Patriots Day: A Film That Dramatizes The Boston Marathon Bombing

My wife and I watched Patriots Day on Comcast Demand TV tonight.

The film, directed by Peter Berg and starring Mark Wahlberg, who was also the film's producer, is about the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.

Patriots Day is a powerful film with a fine cast that includes John Goodman and Kevin Bacon.

The film does a good job of showing us the horror of the bombing, the suffering of the victims and the bravery of the police and the medical people who quickly responded. They didn't know if there were more bombs set to explode after the two bombs went off, but they charged in and did their jobs anyway.

Peter Berg is a good director of action films about military people and he handles the police action well in this film.

The film makes one angry at the heartless terrorists, who killed an eight-year-old boy and others, and the film makes one proud to be an American.

You can read a Hollywood Reporter piece on the film, the real people involved in the bombing and aftermath, and the actors who portrayed them via the below link:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/patriots-day-14-films-stars-real-life-inspirations-963172/item/patriots-day-counterparts-mark-wahlberg-tommy-saunders-963181

Judge Imposes Death Sentence For Boston Marathon Bomber

The U.S. Justice Department released the below link:

A federal judge in Boston formally sentenced Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev on June 24, for his role in using weapons of mass destruction at the 2013 Boston Marathon.  U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole of the District of Massachusetts imposed a sentence of death and multiple consecutive life sentences.

U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz of the District of Massachusetts, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Vincent B. Lisi of the FBI’s Boston Division, Commissioner William B. Evans of the Boston Police Department, Colonel Timothy P. Alben of the Massachusetts State Police, Special Agent in Charge Daniel J. Kumor of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’s Boston Field Division and Deputy Special Agent in Charge Michael Shea of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) in Boston made the announcement.

In May 2014, a federal jury in Boston recommended that Tsarnaev be sentenced to death.  The counts on which the jury recommended a death sentence all related to the pressure cooker bomb Tsarnaev planted and detonated in front of the Forum restaurant, killing Lingzi Lu and Martin Richard.  The same jury convicted Tsarnaev on all 30 counts of the indictment on April 8, 2015.

Tsarnaev, 21, a U.S. citizen formerly residing in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was convicted of use of a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death and conspiracy; bombing of a place of public use resulting in death and conspiracy; malicious destruction of property resulting in death and conspiracy; use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing death; carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury; interference with commerce by threats or violence; and aiding and abetting.

Beginning no later than February 2013, Tsarnaev and his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, conspired to detonate improvised explosive devices (IEDs), bomb places of public use and destroy property.  On April 15, 2013, during the 117^th running of the Boston Marathon, the brothers placed two pressure cooker bombs filled with shrapnel among the crowds of spectators on Boylston Street and then detonated the bombs seconds apart, killing three people, maiming 17 and injuring hundreds more.  The brothers fled the scene in the chaos of the destruction. 

Three days later, on April 18, Tsarnaev and his brother, armed with five IEDs and a Ruger semiautomatic pistol that Tsarnaev had borrowed from a friend, drove to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus where they shot and killed MIT Police Officer Sean Collier and attempted to steal his service weapon.  Approximately 20 minutes later, they carjacked a Mercedes SUV, kidnapped the driver and forced him to drive to a gas station, and  robbed him of $800 along the way.  After the driver managed to escape, the brothers drove to Laurel Street and Dexter Avenue in Watertown, Massachusetts, where they exploded additional IEDs and engaged in a firefight with Watertown police officers.  During the stand-off, Tsarnaev drove the carjacked vehicle at three officers, attempting to kill them and ran over his brother as he escaped.  Tsarnaev hid in a winterized boat in a backyard in Watertown until his apprehension and arrest the following night.  His brother died from injuries sustained at the scene.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Boston Division, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, Department of Justice’s National Security Division and member agencies of the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force, including the ATF, HSI, U.S. Marshals Service, Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority and others.  In addition, the Watertown Police Department; the Cambridge, Massachusetts, Police Department; the MIT Police Department; the Boston Fire Department; the National Guard and police, fire and emergency responders from across Massachusetts and New England played critical roles in the investigation and response.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Weinreb, Aloke Chakravarty and Nadine Pellegrini of the District of Massachusetts's Anti-Terrorism and National Security Unit, and Trial Attorney Steve Mellin of the Justice Department’s Capital Case Section.  Vital assistance was also provided by attorneys from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section.

Statement By Attorney General Lynch On The Sentencing Of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch released the following statement on the sentencing of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev:

“Dzhokhar Tsarnaev coldly and callously perpetrated a terrorist attack that injured hundreds of Americans and ultimately took the lives of three individuals: Krystle Marie Campbell, a 29-year-old native of Medford; Lingzi Lu, a 23-year-old Boston University graduate student from China; and Martin Richard, an 8-year-old boy from Dorchester who was watching the marathon with his family just a few feet from the second bomb.  In the aftermath of the attack, Tsarnaev and his brother murdered Sean Collier, a 27-year-old patrol officer on the MIT campus, extinguishing a life dedicated to family and service.

“We know all too well that no verdict can heal the souls of those who lost loved ones, nor the minds and bodies of those who suffered life-changing injuries from this cowardly attack.  But the ultimate penalty is a fitting punishment for this horrific crime and we hope that the completion of this prosecution will bring some measure of closure to the victims and their families.  We thank the jurors for their service, the people of Boston for their vigilance, resilience and support and the law enforcement community in Boston and throughout the country for their important work.”

Note: The above photo of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was released by the FBI.

Jurors Sentence Dzhokhar Tsarnaev To Death In Boston Marathon Bombing Trial

FoxNews.com reports that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was sentenced to death in the Boston Marathon bombing trial.

A federal jury Friday sentenced Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death of the Boston Marathon Bombing.

Tsarnaev showed no emotion as he learned his fate. He stood with his hands clasped in front of him, his head slightly bowed. He faces death by lethal injection.

The 21-year-old faced the death penalty for his role in the April 15, 2013 attack in which two pressure-cooker bombs were detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

You can read the rest of the piece and watch a video via the below link:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/05/15/jurors-to-continue-deliberating-punishment-for-boston-marathon-bomber/

Note: The above photo of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was released by the FBI.

Boston Marathon Bomber Tsarnaev Found Guilty On All Charges

Foxnews.com reports that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted of all counts in the Boston Marathon bombing trial.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted Wednesday in the Boston Marathon bombing by a federal jury that now must decide whether he should be executed.

The verdict was reached Wednesday afternoon, nearly two years to the day three people were killed and more than 260 injured in the April 15, 2013, bombings.

 

Tsarnaev, 21, kept his hands folded in front of him and looked down at the defense table as listened to the verdict, reached after a day and a half of deliberations. He was found guilty on all 30 counts that included conspiracy and use of a weapon of mass destruction -- offenses punishable by death.

 

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

 

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/04/08/closing-arguments-due-in-first-phase-boston-marathon-bombing-trial/

 

Note: The above photo of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was released by the FBI.

Federal Jury Convicts Friend Of Suspected Boston Marathon Bomber

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Following an eight-day trial, the jury convicted a college friend of alleged Boston Marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, for making false statements to investigators assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

The jury found Robel Phillipos, 21, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, guilty of making false statements during the terrorism investigation of the Boston Marathon bombings on April 20, 2013, and April 25, 2013.  U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for Jan. 29, 2015.

“In the wake of one of the most significant events in this City’s modern history – an event which left two young women and a child dead, and many more injured – thousands of ordinary citizens assisted law enforcement in identifying and locating the perpetrators,” said U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz for the District of Massachusetts.  “Today, a federal jury concluded that Robel Phillipos did just the opposite.  He lied to agents when he could have helped.  He concealed when he could have assisted.  It is a crime to lie to law enforcement agents, and that is why Robel Phillipos was charged and why the jury found him guilty today.  But this case also reminds us that our public safety network relies on every citizen in the Commonwealth.  We look to all of our citizens – our neighbors, our friends, our colleagues, even strangers whom we have never met before – to assist law enforcement in detecting, preventing, and solving crimes.  Mr. Phillipos made a choice: a choice to lie instead of tell the truth.  With its verdict today, the jury got it exactly right.”

In August 2014, Dias Kadyrbayev pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice charges related to the Boston Marathon bombing investigation.  Kadyrbayev admitted to removing evidence from Tsarnaev’s dormitory room at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and discarding Tsarnaev’s backpack with fireworks, some of which appeared to have been emptied of their explosive powder, in a garbage dumpster.  In July 2014, Azamat Tazhayakov was found guilty by a federal jury in Boston of obstruction of justice charges for his role in impeding the Boston Marathon bombing investigation.  His conduct was related to the same conduct as charged against Kadyrbayev that occurred in Tsarnaev’s dormitory room on the evening of April 18, 2013.  

At the Phillipos trial, the government proved that Phillipos lied about his knowledge and activities on the evening of April 18, 2013.  Specifically, Phillipos repeatedly lied to investigators when he denied that, on the evening of April 18, 2013, he entered Tsarnaev’s dormitory room and saw Kadyrbayev remove a backpack containing fireworks.

According to evidence presented at trial, at 7:00 p.m. on April 18, 2013, Phillipos saw the images released by the FBI of the two suspected bombers and immediately recognized one of them as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. 

At 10:00 p.m., Phillipos went with Tazhayakov to Tsarnaev’s dormitory room where he and Tazhayakov watched, as Kadyrbayev searched through Tsarnaev’s belongings and found a backpack containing fireworks.  When Kadyrbayev, Tazhayakov and Phillipos left Tsarnaev’s room at 10:30 p.m., Kadyrbayev removed Tsarnaev’s backpack containing fireworks, a jar of Vaseline, and Tsarnaev’s laptop computer. 

Later that night while Tazhayakov and Phillipos were monitoring the manhunt for the Tsarnaevs on television, Kadyrbayev discussed getting rid of the backpack containing the fireworks with them.  Tazhayakov agreed with Kadyrbayev that they should get rid of it.  After this conversation, Kadrybayev placed Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s backpack in a garbage bag and placed it in a dumpster outside their New Bedford apartment.  The FBI recovered the backpack a week later, after 30 agents spent two days searching a landfill in New Bedford.

Between April 19, 2013 and April 26, 2013, Phillipos was interviewed five times by investigators conducting the Boston Marathon bombing investigation and during each of those interviews Phillipos lied.  At the conclusion of the fifth interview, Phillipos finally admitted that he did go into Tsarnaev’s dormitory room on the evening of April 18, 2013 and that he saw Kadyrbayev remove evidence from Tsarnaev’s room.  After he confessed, Phillipos indicated he regretted his decisions.  In his signed statement, Phillipos stated: “In retrospect, I should have notified the Police once I knew Jahar was the bomber.  Further, I should have turned over the backpack to the authorities.”

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than eight years in prison for each of the two false statement counts, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for each charge.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The sentencing hearing for Kadyrbayev is scheduled for Nov. 18, 2014, and Tazhayakov’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 19, 2014.  

U.S. Attorney Ortiz and Special Agent in Charge Vincent B. Lisi of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Field Division made the announcement today.  This investigation was conducted by the FBI's Boston Division and member agencies of the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) which is comprised of more than 30 federal, state and local enforcement agencies.  Essex County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, Massachusetts State Police, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Department of Public Safety, New Bedford Police Department, Dartmouth Police Department, U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and Homeland Security Investigations in Boston provided assistance to this investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys B. Stephanie Siegmann and John A. Capin of U.S. Attorney Ortiz’s Anti-Terrorism and National Security Unit.

Federal Grand Jury Returns 30-Count Indictment Related To Boston Marathon Explosion And Murder Of MIT Police Officer Sean Collier

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information today:

A federal grand jury returned a 30-count indictment against Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev for his alleged role in using weapons of mass destruction at the Boston Marathon to kill three individuals and maim or seriously injure many others, as well as for using a firearm to intentionally kill Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Police Officer Sean Collier.

Tsarnaev, aka “Jahar Tsarni”, 19,  a U.S. citizen residing in Cambridge, Mass., was charged today by indictment with the use of a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death and conspiracy; bombing of a place of public use resulting in death and conspiracy; malicious destruction of property resulting in death and conspiracy; use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing death; carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury; interference with commerce by threats or violence; and aiding and abetting.

“This indictment is the result of exemplary cooperation between federal prosecutors and a wide range of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to investigate the horrific attacks on the Boston Marathon two months ago,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.  “The Department is firmly committed to achieving justice on behalf of all who were affected by these senseless acts of violence.  And today’s action proves our unyielding resolve to hold accountable – to the fullest extent of the law – anyone who would threaten the American people or attempt to terrorize our great cities.  I would like to thank our law enforcement partners, the FBI, the Department's National Security Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and every investigator, agent, officer, attorney, analyst, and support staff member whose courage and commitment continues to make our communities and our nation safer.”

“Today’s indictment is the result of the dedicated and collective efforts of law enforcement and intelligence partners, working with a sense of urgency and purpose to find those responsible for these deadly attacks,” said FBI Director Robert S. Mueller. “These continuing efforts reflect the pursuit of justice for those who lost their lives, and for the scores of individuals who were injured.”

“Today’s charges reflect the serious and violent nature of the events that occurred on April 15th and the tragic series of events that followed,” said Carmen Ortiz, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.  “The defendant’s alleged conduct forever changed lives.  The victims, their families and this community have shown extraordinary strength and resilience in the face of this senseless violence, and it is with the hundreds of injured, as well as Krystle, Lingzi, Martin and Sean in mind that we proceed to ensure that justice is served in this case.”

“Our hearts go out to the victims of these horrendous acts of violence, and our gratitude to the courageous law enforcement officers who have given so much to protect the people of Boston and the United States,” said John Carlin, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.  “We remain committed to obtaining justice in this matter and will continue to work side by side with our partners throughout the law enforcement and intelligence communities to protect the American people from future harm.”

The indictment alleges that beginning no later than February 2013 and continuing until Tsarnaev was apprehended on April 19, 2013, Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan conspired to use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against people, property and places of public use.  Specifically, the indictment alleges that on April 15, 2013, during the 117th running of the Boston Marathon, Tsarnaev and his brother placed IEDs  among the crowds of spectators who were cheering the runners on Boylston Street towards the marathon finish line. 

After placing the IEDs among the crowd, the indictment alleges, Tsarnaev and his brother detonated the bombs seconds apart, killing three people, maiming and injuring many more, and forcing a premature end to the marathon.   The indictment alleges that the IEDs were constructed from pressure cookers, explosive powder, shrapnel, adhesives and other items, and were designed to shred skin, shatter bone and cause extreme pain and suffering, as well as death.

The indictment also alleges that on April 18, 2013, the FBI released photographs of Tsarnaev and his brother, identifying them as suspects in the marathon bombings.  These photographs were widely disseminated on television and elsewhere.  The indictment alleges that hours later on April 18, Tsarnaev and his brother, armed with five IEDs, a Ruger P95 semiautomatic handgun, ammunition, a machete and a hunting knife, drove in their Honda Civic to the MIT campus, where they shot MIT Police Officer Sean Collier and attempted to steal his service weapon.

The indictment further alleges that shortly after Tsarnaev and his brother killed Officer Collier, they carjacked a Mercedes, kidnaped the driver, and forced him to drive to a gas station, robbing him of $800 along the way.  After the driver managed to escape, the brothers are alleged to have driven the carjacked vehicle to the vicinity of Laurel Street and Dexter Avenue in Watertown, Mass., where Watertown police officers located them and tried to apprehend them.  The indictment alleges that the brothers fired at the police officers and used four additional IEDs against them; then Tsarnaev reentered the carjacked vehicle, drove it directly at the officers, running over his brother as he managed to escape.  Tsarnaev is alleged to have hidden in a dry-docked boat in a Watertown backyard until his arrest the following night.

Seventeen of the charges authorize a penalty of up to life in prison or the death penalty.  The remainder authorize a maximum penalty of life in prison or a fixed term of years.  Tsarnaev is scheduled to be arraigned on July 10, 2013.

U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Middlesex County, Mass., District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Suffolk County, Mass., District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Division; Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Kenneth J. Croke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Boston Field Division; and Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) in Boston, made the announcement today during a press conference.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Boston Division, the Boston Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and member agencies of the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of more than 30 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the ATF, ICE-HSI, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority and others.  In addition, the Watertown Police Department, the Cambridge Police Department, the MIT Police Department, the Boston Fire Department, the National Guard and police, fire and emergency responders from across Massachusetts and New England played critical roles in the investigation and response.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Weinreb and Aloke Chakravarty of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts' Anti-Terrorism and National Security Unit, Nadine Pellegrini, Chief of its Major Crimes Unit, and Trial Attorneys of the U.S. Department of Justice's National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section and its Criminal Division.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Note: The above photo of Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev was released by the FBI.

Was The Arrest Of A CIA Officer In Moscow Meant To Conceal What The Russians Know About The Boston Marathon Bombing?

David Satter at the National Review offers a piece on the Russian takedown of a CIA spy.

The comic-opera arrest of an American CIA agent in Moscow this week is less of a joke than it seems. The timing, nature, and public character of the arrest all point to the possibility that the Russian authorities, far from being concerned about the arrest, are using it to conceal what they know about the Boston Marathon bombers.

The arrest of Ryan Fogle for supposedly trying to recruit an agent of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) who was working on the North Caucasus — and therefore might have been able to tell U.S. authorities more about the attack on American civilians than they have gained officially — has been the occasion for an enormous amount of ridicule of the American intelligence services in the Russian media.

A video of the arrest was shown on Russian television, and Russian officials took the almost unprecedented step of publicly naming the American CIA resident in Moscow. The head of U.S. and Soviet intelligence operations was not named publicly even during the Cold War.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/348748/arrest-moscow

John Miller: Boston Marathon Bomber Left Note On Hull Of Boat

 

John Miller at CBS News reports that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bomber, wrote a note on the hull of the boat he was hidding in prior to his capture by the police.

 

According to Miller, the note stated the bombing was in retellation for what the U.S. did to Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

You can watch John Miller explain on CBS News via the below link:

   

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57584771/boston-bombings-suspect-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-left-note-in-boat-he-hid-in-sources-say/ 

 

Note: The above FBI photo is of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.   

Kessler: Behind The Boston Bombing Case

Ronald Kessler, veteran journalist and author of several books on the CIA, the Secret Service and the FBI, offers a piece on the Boston Marathon bombing case at www.mainjustice.com

Like it or not, the FBI’s failure to continue monitoring Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev for possible terrorist activity goes back to guidelines that were created to stop the bureau’s abuses under former Director J. Edgar Hoover.

Back then, the FBI conducted surveillance of anti-government activists regardless of whether there was intelligence or other information showing that they support terrorist activity. That meant the FBI not only violated their rights, it lost its focus when it came to pinpointing real criminal activity.

As we now know, the FBI opened an investigation of Tsarnaev, the older of the two brothers who detonated bombs at the Boston marathon, after the bureau received a tip in 2011 from Russian authorities that he might be sympathetic to Islamist radical causes. The FBI found no indication that Tsarnaev might be planning terrorist activity and closed the case.

Few people are as knowledgeable about the FBI’s counterterrorism efforts as Arthur M. "Art" Cummings II, who headed FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence investigations until 2010. Cummings put in place so-called "trip wires" that have led to roll-ups of dozens of terrorist plots. As an example, the FBI asks companies or laboratories that supply certain chemicals or biological materials to report any suspicious purchases to the FBI or police.

Cummings says that under Justice Department guidelines originally put in place after Hoover died, the FBI could not have continued to watch the older brother after finding no indication of a potential threat.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.mainjustice.com/2013/05/13/behind-the-boston-bombing-case/

I interviewed Ronald Kessler for Counterterrorism magazine. You can read the interview via the below link:

http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2012/02/q-with-ronald-kessler-author-of-secrets.html 

Three Arrested In Connection With Boston Marathon Bombing Investigation

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information today:

BOSTON – Three men were arrested and charged today in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings investigation.   

 

Dias Kadyrbayev, 19, and Azamat Tazhayakov, 19, both of New Bedford, Mass., were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to obstruct justice by conspiring to destroy, conceal and cover-up tangible objects belonging to suspected Marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, namely a laptop computer and backpack containing fireworks.  A third man, Robel Phillipos, 19, of Cambridge, Mass., was charged with willfully making materially false statements to federal law enforcement officials during a terrorism investigation.  According to the affidavit accompanying the complaint, Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov are both nationals of Kazakhstan who entered the United States on student visas.  Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and $250,000 fine.  Phillipos, a U.S. citizen, faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

 

U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the FBI, announced the charges today.  This investigation was conducted by the FBI's Boston Division, the Boston Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police and member agencies of the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of more than 30 federal, state and local enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Secret Service; the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority; and others.  In addition, the Watertown, Mass., Police Department, the Cambridge Police Department, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Police Department, the Boston Fire Department, the National Guard and police, fire and emergency responders from across Massachusetts and New England played critical roles in the investigation and response. 

 

The charges contained in the criminal complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

CBS' John Miller Rises Above The Fray In Boston Bombing Case

David Bauder's Associated Press account of journalist John Miller was posted on Philly.com.

NEW YORK - If John Miller had scheduled an earlier flight, the CBS News coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing and its aftermath would have been much weaker.

Miller was driving home on the afternoon of April 15 to pick up his wife for their flight to a vacation in Florence, Italy. A phone call alerted him to the bombings and he turned around and headed back to the office, where he's spent much of his time since.

His dual role as a low-key explainer and reporter helped keep CBS ahead on key details of the investigation as the suspects' identities began to emerge, and away from missteps made by other news organizations.

Miller, who appears primarily on "CBS This Morning," reported two days after the bombing that authorities had their eye specifically on someone seen by a store security camera. When Internet sleuths began speculating about potential suspects based on pictures taken at the scene, Miller steered CBS away from them. Miller similarly assured the network it wasn't true when rivals reported erroneously that a suspect had been arrested, said CBS News President David Rhodes.
His bosses knew as much from Miller's demeanor as his words that day. Miller sat calmly in the newsroom eating a sandwich while other news divisions were frantically reporting and unreporting an arrest, Rhodes said.

You can read te rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/television/20130429_ap_cbsmillerrisesabovethefrayinbostoncase.html

Greg Gutfeld: Terror Apologists Scrample To Explain Evil

Foxnews.com offers a video of Greg Gutfeld giving his view of terrorist apologists.

You can watch the video via the below link:

http://nation.foxnews.com/boston-marathon-bombing/2013/04/22/gutfeld-terror-apologists-scramble-explain-evil

You can also visit Greg Gutfeld's web site via the below link:

http://ggutfeld.com/

Radical Islam, Once Again

Rich Lowry at the National Review offers a good piece on the Boston Marathon bombers and radical Islam.

We are in the midst of the least-suspenseful investigation ever launched by American law enforcement. Hundreds of investigators are seeking leads around the world to discover the motive of the Boston Marathon bombers, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

This probe is considered a foray into the unknown, and perhaps the unknowable. “Do you have any clearer idea,” the host of Face the Nation, Bob Schieffer, asked Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, “of what the motive of these two young men was?” Patrick replied, “Not yet, Bob, and it’s hard for me and for many of us to imagine what could motivate people to harm innocent men, women, and children in the way that these two fellows did.” 

Yes, what could ever possess a nice chap who was posting jihadist videos on YouTube to go wrong? How could the older brother Tamerlan, suspected by the Russian government of radicalism and interviewed by the FBI at Moscow’s urging, get mixed up in a terror plot? Who would have thought that Tamerlan, known for haranguing people at the local mosque for their insufficient zeal, might lead his brother on a violent rampage? When has it happened before that young Muslim men beholden to an extreme ideology have visited mayhem and murder on innocents?

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/346349/radical-islam-once-again

Russia's Bin Laden: Introducing Doku Umarov, The Chechen Terrorist Chief Who May Be Behind The Boston Marathon Bombings

FoxNews.com offers a piece on Doku Umarov (seen in the above U.S. State Department photo), the Chechen terrorist leader who may or may not be behind the Boston Marathon bombings.

Doku Umarov could be one of the most important -- and dangerous -- terrorists Americans have never heard of. 

The Chechen Islamic radical, who leads a group called the Caucasus Emirate, for years has been one of Russia's most-wanted men. He and his organization have claimed responsibility for attacks killing dozens of civilians, including the 2010 Moscow subway bombings. Since 2011, the U.S. State Department has offered $5 million for information on his whereabouts. 

Though nicknamed Russia's bin Laden, his name never had the global resonance of Al Qaeda's founder or its deputies. But in the wake of the Boston Marathon attack, Umarov is receiving worldwide attention. 

Whether he or the Caucasus Emirate are in any way connected to the bombing is not known. Sources told Fox News that investigators are looking into possible ties between Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the suspect who died in a shootout early Friday in Boston, and the Caucasus Emirate. 

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/04/23/who-is-doku-umarov/

You can also read the "Rewards for Justice" page on Doku Umarov via the below link:

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net/index.cfm?page=umarov

The Terrorist Suspects Next Door: Security & Safety Should Trump Political Correctness

 

The Wall Street Journal offers a piece on the brothers Tsarnaev, the terrorist suspects who live next door to us in America.
*

Events in Boston were moving so quickly on Friday that it's impossible to draw too many conclusions. But the emergence of Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev as the chief terror suspects who paralyzed a great American city deserves at least some reflection.

*

... The "homegrown" radical threat is really an argument for vigilance, especially within communities prone to producing terrorists.

*

This means surveilling foreign student groups in the U.S., certain immigrant communities that have produced jihadists, and, yes, even mosques and other Muslim venues. The key is to be familiar enough with these communities, to know and be trusted enough by their leaders, so those man and women will alert law enforcers when someone appears to have become radicalized.

*

This offends some civil libertarians, and the Associated Press excoriated the NYPD for the practice in a series of stories in 2011. In the wake of Boston, this looks notably misguided. New York's police say they've kept at it, under appropriate legal safeguards, and we hope they will continue.

*

The U.S. government watches right-wing extremist groups because we know they are dangerous. The police shouldn't refrain from doing the same to Muslim or immigrant groups merely because that is deemed less politically correct. As the week's events in Boston show, the costs of doing otherwise are too high.
*
You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:
*
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323809304578432952673799328.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

Note: The above photo of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was provided by the FBI.

Latest Updates On Boston Marathon Terrorists

The Washington Times offers the latest updates on the Boston Marathon terrorists.

You can read the story via the below link:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/breaking-news/2013/apr/19/latest-updates-manhunt-suspect-no-2-boston-maratho/   

UNSUB 1 & 2: FBI Seeks Information On Boston Marathon Bombing Suspects

Al Qaeda Link Probed In Boston Marathon Bombing

Bill Gertz at the Washington Free Beacon offers a piece on the investigation of the Boston Marathon bombers.

Law enforcement and intelligence authorities investigating the Boston terror bombings suspect al Qaeda terrorists were behind the blasts that killed three and injured scores although so far there is no firm evidence.

A U.S. official familiar with briefings on the probe into the blast said investigators remain stymied in determining who was behind the bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon Monday.
So far there has been no claim of responsibility, something that in the past was a characteristic of al Qaeda’s attack methodology. Senior jihadists monitored by Western intelligence agencies on the Internet remained silent in the hours after the bombings, officials said.

Investigators also are checking recent departures from Boston’s Logan airport for clues.
Richard DesLauriers, FBI special agent in charge in Boston, said in an an afternoon press conference that among the items recovered form the bombing were fragments and BB’s “possibly contained in a pressure cooker device.”

The devices were placed in a dark-colored nylon bag or backpack.

“At this time there are no claims of responsibility,” he said. “The range of suspects and motives remains wide open.”

Asked if al Qaeda was behind the attack, a U.S. government spokesman said it was too soon to tell.
However, initial reports indicate the bombs were fashioned from pressure cookers and designed to avoid detection by bomb-sniffing dogs. Investigators believe the devices were delivered in duffle bags and are now searching surveillance video of Boston for clues. An al Qaeda magazine in 2010 directed terrorists to use kitchen materials to make bombs, including pressure cooking bombs, for killing “tens” of people.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://freebeacon.com/al-qaeda-link-probed/

Note: The above FBI photos show the Boston Marathon bomb fragments.  

 

1-800-CALL-FBI: The FBI Asks The Public For Information Regarding The Boston Marathon Bombing

The FBI released the below statement yesterday:

A multi-agency response including state and federal law enforcement agencies has been activated and is investigating the cause of the explosions along the Boston Marathon route and elsewhere. The FBI’s Boston Division stands with the Boston Police Department (BPD) and remains on-scene. The FBI is offering its assistance in whatever capacity BPD requires. The situation remains fluid, and it remains too early to establish the cause and motivation.

The FBI has set-up 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), prompt #3, for anyone who has information, visual images, and/or details regarding the explosions along the Boston Marathon route and elsewhere. No piece of information or detail is too small.