ABC News: Fort Hood Shooter Attempted to Contact al Qaeda

According to an ABC News post by Richard Esposito, Mathew Cole and Brian Ross, Nidal Hasan had been attempting to contact members of the terrorist group. No details are provided as to how long before the shooting Hasan did this, however "U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago."

From the article:

"U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda, two American officials briefed on classified material in the case told ABC News.

"One senior lawmaker said the CIA had, so far, refused to brief the intelligence committees on what, if any, knowledge they had about Hasan's efforts.

"CIA director Leon Panetta and the Director of National Intelligence, Dennis Blair, have been asked by Congress 'to preserve' all documents and intelligence files that relate to Hasan, according to the lawmaker.

"On Sunday, Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) called for an investigation into whether the Army missed signs as to whether Hasan was an Islamic extremist.

"'If Hasan was showing signs, saying to people that he had become an Islamist extremist, the U.S. Army has to have a zero tolerance,' Lieberman told Fox News Sunday.

"Investigators want to know if Hasan maintained contact with a radical mosque leader from Virginia, Anwar al Awlaki, who now lives in Yemen and runs a web site that promotes jihad around the world against the U.S.

"In a blog posting early Monday titled 'Nidal Hassan Did the Right Thing,' Awlaki calls Hassan a 'hero' and 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.'

"According to his site, Awlaki served as an imam in Denver, San Diego and Falls Church, Virginia.
"The Associated Press reported Sunday that Major Hasan attended the Falls Church mosque when Awlaki was there.

"The Telegraph of London reported that Awlaki had made contact with two of the 9/11 hijackers when he was in San Diego.

"He denied any knowledge of the hijacking plot and was never charged with any crime. After an intensive investigation by the FBI, Awlaki moved to Yemen."

So let's see, Hasan tried to contact members of al Qaeda, and attended a mosque with a terrorist cheerleader as an imam who has himself posted that Hasan attacked unarmed men and women (including civilians) because of his Muslim faith... Do you think we can call Hasan an Islamist extremist now? Do you think we can call Hasan a terrorist now? Or is he still suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder even though he's never been in combat? Is he still just a bullied victim of racist teasing and intolerance (CNN Video here h/t Powerline)? Maybe the strippers made him do it...