services panel delays briefing on Fort Hood incident

The Senate Armed Services Committee announced that a closed-door briefing planned for Monday with Army leaders to discuss the Nov. 5 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, has been postponed indefinitely.

A committee spokeswoman said the Obama administration requested postponement of the briefing, which was to include Army Secretary John McHugh and Army Chief of Staff George Casey.

President Obama said on Saturday that he expects congressional probes into the shootings, which left 13 people dead and Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan charged with premeditated murder. But he also cautioned that "all of us should resist the temptation to turn this tragic event into the political theater that sometimes dominates the discussion here in Washington."

Also last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates criticized leaks in the case, warning they could jeopardize the criminal investigation. An aide to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee said on Monday that the panel still plans to hold a hearing Thursday on the shootings. The witnesses have not been announced.