Maj. Hasan's clock set to 9/11

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Army psychiatrist now paralyzed and charged with killing 13 people at Fort Hood - may plead insanity.

However, some intelligence experts theorize this was a terrorist attack. Now, there is new information about a potential message left behind in Major Nidal Malik Hasan's apartment.

“The 9/11 reference, it’s a constant visual reminder,” said Fred Burton with Stratfor Global Intelligence.

Hasan's battery-powered alarm clock had the date set to 9//11 the week after the shootings at Fort Hood. Terrorism Intelligence expert Fred Burton does not think it is a coincidence, and he is surprised investigators may not have immediately noticed it.

“I find it odd that wasn’t taken as evidence,” said Burton.

On Nov. 12, the manager at Casa Del Norte gave KXAN Austin News access inside of Hasan's apartment.

KXAN noticed the alarm clock date was set to "9-11-1424." (see photo attached to this story) The apartment manager would not let anyone inside the apartment the next day but did mention the date had not changed, but the batteries died a short time later.

"Either it was a daily motivator for Major Hasan, or he left it behind for all of us to see," said Burton.

The clock is of Arabic origin. The number 1424 in the Islamic calendar equates to 2003.

Photos of the clock were shown to Maisaa Tizani of the Islamic Center of Greater Austin.

“It seems like somebody put it on purpose,” said Tizani. “Anybody is going to look at the calendar or look in his personal stuff and find 9/11. It is even [the] wrong date in [the] Islamic calendar and wrong date in [the] English calendar.”

The apartment manager said they turned the clock over to authorities. Experts at Stratfor believe it is another piece of evidence that points to terrorism.

“He would be looking at the 9/11 event as the largest act of terror on U.S. soil as possible motivation or inspiration. We would have to ask Major Hasan specifically why he had that on his clock," said Burton.