Federal Authorities Did Not Look Into Fort Hood Jihadist Because He Did Not Seem Violent

The New York Times reports that "intelligence agencies intercepted communications last year and this year between the military psychiatrist 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 the federal authorities dropped an inquiry into the matter after deciding the messages from the psychiatrist, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, warranted no further action, government officials said Monday. Major Hasan’s exchanges with Anwar al-Awlaki, once a spiritual leader at a mosque in suburban Virginia where Major Hasan worshiped, indicate that the troubled military psychiatrist came to the attention of the authorities long before last Thursday’s shooting rampage at Fort Hood, but that the authorities 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 Major Hasan was in direct communication with the cleric, who on Monday praised Major 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 Major Hasan may provoke criticism of the F.B.I. and Army investigators for missing possible warning signs of an alleged mass killer. But federal officials briefed on the case said their decision to break off the investigation was reasonable based on the information about Major Hasan that was compiled at the time, which they said gave no indication he was likely to engage in violence." Tweet