Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Feds Eye Hasan Link to 9/11 Imam

'Spiritual' adviser is 'radicalizer of first order,' says official

By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 9, 2009 3:31 AM CST | Updated Nov 9, 2009 7:53 AM CST
Email

(Newser) – Federal investigators are probing a connection between Fort Hood rampage suspect Nidal Malik Hasan and the Muslim imam who was spiritual adviser to two 9/11 terrorists. Hasan attended the Dar al-Hijrah mosque in northern Virginia in 2001 when it was led by Anwar al-Aulaqi. The US-born imam, who now lives in Yemen, is a major supporter of Al Qaeda. Hasan "connections to Aulaqi would be problematic on many levels," said a counter-terrorism official, who called the imam "a radicalizer of the first order."

It's not yet clear how well Hasan may have known Aulaqi. Investigators say they are still operating on the theory that Hasan acted alone when he shot dead 13 at Fort Hood. But they are continuing to investigate his associates and the radical Islamist web sites he visited. "There's a massive effort here to look at the web sites," a law enforcement official told the Washington Post. "The jury's still out on motivation."

Col. Kimberly Kesling, of Boise, Idaho, talks last week about working with Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan at Fort Hood, Texas.
Col. Kimberly Kesling, of Boise, Idaho, talks last week about working with Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan at Fort Hood, Texas.   (AP Photo/LM Otero)
The 2007 picture provided by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences shows Nidal Malik Hasan when he entered the program for his Disaster and Military Psychiatry Fellowship. Authorities said he went on the killing spree at Fort Hood, Texas which left 13 people dead.
The 2007 picture provided by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences shows Nidal Malik Hasan when he entered the program for his Disaster and Military Psychiatry Fellowship. Authorities...   (AP Photo/Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 20 comments
Snarfeh
Nov 10, 2009 1:10 AM CST
@Philly - Here's a list of Christian terrorist groups for ya....you can do the rest of the research on them, if you care to: Army of God, Christian Identity aka The Order, Aryan Nations, Aryan REPUBLICAN Army, Eric Rudolph, Phineas Priesthood, The Covenant, The Sword & The Arm of the Lord (sounds like a Christian rap song title), Christian Patriots, Lambs of Christ and Concerned Christians.
Doctor-Zaius
Nov 9, 2009 12:07 PM CST
I have no problem with the military and FBI investigating these links. However reporting it at this point without any proof one way or another is irresponsible journalism. The last thing we need to do is jump to conclusions Ala George W Bush/Dick Cheney/Iraq War.
Nwambe
Nov 9, 2009 12:00 PM CST
Just like that connection - Tenuously, spuriously, and more and more out of a sense of panic and a belief that there must be order in this chaos. The military needs to realize that there are people for whom war is a frightening thing, there are people who get fucked up over it. Instead of chanting macho bravura and trying to cover it over, dealing with it would be the first step. Let's hope this is the Army's wake-up call. How come there are so few stories about the Florida shooter? Oh, right, he's not Muslim. Forgot.

 
Muslim • mosque • American Muslims • 9/11 attacks • Fort Hood • Fort Hood shooting • Nidal Malik Hasan • Anwar al-Awlaki

More Newser Stories

Hasan Felt Discriminated Against, Wanted Out of Army

Ft. Hood Suspect to Appear in Court

Imam's Emails to Hasan Didn't Worry FBI

Hasan Wrote Imam of Anger With US

Feds Point Fingers in Hasan Missteps
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne