Fort Hood shooter wired money to Pakistan, claims US lawmaker

Washington, Nov.14 : A US lawmaker Michael McCaul has claimed that he has confirmed reports that Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 people and wounded 29 others at the Fort Hood Army Base, Texas, had transferred money to Pakistan.

“I have confirmed through independent sources that there were communications and wire transfers made to Pakistan,” a US newspaper quoted McCaul, as saying.

“This Pakistan connection just raises more red flags about this case and demonstrates why it’s important for Congress to exercise its oversight authority,” McCaul’s spokesperson, Mike Rosen said.

Rosen said McCaul does not want his sources to be named.

He said McCaul, who is the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee’s intelligence subcommittee, has been actively seeking information from as many credible sources as possible.

When asked about McCaul’s claims, noted terrorism expert Evan Kohlmann said Hasan is a US citizen of Palestinian descent, with no known family ties to Pakistan.

Kohlmann, who has worked with the FBI and the Defence Department, said there are only two reasons for the psychiatrist to wire money to Islamabad: “ to support charity or to support jehad.”

“It raises huge alarm bells,” said Kohlmann.

--ANI