Texas/Houston, Nov. 8: Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the sole suspect in the massacre of 13 fellow US soldiers in Texas on Thursday, was linked with a radical imam who was a "spiritual adviser" to three of the hijackers who attacked America on September 11, 2001.

Radical Imam Anwar al-Awlaki and Hasan attended the controversial Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Great Falls, Virginia, in 2001 at the same time as two of the September 11 terrorists, the Sunday Telegraph has learnt.

His mother’s funeral was held there in May that year.

Hasan’s eyes "lit up" when he mentioned his deep respect for al-Awlaki’s teachings, accor-ding to a fellow Muslim officer at the Fort Hood base in Texas, the scene of Thursday’s horrific shooting spree.

Relatives said that the death of Hasan’s parents, in 1998 and 2001, turned him more devout.

His failed search for a wife also seemed to haunt Hasan. Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the US Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in a shooting rampage in the worst such incident at a US military base, was on Sunday taken off ventilator even as investigators looked for clues to ascertain the motive for the horrific killings. Hasan, 39, who went into coma after being shot several times in exchange of fire, is now in a stable condition at the Brooke Army Medical Centre, where he was taken off ventilator.

Without divulging details, hospital officials said Hasan was conscious and talking while 17 of his victims remained hospitalised. Meanwhile, Sgt Kimberly Munley, the civilian officer praised as the hero of the shootout, was reportedly doing well. after undergoing a second surgery. —ANI

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‘It’s a bomb that might blast again’

Washington, Nov. 8: The carnage at Fort Hood military base, where a Muslim Army doctor is accused of killing 13 people in a shooting spree, was a ticking time-bomb that could explode again, observers said.

"There’s a lot more of this out there, potentially. Anyone coming back from war with PTSD could do the same thing," said Matthis Chiroux, a former United States Army sergeant who refused to go to Iraq.

"We’re talking about nightmares yet unseen here," said Matthis Chiroux. —AFP

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‘Shooter plotted for weeks’

London, Nov. 8: Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the US Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in a shooting rampage at a military base in Texas, had been plotting the massacre for weeks, a British newspaper claimed on Sunday.

According to the Daily Star, Major Malik Hasan bought a Belgian-made FN 5.7 mm semi-automatic pistol at a gun shop less than 15 miles from Fort Hood military base in September, indicating he was hatching a plan since then. Moreover, the US Army officer also gave notice to the owner of his apartment block two weeks ago that he would be moving out by November 7 and gave away all his belongings, the report said.

Major Malik Hasan was on Sunday taken off the ventilator even as investigators have been looking for clues to ascertain the motive for the horrific killings.

According to doctors, the 39-year-old who went into coma after being shot several times in exchange of fire, is now in a stable condition at the Brooke Army Medical Centre, where he has been taken off ventilator. —PTI