'Nidal Hasan did the right thing,' Anwar al Awlaki wrote Monday. 'Nidal Hasan is a hero.' The statements came as the FBI announced that it had been aware of e-mails between Hasan and Awlaki -- an American-born, Yemen-based cleric who has a history of focusing his calls for jihad on young, U.S.-based Muslims. Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, is suspected of killing 12 soldiers and a civilian Thursday. On his Web site, Awlaki has promoted terrorist acts against the West, calling them justified under Islamic law. One of his most popular writings is a manifesto titled '44 Ways of Supporting Jihad,' which calls on Muslims to defend their faith. According to experts, Alwaki is part of a new generation of English-speaking clerics who use technology -- videos, mp3s and podcasts -- and sometimes even humor to connect with American audiences. 'He's funny, and he's got the colloquialism down,' said Jarret Brachman, a senior U.S. government consultant on terrorism and the author of 'Global Jihadism.' 'He's just an entirely different type of sheik. And a lot of the home-grown (Muslims) just love him.' Brachman said it was not clear whether Awlaki has any connection to al-Qaida. The cleric was born in New Mexico to Yemeni parents. When he was a child, the family returned to Yemen, where he received his religious education. According to his Web site, Awlaki attended college in the United States, earning a degree in engineering at Colorado State University and one in education leadership at San Diego State University. Alwaki was interviewed by the FBI after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, because of his connections to three of the hijackers who had attended mosques -- in San Diego and Falls Church, Va. -- where Alwaki had served as an imam. Hasan also attended the Virginia mosque, although FBI officials said they did not know whether he met Alwaki. In 2002, Alwaki left the United States. He was detained by Yemeni authorities in 2006 and held for more than a year. 