Search


  • 19May

    Suspect Raised No Red Flags
    Wall Street Journal (05/16/13) Barrett, Devlin; Gorman, Siobhan; Levitz, Jennifer

    Officials investigating the Boston Marathon bombings say that it does not appear that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the younger of the two brothers accused of carrying out the attack, was ever truly radicalized. While Dzhokhar did tell investigators that he and his brother Tamerlan carried out the attack because they were upset about U.S. actions against Muslims, it does not appear that Dzhokhar was immersed in radical Islam to the same degree that Tamerlan was. For example, officials also say that while both men downloaded videos made by radical Muslim clerics, most of them were downloaded by Tamerlan. Dzhokhar’s freshman-year roommate at UMass Dartmouth, meanwhile, said that he saw no signs that Dzhokhar had any extremist beliefs. Officials say that if Dzhokhar did become radicalized, it likely happened right before the Boston Marathon bombings took place. But investigators have yet to find any evidence of any activity that could have served as a red flag, such as frequent visits to jihadist Web sites, the use of violent rhetoric, or suspicious purchases. Tamerlan, by contrast, was a classic example of a homegrown or lone wolf terrorist–someone who is largely isolated from society who comes from a broken family and is attracted to a poorly-defined cause, officials say. Counterterrorism officials say that if it turns out that Dzhokhar was indeed not radicalized, it could be an indication that some would-be terrorists are simply going to slip through the cracks of efforts to use certain characteristics to identify potentially dangerous individuals.

    Web Link | Return to Headlines

    Man Who Allegedly Taught Bomb Making in Utah Arrested in Terrorism Case
    Deseret News (UT) (05/16/13) Romboy, Dennis

    A 30-year-old Uzbekistan national who is believed to be a member of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan was arrested in Boise, Idaho, on Thursday and charged with preparing to carry out a terrorist attack. According to the indictments filed in federal courts in Idaho and Utah, Fazliddin Kurbanov in January taught others how to build explosive devices and distributed information about manufacturing and using a weapon of mass destruction. As part of the bomb-making training he allegedly provided, Kurbanov showed trainees Internet videos and gave them written instructions that listed the materials that could be used to build a bomb as well as how to assemble those materials into a functional explosive device. Kurbanov is believed to have had some of those parts in his possession last November, including a hollow hand grenade, a hobby fuse, and aluminum powder. Kurbanov has also been charged with providing resources to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which the U.S. government considers to be a terrorist group, between last August and this month. The resources Kurbanov provided to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan include his services as a member, computer software, and money, according to the indictment. Officials have not said whether the attack Kurbanov is believed to have been planning was imminent, nor have they said how they discovered the alleged plot.

    Web Link | Return to Headlines

    Counter-Terrorism Leak Compromised an Informant, Sources Say
    Los Angeles Times (05/16/13) Dilanian, Ken

    U.S. officials have provided new information about the national security leak that lead the Justice Department to seize the telephone records of Associated Press journalists over a two-month period last year. Officials say that stories published by the Associated Press and several other news outlets in May 2012 compromised an informant who had infiltrated al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The informant was not mentioned in the Associated Press’ May 7, 2012 story about a bombing plot by AQAP, though other news organizations were reporting on the informant’s role by the end of the following day. The informant reportedly was able to provide the U.S. information that led to a drone attack on a suspect in the 2000 U.S.S. Cole bombing, and had also convinced AQAP members that he wanted to bomb a U.S. commercial aircraft using an underwear bomb. Officials said that having an informant who had earned the trust of terrorists was extremely valuable, though they said they could no longer use the informant following the publication of the Associated Press story. The Justice Department is currently investigating the leak of the information about the informant, which Attorney General Eric Holder said was one of the most serious leaks he has ever seen. A former CIA lawyer, however, said Holder was exaggerating.

    Web Link | Return to Headlines

    Wig-Wearing ‘CIA Spy’ in Russia ‘Was Investigating Boston Bombings’
    Telegraph.co.uk (05/15/13)

    Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on Tuesday temporarily detained an employee of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow on charges of being an American spy. Ryan Fogle, a third secretary from the U.S. Embassy’s political section, was arrested in a sting operation for allegedly trying to recruit a Russian anti-terrorism official to provide him with information. The FSB said that Fogle was carrying a letter at the time of his arrest that promised the anti-terrorism official an initial payment of $100,000 and as much as $1 million per year for “long-term cooperation,” along with bonuses for additional information. In addition, the FSB said that Fogle had a kit that included items used to alter his appearance, such as wigs and sunglasses. The Russian Foreign Ministry concluded that Fogle was a CIA operative, and Russian authorities have ordered him to leave Moscow. A Russian newspaper, meanwhile, has reported that Fogle was looking for information about the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings, who are from Russia. The Russian anti-terrorism official Fogle is accused of trying to bribe had been working in the North Caucasus, the area where the suspects are from. Some experts doubt the Russians’ story, saying that they believe Fogle may have been set up by Kremlin officials looking to boost their standing in the eyes of the Russian public.

    Web Link

  • 11May

    Report Warned Boston Marathon Was Vulnerable to Terrorism
    Los Angeles Times (05/10/13) Bennett, Briam; Serrano, Richard A.

    A report issued by the Boston Regional Intelligence Center five days before the Boston Marathon bombings warned that that the marathon’s finish line could be targeted by terrorists. The report, which is similar to other threat assessments that are distributed to police and first responders in the Boston area before major events take place, noted that the marathon’s was an “area of increased increased vulnerability” and that it could be targeted by homegrown violent extremists using improvised explosive devices or small-arms tactics. However, the report noted that the intelligence center did not have any credible information about a specific threat to the marathon. Massachusetts State Police spokesman David Procopio said that the threat assessment was taken into consideration for this year’s Boston Marathon, as were warnings in previous years about the marathon’s start and finish lines being potential targets. He also noted that the report also discussed the potential threat in a very general way, and did not mention any specific threat. Meanwhile, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis testified before Congress on Thursday and said that he would have liked to have known what the FBI and other agencies knew about the bombing suspects before the attack took place. The FBI had investigated one of the suspects in 2011 but determined that he did not pose a threat. Davis said Boston Police would have liked to have talked to the suspect but conceded that his department may not have come to a different conclusion than the FBI.

    Web Link

  • 03May

    Baby Formula Theft Ring Busted After Suspects Hit Stores from Portland to Salem, Police Say
    OregonLive.com (04/30/13) Bernstein, Maxine

    Police in Oregon have arrested several suspects believed to have been involved in a string of baby formula thefts. It is believed that suspect Frances J. Davenport and an accomplice stole approximately $11,537 in formula from Safeway stores in Washington state and four counties in Oregon, with nearly 100 separate thefts reported between between November 2012 and March. They also reportedly targeted 50 different Albertsons stores from Portland to Salem, stealing $5,886 in formula. The vast majority of the stolen product was allegedly passed on to Claudia Kaestner of Salem, who is believed to have sold the formula on eBay to customers across the country. Retail investigators say infant formula is a popular draw for thieves because of consistent demand. “With nearly 4 million babies born in the U.S. each year, infant formula is a basic need item. At $15 to $32 per can, babies go through several cans each month,” explained Rick Whidden, the director of loss prevention for Safeway’s Northwest Division.

    Web Link

  • 19Apr

    Boston Marathon Security Stayed at High Level
    Boston Globe (04/17/13) Estes, Andrea; Cramer, Maria; Springer, Shira

    Security for the Boston Marathon stayed at a high level for this year’s event, and in some cases surpassed the amount of security present at the event last year. State and local authorities took extensive measures to protect the runners and spectators along the 26-mile course, including the deployment of air patrols, K-9 units, and more than 1,000 uniformed officers and soldiers. The 864 officers and civilians scheduled to work the day of the race was a 6 percent increase over last year, according to police documents. “We’ve done as much as we can. Our aim is not to turn this into a police state,” said Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis. “We have to allow commerce to occur. When you sweep an area to make sure there are no explosives, you have to control access to the area. Trying to do that along a 26-mile route is very difficult.” Several bomb-sniffing dogs swept the finish line area prior to the explosions, but police said the large crowds made it more difficult for the dogs to detect explosives. In addition, the pressure-cooker devices used in the attack were sealed, meaning they likely contained the smell of gunpowder that would have otherwise been detected by the dogs. Former Boston Police Commissioner Paul Evans said true security could be achieved by getting rid of the crowds of spectators during the race, but he explained that would negate the purpose of the marathon.

    Web Link

    Despite the above mentioned article, security at the event was pathetically weak. While the Boston police, media, and marathon organizers would have you believe (rightfully so) that securing 26 miles is impossible- the bombings didn’t occur over the 26 miles, they took place at the FINISH line – surely the most important and critical location of the entire marathon. The finish line of a famous sporting event wasn’t secured???? How can that be? How can not one but two individuals waltz up to the finish line and drop off two large bombs? Someone should be asking that questions for the sake of future events – and lives.

     

« Previous Entries