Boston bombing

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News/Politics 4-23-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open Thread, you decide. Here’s a few from me…

Once again, the FBI, DHS, and INS dropped the ball. From TheDailyMail

“The Department of Homeland Security was  dragging its feet on processing Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s U.S.  citizenship after a routine background check revealed he had been questioned by  the FBI in 2011.

Tamerlan, 26, filed an application for  citizenship six months ago but immigration officials had not yet made a decision  on his case at the time of the Boston Marathon bombings.

Authorities knew the alleged bomber had a  domestic violence charge on his record but the fact he had been grilled by  federal agents is reportedly what threw up red flags, halting the progress of  his application.”

And he wasn’t deported because…….?

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TheAP finally reports the obvious…….

“Two U.S. officials say preliminary evidence from an interrogation suggests the suspects in the Boston Marathon attack were motivated by their religious views but were apparently not tied to any Islamic terrorist groups.”

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You can read the criminal complaint against bomber #2 here, from TheWeeklyStandard

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Canada has thwarted a terrorist attack, with the help of DHS. From TheTorontoSun

““Had this plot been carried out, it would have resulted in innocent people being killed or seriously injured,” Royal Canadian Mounted Police official James Malizia told reporters in Toronto.

The RCMP said it had arrested Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, of Montreal, and Raed Jaser, 35, of Toronto, in connection with the plot, which authorities said was not linked to the Boston Marathon bombings, which killed three and injured more than 200 people last week.

Neither is a Canadian citizen, but the police did not reveal their nationalities.”

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More here from TheNYDailyNews

“Two suspected Al Qaeda terrorists were busted Monday in Canada before they  could wreak havoc on the rails by blowing up a New York-to-Toronto passenger  train.

The plan hatched by Chiheb Esseghaier and Raed Jaser — and directed by Al  Qaeda operatives based in Iran — was derailed by the Mounties before it ever got  out of the station, officials said.”

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Meanwhile the rebels our govt. is backing continue to commit atrocities against Christian minorities in Syria. From AssyrianInternationalNewsAgency

“Syria’s Christians fear an Islamist takeover should the current government be overthrown. During the ongoing civil war there has been a well-documented rise in the number of salafi-jihadist groups operating in Syria that pose a direct threat to Syria’s Christian community.These militant opposition forces espouse an Islamist ideology, which incorporates elements of Wahhabism and Salafism and whose stated goals and objectives are by definition hostile towards Christians. Firsthand accounts from Syrian Christian refugees in Lebanon reported by award winning investigative journalist Nuri Kino detail the horror in which they described kidnappings, rapes, harassment, theft and other violent reprisals at the hands of Islamist groups.

Those who survived reported “just being Christian is enough to be a target,” disproving theories that violence and kidnapping directed towards Syrian Christians is purely incidental or for economic reasons. One individual openly declared “We’re not poor. We didn’t run from poverty […] we ran from fear.”

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Two Bishops have been kidnapped by rebels as well. From Reuters

“Two prominent Syrian bishops, who had warned of the threat to religious tolerance and diversity from the two-year conflict in their country, were kidnapped on Monday by armed rebels in the northern province of Aleppo, state media said.

SANA news agency said the Syriac Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Archbishops of Aleppo, Yohanna Ibrahim and Paul Yazigi, were seized by “a terrorist group” in the village of Kfar Dael as they were “carrying out humanitarian work”.”

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John F. Kerry, reporting for duty…….

From AmericanThinker

“While  speaking in Istanbul, Turkey, Secretary  of State John Kerry compared the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings with  the terrorists who attacked IDF forces aboard the ship Mavi Marmara in  2010.”

“Speaking  at Istanbul, Turkey, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made a jarring comparison between the victims of the Boston Marathon terror bombs and terror activists from the IHH  group who were killed  when they attacked IDF forces aboard the Mavi Marmara in 2010.

Kerry  told his hosts in Turkey that he understands the pain of the  families whose  loved ones were killed aboard the Marmara – and added  that he can understand  their pain well, having just dealt with the  families whose loved ones were  slain in Boston.”

Is it really any wonder our govt. supports the terrorists in Syria, Egypt, and Libya? They don’t seem capable of even telling the difference between the parties involved. Their ideology blinds them to the obvious.

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News/Politics 4-22-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

The big story continues to be the Boston Bombings.

The surviving bomber is awake and responding to questions from authorities. From ABCNews

” Law enforcement sources tell ABC News that the Boston Marathon bombings suspect is awake and has been responding sporadically in writing to questions. Officials say they have been asking about other cell members and other potential unexploded bombs. Details on any answers given have not been released.”

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It’s a story of dueling press accounts as well. As you’d expect, MSNBC and like minded sources refuse to admit the obvious motivations of the bombers. They’re in denial about any religious motivations. Some foreign sources aren’t having that problem.

From TheDailyMail

“The Mail on Sunday has learned that the FBI  put Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, under surveillance after receiving an explicit  warning from the Russian intelligence services.”

“Despite all this, the FBI found no  substantive evidence that he was engaged in terror-related activities though  they continued to ‘monitor his internet use and contacts’.

According to an intelligence source, Russia  remained convinced that Tamerlan, an ethnic Chechen, was in ‘direct contact’ with Islamist militants, most likely based in the strife-torn southern Russian  region of Dagestan, where he lived for two years with his family prior to moving  to the US.”

The FBI has a lot of explaining to do. More from TheTelegraphUK

And here as well, also from TheTelegraphUK

MSNBC says don’t be too hard on the FBI, from Newsbusters

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Meanwhile NBC Nightly News ignores the Islamic ties.

MSNBC insists it’s not related to Islam at all.

And Salon’s Clown Prince says we conservatives want them to be Muslims so we can have a bigoted, violent, civil-liberties-trampling reaction.

And the Atlantic insists it too soon to tell if Islam played a roll.

The NYTIMES publishes then revises a story seemingly sympathetic to the bombers.

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The Mayor of Boston says the 2 suspects acted alone. From TheAP

“Boston Mayor Tom Menino says information he has indicates that the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing acted alone.”

“He tells ABC’s `This Week” that a pipe bomb was found at another location and that another person was taken into custody. The mayor did not elaborate.”

Well which is it? Or is this another totally unrelated bomber?

This publication disagrees with the Mayor. From TheMirrorUK

“The FBI was last night hunting a 12-strong terrorist “sleeper cell” linked to  the Boston  marathon bomb brothers.”

“A source close to the investigation said: “We have no doubt the brothers were  not acting alone. The devices used to detonate the two bombs were highly  sophisticated and not the kind of thing people learn from Google.

“They were too advanced. Someone gave the brothers the skills and it is now  our job to find out just who they were. Agents think the sleeper cell has up to  a dozen members and has been waiting several years for their day to come.”

I hope they’re wrong and the Mayor is correct.

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This is a good piece on how the brothers came to be the extremists they were in the end. From TheBostonGlobe

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Military tribunal or criminal trial? Go with A.  From ABCNews

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Boston’s Police Comm. calls releasing the photos a turning point. From Boston.com

“Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said releasing the photos of the two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing “may have led to the further attack” against MIT police officer Sean Collier, which he called an assassination. But he stressed there is no way to know for sure.

Releasing the pictures after many hours of behind-the-scenes deliberation, “was a turning point in the investigation, no doubt about it,” said Davis in an interview with the Globe.

“It forced them out of their hideout and they decided to commit further violent acts. But it’s my belief that they were already manufacturing explosive devices. Further violent acts were inevitable.” The suspects “were not making those explosives for nothing,” said Davis. “There was a plan there, and I believe that tragically [Collier] lost his life, but he was truly protecting the citizens of the city.””

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In other news…….

An update from the Texas plant explosion story. Press has been allowed in, and the story is one of devastation. From CBSNews

“At least 14 people are dead and 200 injured after the blast in the tiny Texas town. Officials now say 12 of the 14 killed were first responders, CBS News’ Steve Futterman reports.”

“Meanwhile, on the first Sunday after the explosion, pastor John Crowder stood atop a long flatbed truck overlooking a hayfield and spoke to his congregation.

Crowder’s First Baptist Church in West remains blocked off as investigators work on the scene of Wednesday’s blast. So about 100 people sat in white folding chairs Sunday morning, while others carried their own.

“We have lost our friends and neighbors,” Crowder told the audience. We have lost the safety and comfort of our homes. But as scary as this is, we don’t have to be afraid.”

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A bizarre report of shots fired at a nuke plant. Great, just what we need, more crazy. From WBIR.com

“A TVA spokesperson confirmed that a security officer patrolling TVA Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Spring City was involved in a shootout with a suspect Sunday at about 2:00 a.m.
The security incident happened on the Tennessee River side of the plant property, more than a quarter mile from the plant’s protected area, which houses its reactor and power production facilities.

TVA spokesperson Jim Hopson said the subject traveled up to the plant on a boat and walked onto the property.  When the officer questioned the suspect, the individual fired multiple shots at the officer.  The officer shot back, and when he called for backup, the suspect sped away on his boat. ”

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Schumer and Graham are claiming this adds a need for urgency to the amnesty bill they want passed. 🙄 Shocking right? From TheHill

“The Boston Marathon tragedy is a reason for Congress to move faster – not  slower – to overhaul the nation’s immigration system, according to two  co-authors of a Senate reform package.

Some conservatives on Capitol Hill have suggested Monday’s deadly bombings – allegedly orchestrated by a pair of young immigrants from Russia’s volatile  Caucasus region – should cause lawmakers to move more deliberately in their  approach to immigration reform this year.”

“But Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) – chief  architects of a sweeping bipartisan immigration proposal unveiled last week – argued Sunday that their bill will help prevent future terrorist attacks at home  and should be taken up as soon as possible.”

Funny thing though, Chuck doesn’t like to be questioned on the specifics. From TheDailyCaller

“Chris Crane, head of the immigration officers union, was pulled out of a  Senate press conference today when he tried to question Sen. Chuck Schumer  during the televised roll-out of the 844-page immigration rewrite.

While reporters asked questions, Schumer ignored three requests from Crane,  who sought to question him about aspects of the far-reaching law, which promises  to tighten enforcement of immigration laws at borders, airports and  seaports.

“Will you take a question from law enforcement?” Crane asked, repeating the  question twice before being removed.

Schumer ignored the question, and repeated his advocacy for the bill. Crane’s  union represents agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)  service.”

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Boston Bombing Update 4-19-12

One Bombing suspect is dead after a shootout with police, the other is still on the run. A massive manhunt is under way for him.

UPDATE II

Captured!

From FoxNews

“The second suspect in the Boston Marathon  bombing is in custody, after police found him hiding in a boat covered by a tarp  behind a house in the Watertown section of the city, Boston police  confirmed.

Police moved in on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev  Friday evening after tip led them to the home on Franklin Street, where he  apparently had been hiding in the back yard. Neighbors said they heard more than  30 shots one likened to “a roll of firecrackers shooting off.” Police swarmed  the scene, and several explosions, possibly police concussion grenades, were  heard after a robot moved in on the boat.”

Great job by the police, and especially the alert lady that called it in.

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From NBCNews

“The Boston Marathon bombing suspects — armed with explosives and guns — battled law enforcement officers in a Boston suburb early Friday morning, unleashing chaos until cops took one of the men into custody and the other fled, law enforcement sources said.

Officials later said the suspect taken into custody died and authorities identified the man on the run as the “white-hat” suspect, referencing photographs released by the FBI Thursday. Authorities warned he should be  considered armed and dangerous.”

“Law enforcement sources said the suspects have international links and have been in the country legally for about a year.

The suspects approached the MIT officer and shot him in head, the sources said. The two then stole the MIT officer’s cruiser, robbed a nearby 7-11 and carjacked a Mercedes SUV, briefly kidnapping the driver, the sources said. At various points, the suspects threw explosives out the window of the moving car.”

More here from FoxNews

“Authorities urged residents in Watertown, Newton, Waltham, Belmont, Cambridge  and the Allston-Brighton neighborhoods of Boston to stay indoors. All mass  transit was shut down.

“We believe this to be a terrorist,” Davis said in a press conference. “We  believe this to be a man who’s come here to kill people. We need to get him in  custody.””

“A federal law enforcement official told Fox News they are looking into  whether the bombing suspects may have been from overseas and had overseas  military training.”

Watertown, Mass. and the surrounding area is under lockdown this morning. From NBCNews

“Public transportation in Boston was shut down Friday morning and some neighborhoods and towns were in total lockdown as police searched for the second of two men believed to have been involved in the marathon bombings earlier this week.”

“All services on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority were immediately suspended authorities announced and the residents of the city’s western suburbs, including the neighborhoods of Watertown, Allston-Brighton, Cambridge, Belmont and Newton, were asked to remain in their homes.

Police searched the Watertown neighborhood door to door on foot and in patrol cars early Friday morning. Residents were asked to call 911 if anyone other than police came to doors in the neighborhood.

People waiting for buses or other transit services should head home and stay there, police said. No vehicular traffic was being allowed in or out of Watertown, where police engaged in a shootout overnight with men armed with explosives.”

The suspects have been identified. They are from Chechnya. From NBCNews

“The suspects are brothers with the last name Tsarnaev, law enforcement officials told NBC News. The suspect on the loose is 19 and has a Massachusetts driver’s license, they said. Law enforcement officials told NBC News that both men had international ties, had been in the United States about a year and had military experience.”

UPDATE

Here’s an excellent rundown on the bomber still at large, including Tweets, from TheAtlanticWire  with a CONTENT WARNING!!! for the Tweets.

“On Friday, after a chaotic evening saw his partner in crime (and apparently his older brother) killed and as a city locked down to find him, Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev emerged as the name of the man in the ongoing manhunt in Boston Friday. According to information culled from multiple reports, Tsarnaev is a 19-year-old reportedly from Kyrgyzstan who has been living, for the past year, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Here’s are the basics of what we know about “Suspect No. 2” — a.k.a. the suspect in the white hat, the one authorities apparently saw drop a bomb-laden backpack in security footages, and the one currently being pursued by police: Tsarnaev was a student at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, which is closed for the day; he has been in this country for at least one year; his father is currently in Russia and is claiming that the two boys aren’t/weren’t religious. His uncle is also speaking out about Dzhokhar and Tamerlan, his now dead brother and apparently fellow suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings.

By culling social media, official news reports, and beyond, we’re in the process of filling in the blanks about both suspects — beginning with the man in the standoff with scores of law enforcement officers right now:”

It’s a pretty extensive background piece. I would also point out that despite the father’s insistence to the contrary, the older brother’s Facebook told a different story. Those he “followed” certainly were. And the younger’s Tweets speak for themselves. From WeaselZippers with a CONTENT WARNING!!! for the Tweets.

And he’s a 9-11 truther.

More here on a video allegedly posted by the suspect. It reads like a prayer of some sort, from TheInvestigativeProject

And if this is true, heads should roll. From JudicialWatch

“One of the Chechen terrorists who carried out the Boston Marathon bombings could have been deported years ago after a criminal conviction and the other was granted American citizenship on the 11th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the 26-year-old killed in a wild shootout with police, was a legal U.S. resident who nevertheless could have been removed from the country after a 2009 domestic violence conviction, according to a Judicial Watch source. That means the Obama administration missed an opportunity to deport Tsarnaev but evidently didn’t feel he represented a big enough threat.”

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