Boston Marathon hit by explosions

[cronus]

My first reaction was that this was a Timothy McVeigh type of attack, by a home grown terrorist.

It still looks like that to me. Al Kaida would probably claim responsibility pretty quickly, and target a building with a bigger bomb. Also, given the popularity of suicide bombing with them, it doesn't look like one of theirs.

I would be looking for probably two home grown nutters. And they need to find them fast, because if I was in their shoes, I would assume that I was going to be arrested at any minute, and would use up any more bombs that I had in stock, on the assumption that I wouldn't be taken alive.

All complete guesswork, of course. I wouldn't put any money on it.

I still consider a bio-terror attack and this used as a means of initial dispersal of a lethal bioweapon a small but credible possibility. Boston is close to MIT and has many connections with the sciences and bio-technology.

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

Semtex?

I'm definitely no expert, but I would say surely not. I doubt you would be able to photograph Semtex or similar in mid-detonation like that.
I'd guess that it's some homemade ANFO type stuff. - This would tie-in with the homegrown nutjob scenario, I think.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Semtex?

I'm definitely no expert, but I would say surely not. I doubt you would be able to photograph Semtex or similar in mid-detonation like that.
I'd guess that it's some homemade ANFO type stuff. - This would tie-in with the homegrown nutjob scenario, I think.

ANFO is rather buky IIRC.

[Cormac]

This is the future, while ever people are left behind by social and political systems. Not to say they are right in doing this, but there are reasons for every action.

This is not borne out by the facts, which are obscured by the redefinition of poverty from am absolute definition to a relative definition.

Almost every society in the world is better off today than they were 50 years ago, with the exception of numerous benighted dictatorships and lawless territories.

Furthermore, terrorist acts have always been around. I'd be willing to bet that on a global scale, the number of terrorist atrocities around the world has stayed static if not reduced over the last 70 years.

I'm not sure about that Cormac. I think the problem is that it has escalated marginally in First world countries normally unaffected by it after a rather dramatic propaganda coup for the methodology in the earlier part of the century. It is sad, but I reckon a drunk lorry driver could have created a worse spectacle. As for whether the motivations have any real long term success, well history seems to suggest that terrorism is a path on the road to having your crazy bullshit legitimised.

It is true that some countries that hadn't previously experienced it are now experiencing it. That doesn't mean that the overall amount of terrorism has increased.

[Cormac]

This is EXACTLY the time, because when america is dishing it out, they NEVER stop to ask if THEY would like it done to them.

It's the simplest lesson, that mothers teach their kids. If YOU wouldn't like it, don't do it to others.

Now they know, perhaps they will think twice about exporting this shit to other people, in the future.

Probably not, though.

Well, IRA support from Irish Americans in Boston was dwarfed by the amount of IRA support that came from Irish people living in Ireland. So if a bomb were to go off in Ireland today, would you gloat and wag your finger at the Irish for having supported the IRA?


Or is this really just a case of you seeking every opportunity to give a big "fuck you" to the Americans?

My understanding is that it's actually the opposite-- the money from Boston Irish dwarfed the amount that was raised in-country.

This is correct in the 70s-90s but then it is was 9/11 that changed that, funding terror became a no-no and the IRA sued for peace instead.

Your timing is off by several years and interpretations of what happened in the peace process.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... D_20130416

[Warren Dew]

Roommate of Saudi national says he was too nice a guy to have done it -- http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/r ... mAofxNDHmO

It's a false flag op anyway.

The NY Post again?

CNN says the same thing.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/15/us/boston ... index.html

Of course, the fact that his apartment was searched doesn't mean they found anything relevant.

[Bella Fortuna]

Interesting difference in reporting in those two pieces.

[Cormac]

This is EXACTLY the time, because when america is dishing it out, they NEVER stop to ask if THEY would like it done to them.

When "America" places bombs at civilian sporting events?

It's the simplest lesson, that mothers teach their kids. If YOU wouldn't like it, don't do it to others.

LOL -- marathon runners of the world, beware!

Now they know, perhaps they will think twice about exporting this shit to other people, in the future.

Probably not, though.

Go suck George Galloway's arse again, drunken Irish layabout.

MIstermack is Irish?

[Xamonas Chegwé]

This is EXACTLY the time, because when america is dishing it out, they NEVER stop to ask if THEY would like it done to them.

When "America" places bombs at civilian sporting events?

It's the simplest lesson, that mothers teach their kids. If YOU wouldn't like it, don't do it to others.

LOL -- marathon runners of the world, beware!

Now they know, perhaps they will think twice about exporting this shit to other people, in the future.

Probably not, though.

Go suck George Galloway's arse again, drunken Irish layabout.

MIstermack is Irish?

Not as far as I know, no.

[Coito ergo sum]

This is EXACTLY the time, because when america is dishing it out, they NEVER stop to ask if THEY would like it done to them.

When "America" places bombs at civilian sporting events?

It's the simplest lesson, that mothers teach their kids. If YOU wouldn't like it, don't do it to others.

LOL -- marathon runners of the world, beware!

Now they know, perhaps they will think twice about exporting this shit to other people, in the future.

Probably not, though.

Go suck George Galloway's arse again, drunken Irish layabout.

MIstermack is Irish?

I thought so. Am I wrong? What is he? English?

[Coito ergo sum]

Roommate of Saudi national says he was too nice a guy to have done it -- http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/r ... mAofxNDHmO

It's a false flag op anyway.

The NY Post again?

CNN says the same thing.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/15/us/boston ... index.html

Of course, the fact that his apartment was searched doesn't mean they found anything relevant.

True, but the fact that he is being held means something.

[Warren Dew]

My first reaction was that this was a Timothy McVeigh type of attack, by a home grown terrorist.

It still looks like that to me. Al Kaida would probably claim responsibility pretty quickly, and target a building with a bigger bomb.

Except, you know, targeting a building with a bigger bomb was exactly what Timothy McVeigh did.

It might be both. Nidal Malik Hasan was a home grown terrorist working for Al Qaeda.

[Cormac]

Where was all the pious concern, that's been gushing on this thread, when a US pilot killed 12 children, 4 women and one adult male, with a push of his finger, just a few weeks ago in Kunar Province?

Just because people are sympathetic about this incident does not mean they are not also sympathetic about that incident. There is a difference, however, in terms of culpability when one attack is specifically intended to attack civilians and designed to cause as much civilian damage and death as possible, whereas the other is a military strike against Taliban militants which was not intended to inflict civilian casualties.

The fact remains that the people of Boston were actively engaged in terrorism for years, by putting money in the IRA collecting tins. It could have been stopped by the US government at any time, but wasn't. The city has a lot of blood on it's hands.
Fuck Boston.

The "fact?" Your ASSERTION remains. What do you base that on? Your own navel-gazing?

Fuck you, and every Irishman that thinks like you. No wonder your country doesn't amount to much, with folks like you dragging it down.

What the fuck are you talking about Coito?

[MiM]

The bombs were filled with ball bearings, designed to inflict maximum damage. That doesn't sound domestic, but who knows. It is all speculation at this point. Someone usually 'takes responsibility' as some stage.

Actually, a little more than 10 years ago we had something very much like that, only a few kilometres from where I live. A bomb filled with lead shots went off in the middle of a market, during a circus clown show, 7 people died, 4 of them kids. The bomber also died, and about 80 were injured.

At least that case was very much domestic. Nothing more than a badly confused kid. Nobody even knows if he planned to set off the bomb there and then, and kill himself, or if it went off at the wrong time and/or place.

So there are precedent cases, showing that the Boston bombing might not have anything with terrorism to do (as we mostly use the term).