by Jack Lee
Latest update:
President Obama said Tuesday the FBI is investigating the Boston Marathon bombings as an “act of terrorism,” but the perpetrators and motives remain a mystery.
“What we don’t yet know, however, is who carried out this attack or why, whether it was planned and executed by a terrorist organization, foreign or domestic, or was the act of a malevolent individual,” Obama said in brief remarks at the White House.
The Saudi who was injured at the hospital is declared a witness, not a suspect.
4-15-13: It was exactly what a terrorist would be looking for, Americans jammed into a tight area on a highly significant date for a big event. In this case it was to celebrate a patriotic date in Boston’s revolutionary history mixed in with the running of the Boston Marathon. This brought in people from all over the country and the world. There was also massive media coverage present and this added up to one big, tempting target. The crowds were so large that even small explosive devices would be assured of a high casualty count. In the twisted mind of a terrorist bent on killing American’s it doesn’t get much better than this.
Not much is known about who did it or why, but we do know we have at least two dead, over 123 injured and some had ball bearings removed from their bodies, suggesting an IED. A 20 year old Saudi national is in a Boston Hospital, reportedly being admitted with severe burns after the bombings along the marathon route. Was this just a highly unusual coincidence or something more sinister, who knows? For now this is an open story with the blanks to be filled in later.
There are some clues and speaking as a criminal investigator, the color of the smoke from the blast was brown and that’s significant. We know it’s highly unlikely to be gunpowder, black powder or ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Could be chemical. Next, the ball bearings used for shrapnel are typical of many IED’s made by Muslim fanatics to do harm in Israel, Iraq and Afghanistan. The placement of the bombs was low because legs were blown off or heavily mangled, suggesting a backpack or box bomb laid the ground. Small, but lethal. The bomb from the Kennedy Center didn’t detonate and from that location we know how it was packaged. Unfortunately, it had to be deliberately detonated at the scene. The likely method would be a water cannon. It blasts water into the package, backpack or suitcase and short circuits the timing device as it blows off wires. It does just enough damage to stop a full on explosion. This method preserves most of the bomb for evidence. There was obviously some sophistication to the bombs because they had timers and something unusual for the explosive material, suggesting a level of knowledge and experience.
More to follow…
There is and always will be evil in our world, but there is also more good.
Here is an awesome story.
“The good outnumber you, and we always will.”
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/04/15/read-actors-inspirational-message-on-humanitys-inherent-goodness-following-marathon-bombings-the-good-outnumber-you-and-we-always-will/
The good clearly outnumber the bad, but I’m not sure that’s much consolation when the good don’t act. Good must be coupled to a person with a little courage and a sense of duty to humanity, otherwise we got nothin. I think a whole lotta good people don’t want to get involved.
“Americans jammed into a tight area on a highly significant date for a big event.”
Actually, no … it’s very odd. The bombs went off hours after the first finishers cross the line, and the crowds were largest.
We would seem to be looking at some degree of ineptitude … another indication it might have been “patriots”.
I watched maybe 20 minutes of reporting over a 6 hour window, went to bed knowing about as much as I did after the first 60 seconds. It didn’t take long to hear things like “we have too much freedom” that is when I turned it off. I guess this will give those in power more leverage to knuckle down further on our freedoms, time will tell.
Libby seems to think it was some sort of patriot who did this. I am not really sure what he/she means by that and bet he/she won’t elaborate.
Toby, I’ve come to understand that in Libby’s world an equal number of terrorists attacks, here and around the world, are by Christians or Muslim extremists, so the odds are just as good it was a homegrown terrorist protesting his taxes as a Muslim bent on holy war. There’s no convincing her with the facts either. You cite 20 cases where it was Muslim inspired terrorism and she will throw up some isolated nutcase American as an example then dash away acting smug and aloof that she just got ya. She wants to believe that Christians are every bit as responsible and evil as the people who are killing/mainming thousands of innocent victims every year around the world.
You are right about the lamestream media, they get transfixed on repeatedly running the bloody pictures as a backdrop while trying to keep the story alive with pundits telling us well it could have been this or that and it seems similar to…and this goes on and on… like who could watch more than 20 minutes of this crap?
Jack, I don’t agree. I believe the good will always act, they’ll just act in different ways. Some will run toward those who need help instead of away. Others will pray, offer financial support or give what ever they can.
We are the most giving nation because of individual’s action and not collective mandates.
Peggy, I guess my jaded view of mankind causes me to see it differently. Oh, I’m a firm believer in the good outnumbering bad, don’t mistake that part. Statistically you are 100% correct! However, when push comes to shove, where good takes on evil, it’s usually a lopsided battle, a small number of good guys are left to make the difference. For the most part, be it terrorism or just general crime probably 70-80% of us are spectators. These folks for whatever the reasons become passive, detached, and say they are just trying to live their own lives and can’t be bothered. We see that in politics all the time and the vote says how concerned they are.
On second thought let me change that to MOST individuals will act. The others like Libby and Chris Matthews are the exception.
If it’s true they found unexploded devices, and the bombers are domestic, we got a good shot at catching them, but it will take weeks, months probably.
Libby, you’re right that a trail of clues has been left to follow, but whether they are domestic terrorists or international, the odds remain about the same of catching them…eventually. Could be a long tedious process.