Lawmaker: Report shows FBI ignored accused Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan out of political correctness

(CBS/AP) WASHINGTON - The FBI was too concerned about political correctness and did not launch an investigation into a man who was later charged with killing 13 people in the 2009 attack in Fort Hood, Texas, despite significant warning signs that he was an Islamic extremist bent on killing civilians, according to a lawmaker briefed on the new report.

In emails to a known terrorist, Army Maj. Nidal Hasan expressed his support for suicide bombings and killing civilians, while the terrorist, Anwar al-Awlaki, encouraged Hasan to stay in touch.

"I would assume that (a) suicide bomber whose aim is to kill enemy soldiers or their helpers, but also kills innocents in the process is acceptable," Hasan wrote in one of the e-mails to Awlaki, according to CBS News correspondent Bob Orr.

In total, Hasan wrote 18 e-mails - only two of which Awlaki replied. Most of the other e-mails were more benign.

One response Hasan received from Awklaki was about helping the Fort Hood terrorist find a wife.

"Tell more about yourself," he wrote. "I will keep an eye for a sister."

The review was done by former FBI Director William Webster and was more than two years in the making.

The case has drawn attention to U.S. intelligence lapses. Less than a month after the Fort Hood rampage, the Pentagon's top intelligence officer sent the White House a report detailing an earlier failure to connect the dots, CBS News correspondent David Martin reported in 2010.

Much was already known about the series of oversights and missteps the government made leading to the terror attack at the Fort Hood Army post. Soon after the attack, it was revealed that members of two FBI anti-terrorism task forces saw emails between the Army psychiatrist and al-Awlaki beginning in December 2008. Those task forces reviewed the communications and decided they were in keeping with Hasan's research at the time, and as a result, no formal investigation of Hasan was opened. Hasan was writing a research paper about the effects of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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But Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, told The Associated Press Webster's report offers some new details that show the FBI was concerned about investigating an American Muslim in the military, and that is why an investigation was not pursued.

CBS News obtained a letter early in July which said the independent review would recommend 18 changes in FBI policies and protocol.

The FBI in San Diego had been investigating al-Awlaki, a former San Diego resident, for his possible connections to the 9/11 hijackers. When agents saw emails between Hasan and al-Awlaki, they asked the FBI's Washington office to talk to Hasan's bosses, according to a government official briefed on the findings who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the Webster report. But the Washington agents thought that interviewing American Muslims who visit extremist websites was a sensitive issue and did not reach out to Hasan's bosses at the Defense Department, the official said.

"It shows you the length of the political correctness stuff going on," McCaul said after he was briefed on the findings of the independent review Wednesday.

Neither the FBI nor Webster responded to requests for comment. But the FBI and Defense Department have said that they've made several policy changes since the 2009 attack to help stave off similar attacks in the future.

One major change was that if al-Awlaki comes up as part of a terror investigation, FBI headquarters would be alerted, Mark Giuliano, assistant director for the FBI's National Security Branch, said last year.

Al-Awlaki, implicated in other terror plots, was killed in a drone strike in Yemen last fall.

Hasan, charged with killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in the November 2009 shooting rampage, is currently being tried in a military court.

[Lantern.Bearer]

You folks forget the timeline of the development of the officer in question. He was trained and put in place for his mayhem by the Bush administration. Rolling amnesia is not an excuse for making blame roll forward.

[joaquinwalking]

William H. Webster III.

Isn't this the guy who was fired as director of the CIA?
I wonder what for? Wouldn't that make a story?
Maybe it had something to do with his tenure as director of the FBI?

Speaking of political correctness. How about the official letter of reprimand William H. Webster wrote to the FBI agent investigating the child serial murders in Atlanta, GA-for stating the suspect was a black male (Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, 1996)? Now, William H. Webster III is the authority on the evils of politcial correctness?

William H. Webster III, have you no shame?

[hamiltongrad]

i also read that he went to Mecidal School in the US for FREE! Our PC tax dollars educated this thug ISlamist barbarian, why ??

[hamiltongrad]

This was the cause for 9 11. The Church Report and Rules, (Democratic) limited the passing of information from the FBI and the CIA. What nerve they had, the very same people "grilled" those agencies on how they " did not connect the dots", under G.W. Bush ! The Democrats never have any responsibility for their actions and decisions, in the name of political correctness. Same here. People die. Good job CBS !

[fiddlestickawshucks]

Obama controls the FBi.

The FBI was AFRAID to investigate Hassan for fear of offending Muslims and the President.!

Obama described the Fort Hood shooting as a "work place incident".

What the hell is wrong with these people.??!!!!!

What are we paying them for.??

Why do they and the CIA and Homeland Security even exist if Obama won't let them do their jobs in the name of "political correctness"??!!!!

I have reached the point where I couldn't give a fat rats ass wether or not some Muslim or terrorist is offended by being investigated if it saves the life of one American.

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS is destroying this country.!

It's reached the point where political correctness is just the words used to cover up terrorist plots and further tear down the US.

If any Muslim is offended by our right to defend our ideals , religious practices, the word GOD, or any other damn thing about this country; let them GET THE HELL OUT.

Go back where you belong if you don't want to be offended by American government agencies doing their jobs.

Who do these Muslims think they are coming into the US and demanding we change our Constitution and Bill of Rights to accomodate them.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.!!!

A total of more than 8,000 American troops have been killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan defending these countries against terrorists.

Millions of American troops have been maimed, wounded, scarred or come home suffering from PTSD.

These veterans cannot find jobs, are in danger of having their homes repossed and can barely afford to put food on the table.!

If this is the way Obama, the DOD and the Pentagon treat our returning heroes; yet refuse to investigate possible terrorists because they might be offended, they should all be indicted for dereliction of duty.

Obama has been kissing the ***** of Arab countries since his first days in office.

These counties depend on foreign aid from the United States for everything from food, hospitals, clean water, roads, bridges, etc. and still spit on our troops and call them infidel dogs when they walk the streets of these places.

How else are we supposed to identify potential terrorists if the FBI, the CIA and Homeland security are forbidden by Obama to investigate them.??!!!

It's past time to put an end to political correctness.!

It's past time to get our troops out of Adghanistan.!

It's also past time for Obama and the government to stop supporting these countries at the expense of the lives of American troops and the downfall of the United States.

The attitude of POLITICAL CORRECTNESS in Europe has resulted in Muslims starting their own countries in enclaves scattered throughout the individual countries.

There are metal signs posted warning that these areas are governed by Sharia law.

Don't delude yourself for one minute that this is not happening here in the US.

For right now, these enclaves are being developed in relatively secluded areas.

How long will it be before they start delevoping them closer to the cities.?

How long will it be before there are enough of them to band together and start attacking us here in the US.?

Obama denies he is a Muslim, yet he has made many concessions to the Muslims here in the US while, SLOWLY ( hoping we won't notice) taking away more and more of our freedoms and destroying American ideals and values.

The list of concessions would fill a book, and; to top it all off;
every time Obama gives them an inch; they turn around and demand a mile.

I have been angry and OFFENDED for some time because of all this crap on Obama's part. but I just passed that point to where it's now rage I feel about the slow, continuous destuction of my country.

Does Obama care how I feel.?

Does he care how much Americans are struggling just to keep a roof over their heads and feed their families.?

DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT.!!!

The Democrooks and Republicrooks in Congress are just as guilty of contributing to the downfall of the United States as Obama is, because they let him get away with all this BS.

Divide and conquer is the name of the game the politicians are playing with American lives.

THIS IS NOT A GAME.!!

It is the entire future of our country and we are being led down a path by these corrupt politicians that is ultimately going to put horrendous burdens on our children, grandchildren and; at the rate we're going; our greatgrandchildren.

IS THIS WHAT YOU REALLY WANT.??


























ast time to put an end to political correctness

[svenskasandy]

This man took it upon himself to kill Our Kids. He lowered himself to an animal. He looks crazy and probably is crazy. I feel for the families of the ones killed at the hand of this nutcase.

[CaptainSmollett]

When people die because of "political correctness", our priorities are really screwed up.

[Lantern.Bearer]

The military officer in question here came up under the direction of the Bush administration. He is W's hire killer. You probably voted for W, did you not? That blood is, then, also on your hands.

[Jaylah54200]

So the FBI didn't feel it would be "politically correct" to look at this guy, even when they knew he was exchanging e-mails with terrorists. But Michele Bachmann can just go around accusing somebody like Huma Abedin of having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood?

[ThrMeldrich]

Isn't this creep still getting an officers compensation?

[EmpireGeorge______--]

Because Obama doesn't want to offend muslims.....in this case, at the airport, everywhere......he wants equality for terrorists, don't want to offend the attacking group.....liberal political correctness, that puts us in danger.....time for change