Hasan and the unconnected dots

Washington Post:

HINTS OF POTENTIAL trouble from Maj. Nidal M. Hasan were there for all to see. There was his troubling presentation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Islam and the U.S. military, and questions among colleagues about the psychiatrist's competence and even his sanity. And there was the e-mail correspondence with a known radical Muslim cleric that caught the attention of the FBI. In isolation, they may have appeared less than actionable. Unfortunately, the massacre at Fort Hood last week that killed 13 and wounded 38 others was the tragedy that linked the puzzle pieces.

It's easy to point fingers with the benefit of hindsight. But it's fair to ask whether red flags should have become red alerts. Two joint terrorism task forces became aware in December that Maj. Hasan had sent 10 to 20 e-mails to Anwar al-Aulaqi, a radical cleric who knew three of the Sept. 11 hijackers and who has advocated holy war against the United States. He responded at least twice. But a Defense Department analyst determined that the communication was in keeping with Maj. Hasan's research interests. No other action was taken.

Perhaps that information could have been useful to officials at Walter Reed. Senior physicians are reported to have been upset in June 2007 when Maj. Hasan, a senior-year psychiatric resident, eschewed a medical presentation in favor an hour-long lecture on the Koran, Muslims in the U.S. military and the danger of "adverse events," such as suicide bombings, if Muslims weren't allowed to leave military service as conscientious objectors. Maj. Hasan had expressed concerns about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was set to be deployed.

...

ABC News raises the question of why his purchase of the gun was not a red flag that went to the joint terrorism task force. It is a valid point. In and of itself it is not a red flag, but when added with his other conduct and the concerns expressed by his associates it appears to be a very bright red flag.