al-Qaeda Recruiter Mocks U.S. Intelligence, Says Accused Shooter Asked for Guidance About Shooting In 2008
In an interview published on Al Jazeera’s Web site, radical Muslim cleric Anwar al Awlaki says that Maj. Nidal Hasan, charged with killing 13 in last month’s Fort Hood massacre, asked for guidance about killing American military personnel in his very first e-mail.
Awlaki claims that Hasan initiated the e-mail correspondence with a message on Dec. 17, 2008. "He was asking about killing U.S. soldiers and officers," said Awlaki. "His question was is it legitimate [under Islamic law]."
The Al Jazeera questioner asks for confirmation that Hasan forwarded this query nearly a year before the shooting.