U.S. Monitored Fort Hood Suspect Before Shooting
November 10th, 2009 . by TexasFredU.S. Monitored Fort Hood Suspect Before Shooting
WASHINGTON — Intelligence agencies intercepted communications last year and earlier this year between Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who is accused of shooting to death 13 people at Fort Hood, Tex., and a radical cleric in Yemen known for his incendiary anti-American teachings. But federal authorities dropped an inquiry into the matter after deciding the messages warranted no further action, government officials said on Monday.
Maj. Hasan’s exchanges with Anwar al-Awlaki, once a spiritual leader at a mosque in suburban Virginia where Maj. Hasan worshipped, indicate that the troubled military psychiatrist came to the attention of the authorities long before long before last Thursday’s shooting rampage at Fort Hood, but left him in his post. It is not clear what was said in the exchanges, believed to be e-mail messages, and whether they would have offered a hint at the major’s outspoken views or his declining emotional state.
The communications, the subject of an inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Army investigators, provide the first indication that Maj. Hasan was in direct communication with the cleric, who on Monday praised Maj. Hasan on his Web site, saying the Army psychiatrist “did the right thing�? in attacking soldiers preparing to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Depending on what is contained in the exchanges, the disclosure of the government’s decision not to take any steps against Maj. Hasan may provoke criticism of the F.B.I. and Army investigators for missing possible warning signs of an alleged mass killer. F.B.I., military and intelligence officials were preparing to brief reporters on the matter Monday night.
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U.S. Monitored Fort Hood Suspect Before Shooting
The definition of oxymoron is best illustrated in the usage of the word Military, followed by the word Intelligence, in describing how the U.S. Army, and quite possibly, the FBI, dropped the ball in their attempt to monitor Nidal Malik Hasan.
But federal officials briefed on the case said their decision to break off the investigation was reasonable based on the information about Maj. Hasan that was compiled at the time, which they said gave no indication he was likely to engage in violence.
No indication that he was likely to engage in violence huh? You guys really missed the mark on that profile. He attended Mosque at the same facility some of the 9-11 attackers used. He was buddy-buddy with Anwar al-Awlaki. Now I’m not a CID or Intelligence kind of guy, but you know, if I was, I can’t help but think that there would have been some alarm bells going off in MY world.
I DO realize that our Intelligence people have their hands full with more important targets, more likely to strike targets, but they let Hasan fall through the crack.
Counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency investigations are NOT a part time, take a look at the guy and let it all go kind of assignment. There has to be a continued, regular follow-up. If the guy hadn’t done something to trigger the 1st investigation, he wouldn’t be held suspect. I mean, if I knew anything about Intel that is.
Mr. Awlaki, an American citizen born in New Mexico to Yemeni parents, wrote on Monday on his English-language website that Mr. Hasan was “a hero.�? The cleric said, “He is a man of conscience who could not bear living the contradiction of being a Muslim and serving in an army that is fighting against his own people.�?
