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WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. officials say a Pentagon worker on a terrorism task force looked into Fort Hood shooting suspect Nidal Hasan's background months ago, and concluded he did not merit further investigation.

Two officials say the Washington-based task force was notified of communications between Hasan and a radical imam overseas, and the information was turned over to a Defense Criminal Investigative Service employee assigned to the task force.

That worker wrote up an assessment of Hasan after reviewing the Army major's personnel file and the communications.

The disclosure is important because it shows the Defense Department was aware since late last year of Hasan's contacts with the imam.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.

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