Fort Hood suspect reached out to Imam

WASHINGTON - A U.S. official says the Fort Hood shooting
suspect reached out to communicate with a radical imam overseas who
came under scrutiny in the past for possible links to terror
groups.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the
person was not authorized to discuss the investigation, says Nidal
Malik sent electronic communications to Anwar al Awlaki. Awlaki
writes a blog which, among other things, denounces U.S. policies as
anti-Muslim.

The official says the messages were picked up by U.S.
counterterrorism officials, but that an inquiry into the matter was
shelved because the contacts were not deemed to suggest a threat.
Investigators are trying to determine whether Nidal has any links
to terror groups.