Communication intercepts of shooter not followed up

Washington Post:

The Army psychiatrist suspected of killing 12 soldiers and a civilian here last week was in e-mail contact earlier this year with a radical cleric in Yemen who has decried what he calls America's war against Islam, a federal law enforcement official said Monday.

U.S. intelligence agencies intercepted between 10 and 20 e-mails from Maj. Nidal M. Hasan to Anwar al-Aulaqi, a U.S. citizen who once was a spiritual leader at the suburban Virginia mosque where Hasan had worshipped, Rep. Peter Hoekstra (Mich.), the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said later Monday. Aulaqi responded to Hasan at least twice, Hoekstra said, but he described the responses as "innocent."

The FBI dropped an inquiry into the matter after determining that the e-mails did not warrant further investigation, according to a law enforcement official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity.

"For me, the number of times that this guy tried to reach out to the imam was significant," Hoekstra said in an interview.

The revelations came as Hoekstra and other congressional leaders complained about a lack of information from the intelligence community in the days since Thursday's shooting and raised questions about the adequacy of the surveillance of Hasan in the month's leading up to the massacre.

On Capitol Hill, multiple congressional investigations of the shootings are taking shape, with a Senate committee announcing the first public hearings on the matter. Federal authorities pressed ahead with a methodical review of Hasan's computer, which officials believe could unearth more communications between him and extremists in recent months.

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John P. Galligan of Belton, Tex., said he was hired Monday as Hasan's civilian lawyer. Galligan, a retired Army colonel, said he announced his hiring "because I wanted it on notice that Major Hasan has a lawyer and no one should be having contact with him without counsel."

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It does not sound like they are going to get any direct testimony from Hasan unless he chooses to ignore the advice of counsel. It could happen if the guy really wants to die and get his virgins.

The FBI clearly made a mistake in dropping its inquiry and not following up with inquiries of his colleagues who could have provided more damaging allegations of conduct suggesting he was dangerous. It makes you wonder if there are others out there where there was no follow up.