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Officials: U.S. Army Told of Hasan's Contacts with al Qaeda

Army Major in Fort Hood Massacre Used 'Electronic Means' to Connect with Terrorists

Photo: Seven Soldiers Killed, 20 Wounded in Fort Hood Shooting: One Suspect in Custody, Search Is on for Second Shooter
The suspected gunman in the shooting at Fort Hood, Tex., was identified by ABC News as Army Major Malik Nadal Hasan, a psychiatrist trained by the military.
(ABC News Photo Illustration)

Army Chief of Staff

A fellow Army doctor who studied with Hasan, Val Finell, told ABC News, "He would frequently say he was a Muslim first and an American second. And that came out in just about everything he did at the University."

Finell said he and other Army doctors complained to superiors about Hasan's statements.

"And we questioned how somebody could take an oath of office…be an officer in the military and swear allegiance to the constitution and to defend America against all enemies, foreign and domestic and have that type of conflict," Finell told ABC News.

Related

The Army Chief of Staff, General George Casey, raised concerns over the weekend that innocent Muslim soldiers could suffer as a result of the shooting at Fort Hood.

"I think the speculation (on Hasan's Islamic roots) could potentially heighten backlash against some of our Muslim soldiers," he said on ABC's "This Week."

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Next Story: Defense Attorney: Hasan Is Paralyzed From the Chest Down
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