definitely wanted and had missed several times in the past, several times recently and last year. >> richard, talk about his connection with both the attempted bombing on christmas day in that northwest jet over detroit as well as his connection with army major nadal hassan. >> reporter: there was e-mail contact between the army major who was stationed at ft. hood in texas and awlaki in yemen at the time or believed to be in yemen at the time so that was a conversation convincing this army major to do that act, to go on a shooting rampage. so an inspirational figure. we believe that he had a much more operational hands-on role with the so-called underwear bomber, actually meeting the nigerian in yemen, obtaining the explosive or being with the people that gave him that explosive that he eventually