FBI monitored Texas shooting suspect moves for money transfer

A US Army Major accused of killing 13 people at an Army base in Texas had intensified his communications with a radical Yemeni-American cleric, and discussed surreptitious financial transfers and how could he translate these into action.

Major Nidal Hasan Malik, just two months before he went on the shooting spree, had exchanged secret emails to this effect with the cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi, and these were obtained by the FBI.

The paper quoting government and Congressional sources said though FBI had obtained these emails in San Diego between late last year and June, these were not forwarded to the military.

"Some were sent to the FBI's Washington Field Office, triggering an assessment into whether they raised national security concerns, but those intercepted later were not," a newspaper said.

Hasan's contacts with the extremist Imam began as religious queries, but took on a more specific and concrete tone before he moved to Fort Hood military base in Texas.

The sources said the two discussed transfer of money overseas in "cryptic and coded exchanges" that would not attract law enforcement agencies.

"He (Hasan) clearly became more radicalised towards the end, and was having discussions related to the transfer of money and finances," the paper said quoting the source. "It became very clear toward the end of those e-mails he was interested in taking action."