Hasan / FBI / Information gathering - The Firearms Forum

Marlin T · 12-17-2009, 12:13 PM

Pre-massacre concerns about Hasan may have been off limits to FBI

12:00 AM CST on Wednesday, December 16, 2009
By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News
dmichaels@dallasnews.com

WASHINGTON – FBI agents who discovered Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's extremist ties before the Fort Hood massacre may not have had access to key Army records on the psychiatrist, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said Tuesday.

The Maine Republican said some information that terrorism investigators need stays in military education or training files "and does not make its way to the personnel files" – the records that intelligence agencies would see when deciding whether to investigate someone.

Collins is the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, which is investigating how pre-massacre intelligence was handled. She spoke after a closed-door hearing with Defense Department officials.

Hasan's colleagues and superiors repeatedly raised concerns about him during his psychiatric training. Issues included his fundamentalist Islamic leanings, religious proselytizing, work performance and mental stability.

"It doesn't appear that the military has updated its personnel policies to reflect the threat of Islamic extremism," Collins said. "There appears to be a real gap in the protocols in the personnel procedures."

Army spokesman George Wright said that in general, soldiers' supervisors decide whether to put letters of counseling or reprimand in personnel files. He declined to discuss Hasan's records.

An FBI-led terrorism task force began intercepting e-mails last December between Hasan and a radical imam in Yemen, Anwar al-Awlaki. FBI officials have said they didn't investigate further because the correspondence seemed consistent with Hasan's psychiatric research.

The FBI has investigated al-Awlaki's ties to terrorists since the late 1990s. Any contact with him should have set off an investigation, experts have told The Dallas Morning News.

William Webster, who formerly headed the FBI and the CIA, is now reviewing the bureau's pre-massacre work on Hasan. FBI spokesman Paul Bresson declined to comment Tuesday.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, the homeland security committee's chairman, said the panel may get a classified briefing this week about the task force that intercepted the e-mails. He said he was still trying to obtain Hasan's Army records.

The military is doing its own study of whether the Nov. 5 slaughter could have been prevented and whether there are better ways to identify potentially dangerous service members. Hasan faces military charges of premeditated murder and attempted murder.

Lieberman said that the White House would not allow Tuesday's briefing to be held in public and that it had taken too long to give lawmakers information.

Information-sharing problems still seem to be compromising American security more than eight years after the 9/11 attacks, Collins said.

DWARREN123 · 12-17-2009, 04:53 PM

Seems to be a real gap in the intelligence of his military leadership and the others who investigated him and the PC crowd who did not do anything or enough to protect others from him!

hogger129 · 12-17-2009, 05:24 PM

Probably another operation going on that they didn't know about. They need to share information more. That's like how in the 80's, there were people involved with the CIA trying to get to the drug lords down in Columbia, etc, through people in the US, and would often time tip off people about DEA raids, etc, etc. It's on Youtube, all you gotta do is look it up.

12-17-2009, 12:13 PM	#1
Marlin T Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: New Mexico Posts: 7,857	Hasan / FBI / Information gathering Pre-massacre concerns about Hasan may have been off limits to FBI 12:00 AM CST on Wednesday, December 16, 2009 By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News dmichaels@dallasnews.com WASHINGTON – FBI agents who discovered Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's extremist ties before the Fort Hood massacre may not have had access to key Army records on the psychiatrist, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said Tuesday. The Maine Republican said some information that terrorism investigators need stays in military education or training files "and does not make its way to the personnel files" – the records that intelligence agencies would see when deciding whether to investigate someone. Collins is the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, which is investigating how pre-massacre intelligence was handled. She spoke after a closed-door hearing with Defense Department officials. Hasan's colleagues and superiors repeatedly raised concerns about him during his psychiatric training. Issues included his fundamentalist Islamic leanings, religious proselytizing, work performance and mental stability. "It doesn't appear that the military has updated its personnel policies to reflect the threat of Islamic extremism," Collins said. "There appears to be a real gap in the protocols in the personnel procedures." Army spokesman George Wright said that in general, soldiers' supervisors decide whether to put letters of counseling or reprimand in personnel files. He declined to discuss Hasan's records. An FBI-led terrorism task force began intercepting e-mails last December between Hasan and a radical imam in Yemen, Anwar al-Awlaki. FBI officials have said they didn't investigate further because the correspondence seemed consistent with Hasan's psychiatric research. The FBI has investigated al-Awlaki's ties to terrorists since the late 1990s. Any contact with him should have set off an investigation, experts have told The Dallas Morning News. William Webster, who formerly headed the FBI and the CIA, is now reviewing the bureau's pre-massacre work on Hasan. FBI spokesman Paul Bresson declined to comment Tuesday. Sen. Joe Lieberman, the homeland security committee's chairman, said the panel may get a classified briefing this week about the task force that intercepted the e-mails. He said he was still trying to obtain Hasan's Army records. The military is doing its own study of whether the Nov. 5 slaughter could have been prevented and whether there are better ways to identify potentially dangerous service members. Hasan faces military charges of premeditated murder and attempted murder. Lieberman said that the White House would not allow Tuesday's briefing to be held in public and that it had taken too long to give lawmakers information. Information-sharing problems still seem to be compromising American security more than eight years after the 9/11 attacks, Collins said. __________________ "But the simple truth--born of experience--is that tyranny thrives best where government need not fear the wrath of an armed people." Judge Alex Kozinski - United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government. - Thomas Paine Did you read todays GOOD shooting? >>>KEEPANDBEARARMS.COM <<< --> Last edited by Marlin T; 12-17-2009 at 12:15 PM..

12-17-2009, 04:53 PM	#2
DWARREN123 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: BETWEEN TN & KY Posts: 764	Re: Hasan / FBI / Information gathering Seems to be a real gap in the intelligence of his military leadership and the others who investigated him and the PC crowd who did not do anything or enough to protect others from him! __________________ Have a nice day!

12-17-2009, 05:24 PM	#3
hogger129 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,078	Re: Hasan / FBI / Information gathering Probably another operation going on that they didn't know about. They need to share information more. That's like how in the 80's, there were people involved with the CIA trying to get to the drug lords down in Columbia, etc, through people in the US, and would often time tip off people about DEA raids, etc, etc. It's on Youtube, all you gotta do is look it up.