Terrorism will only cease to be a threat when extremist ideology is marginalised.
'A terror attack is intended to send a message
that civilians are not safe in public
places.' Photo: Reuters
The
horrific bombing of the Boston Marathon,
killing three and injuring
282, demonstrated
that the ''age'' of Islamist terrorism against
Western
civilian targets - heralded by the
September 11, 2001 attacks - is not
over.
The terrorist threat has neither been
neutralised nor relegated to
the past.
The
first step to combating terrorism is to
accurately identify the
motivations behind
attacks. Therefore, in the immediate
aftermath of
Boston, when little was known,
blind speculation about the perpetrators
or
motives was indeed counterproductive.
However,
this changed once evidence
mounted that Tamerlan and Dzhokhar
Tsarnaev
were the perpetrators, and that lead
plotter Tamerlan, at least, was a
disciple of
radical Islamism
.
What
is now counterproductive is to refuse to
acknowledge that the attack
was part of a
wider reality of terror motivated by the spread
of
transnational, violent and radical Islamist
ideology.
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Today,
thanks largely to the internet, violent,
radical Islamism can be
propagated not only
in Islamic countries, but also in Western
societies -
even without any direct recruitment
by operatives from organised groups
such as
al-Qaeda (although a face-to-face
''radicaliser'' is usually
involved).
The
fact that Tamerlan Tsarnaev apparently
left a social media trail that
included a link to
provocative videos by Australian cleric
Sheikh
Feiz
Mohammad only underlines the global
reach of the radical Islamist
movement. It also
demonstrates that Australia continues to
play
an
important role in countering this global
problem, despite (or perhaps,
conversely,
especially because of) the success, to date,
of Australian
authorities in preventing
anything similar happening domestically.
Meanwhile,
some are now arguing that
terrorism should be accepted as a normal
hazard of modern life, like traffic accidents.
Others draw false
comparisons between
terrorist acts and the rampages of mentally ill
gunmen tragically endemic in the US. These
sentiments fail to
acknowledge the unique
characteristics and goals of terrorism. Terror
attacks are perpetrated by immoral
ideologues, not the mentally ill.
This is true
whether the terrorist is acting alone or as an
operative in
an organised network.
As
the instigator for terrorism, radical
Islamism is not the only global
actor, but it is a
major player, and to deny this is to deny
reality.
A
terror attack is intended to send a message
that civilians are not safe
in public places. The
fear that is created by terrorism is leveraged
by
the indiscriminate nature of the attacks.
More than an atrocity, it is
an assault on the
social contract underpinning society.
Moreover,
successful terrorist attacks tend to
encourage others and touch off a
savage
game of one-upmanship in a drive to capture
global media
attention.
Escalating
terror can lead to significant
economic and social costs to society, as
security concerns disrupt normal life. And
escalation could lead to
truly horrific
outcomes involving WMDs.
Terrorism
thus involves costs far beyond the
immediate damage caused. For
instance,
terrorism has required airport security
measures impacting air
travel convenience
and costs. But the alternative would be much
worse -
frequent hijackings or downing of
airliners that could decimate
international
commerce
.
Those who insist that responding to terrorism
can only breed more terror as a counter-
reaction ignore the evidence of history.
While
it is certainly true that, for example,
Osama bin Laden's demise did
not mean the
end of al-Qaeda, it is beyond dispute that
al-Qaeda is far
weaker today than a decade
ago. There is no evidence to support the
notion that easing off on measures against
Islamist jihadists will lead
terrorists to
reciprocate. Rather, past hints of such a
relaxation has
been viewed by extremists as
a ''victory'' to be used as a recruitment
tool.
Opposing
terrorism - particularly radical
Islamist terrorism which we witnessed
in
Boston - remains a moral duty and an
overwhelming national interest,
but it requires
long-term vigilance.
It
involves not ignoring state-sponsored
terrorism - there is no more
egregious case of
this today than that of Iran - and taking every
necessary step to isolate and pressure such
states. It also means
preventing the
development of new terror safe havens - in
Mali or Yemen
or Syria, for instance.
Here
in Australia, it requires careful
processing of immigrants, overseas
visitors
and, yes, asylum seekers, to prevent the
exploitation of a
compassionate system by
those who would plot or recruit for terror
attacks.
Vigilance
also means significantly assisting
mainstream Muslims in their
responsibility to
not only disassociate themselves and
criticise
extremism, but actually expunge it from in
their communities and to
develop a ''counter-
narrative''.
At
the end of the day, Muslims are best
placed to lead effort to combat
intellectually
the ideas of the Islamist extremists who claim
to act in
the name of ''true Islam'', and thus
finally unravel this threat.
.
For
just as communism ceased to be a threat
only when that ideology lost
its appeal, it is
only when radical Islamist ideology is
marginalised
and discredited globally that
the
conflict with Islamist extremist
terrorism will
subside.
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“Contractors” at Boston Marathon Stood Near Bomb, Left Before Detonation
(Photos) Seen across street after blasts talking with FBI bomb squad. Who were they? What were they and the FBI doing?
What appear to be private contractors, wearing
unmarked, matching uniforms and operating an unmarked SUV affixed with
communication equipment near the finish line of the Boston Marathon
shortly after the bomb blasts – can be seen beforehand, standing and
waiting just meters away from where the first bomb was detonated.
The contractor-types had moved away from the bomb’s
location before it detonated, and could be seen just across the street
using communication equipment and waiting for similar dressed and
equipped individuals to show up after the blasts.
….
Image: After the explosion, two of the contractors seen by the wall next to the bomb, appear across the street, both using communication equipment. This photo too has been distributed and enlarged many times across the Internet. (click to enlarge)
….
Image: An unmarked SUV with a considerable amount of communication gear on the roof appears, surrounded by identically dressed men. The vehicle parks near the bleachers. (click to enlarge)
….
Image: Event staff and contractors both above and below the bleachers begin tearing up the skirting and appear to be looking for something or retrieving something while casualties are still being treated and evacuated across the street. (click to enlarge)
….
The men, numbering between 6-8 then begin tearing up the skirting
around temporary bleachers erected for the event, opposite the
explosion, before taping it off. Then, what appears to be an FBI bomb
squad truck pulls up directly behind the contractor-types’ SUV, with a
woman clearly wearing the letters F.B.I. on her tactical vest emerging
and speaking with the contractor-types. Together they disappear from the
scene, leaving their vehicles behind.
….
….
It should be noted, that with the exception of the contractor-types, all other responders at the scene, including the FBI agent, can be clearly identified, from police to the fire department, to medics and even individuals wearing vests with “B.A.A. Physician” written on them. It should also be noted that no other uniformed individuals can be seen standing near the bomb site aside from the contractor-types.
These men were unidentified, professional contractors apparently augmenting public servants at the Boston Marathon, present before and after the bomb blasts in the direct vicinity of the incident. After the blasts, whether it was their intended function or not, they appeared to be searching for something under the bleachers before being joined by what appears to be the FBI bomb squad. The FBI and the city of Boston has so far categorically failed to provide any information on these highly suspicious individuals.
Questions That Must be Answered
Several questions must be answered by the FBI, leading the investigation on behalf of we, the American people. The first question is who these men were, with large, black bags in the direct vicinity of where a bomb would detonate, moving away before the blast, and appearing directly across the road afterward. Who hired them and what was their function? Why were they moving amongst the crowd in a semi-covert fashion when all other public servants present were wearing proper uniforms and clearly identified? Did police, firefighters, event organizers, and medics know these men were present and what they were doing?
Why did it appear that the FBI was fully aware of their presence, and in fact working with them, specifically with what looks like a bomb squad unit? Were these contractors specialists in explosives, and if so, what is the significance that at least two of them were spotted just meters from where the blast occurred?
Why These Questions Demand Answers
The checkered, frightening history (see: FBI’s History of Handing “Terror Suspects” Live Explosives) of the FBI’s involvement in fomenting false terror attacks, and even presiding over attacks that succeeded in maiming and killing innocent people, should call into question their presence or involvement at any public event, especially when seen associating with unidentified, semi-clandestine organizations that appear to be private contractors.
Private contractors as well, do not answer or work for the public, but rather the highest bidder. Private contractors, most notably Blackwater and its various incarnations have operated both domestically and abroad, committing obscene crimes and atrocities with seemingly absolute impunity. The term “defense contractor” is in fact a euphemism for mercenary, and has no place in a civilized, democratic world, no matter what their alleged mission statement may claim.
That both of these nefarious entities were present and cooperating in the direct vicinity of the Boston bombings, with at least two contractors standing just meters away from where the bomb actually went off, raises a number of possibilities and concerns. A drill may have been being conducted, though the FBI and city officials have denied this. Or, a threat may have been communicated to event organizers ahead of time, which prompted the inclusion of “auxiliary” security, though again, both the FBI and the city of Boston deny receiving any information prior to the bombings. Whichever contracting firm this may have been, may just have wanted to swindle Boston’s taxpayers for an easy payday, and coincidentally found itself in the middle of extraordinary circumstances.
However, alarming suspicion is raised when the FBI makes no mention of an organization it was clearly coordinating with, particularly in terms of bombs and explosives before and after the incident, considering the nature of the attack. When an already dubious organization attempts to obfuscate the facts of any given event, it is the right and responsibility of legitimate law enforcement, public representatives and the citizenry itself to demand and get answers. If we are not persistent, with the FBI’s bizarre behavior over the past few days, including inexplicably cancelled and suspiciously rushed press conferences, and now what appears to be a Hollywood ending for the case, we may never get those answers.
Terrorists Acts Jihadi is Terrorism
Last Updated (Tuesday, 16 April 2013 15:26)
One forum member noted that over a week ago, a jihadist announced his desire to plan bombings in the United States, but was chastised by others for revealing such a plot publicly. He is referring to a posting on the Ansar al-Mujahideen forum on April 1 in which a jihadist tried to recruit members for an attack similar in impact to al-Qaeda's 9/11 strikes, but seemed focused on the attack being a suicide bombing. In other posts responding to the explosions, on the Ansar al-Mujahideen, al-Fida' and Shumukh al-Islam forums, jihadists gave pictures circulated in the media of the aftermath, showing injured people and a bloody sidewalk, and some hoped more bombings will follow.
Administrators of Shumukh al-Islam, a top-tier jihadist forum and primary source for official messages from al-Qaeda, placed a two scrolling messages atop the forum, the first stating: "Urgent // Casualties and Injuries in an Explosion that Shook the US State of Boston, and a State of Panic and Chaos Spreads Across America in General," and the second giving an oft-repeated statement from former al-Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden: "I swear by Allah the Great, who raised the sky without pillars, that America and those who live in America will not dream of security until we live it as a reality in Palestine and until all the disbelieving armies are expelled from the land of Muhammad, Allah's peace and prayer be upon him."
Following is a translation of a sampling of the postings:
Medford Native Killed In Boston Marathon Bombings
April 16, 2013 2:40 PM
Krystle Campbell was killed in the Boston Marathon bombings. (Credit: Facebook)
Her father says Krystle Campbell, of Medford, Mass., had gone with her best friend to take a picture of the friend’s boyfriend crossing the finish line on Monday afternoon.
(Credit: Facebook)
He says the friend was seriously injured in the explosion.
An 8-year-old, Martin Richard of Boston, also died. He was at the finish line watching the race with his family.
At least two dead, 23 injured after explosions at Boston Marathon
At least 23 people are injured and two dead after two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon Monday afternoon. The Boston Globe reported 64 were injured. The injuries include dismemberment, witnesses said.
Authorities are telling Boston residents to stay home and avoid crowds as they try to "stabilize" the situation.Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said that a third "incident"--an explosion at the John F Kennedy Presidential Library--may be related to the first two explosions. No injuries have been reported in that incident. "We recommend to people that they stay home," Davis said at a brief press conference Monday afternoon. "We want to make sure that we completely stabilize the situation."
"We are asking that people ... calmly make their way home," Gov Deval Patrick said.
Two large explosions, just 50 yards apart, went off shortly before 3pm ET, more than four hours into the race. One of the explosions happened near the entrance of the Fairmont Copley Hotel, in Copley Square. Local news reporter Jackie Bruno wrote that she saw some people with their limbs blown off. The Boston Globe has a video showing the moment of the explosion. The Boston Police said it is looking for video footage taken from the finish line as part of its investigation.
NBC News, citing anonymous law enforcement sources, reported Monday that a "small homemade bomb" is believed to be responsible for the explosion. The AP reported that at least two more explosive devices were found by authorities, who are dismantling them. The FAA has created a no fly zone around the area, and the Boston subway was shut down. Cell phone service has been shut down in the area, the AP reported, to prevent any remote detonations. Family and friends of marathon runners or spectators can call 617 635 4500 for information.
Police are evacuating the area on Boylston street to continue sweeping for more devices. Runners who had not yet finished the race were stopped at mile 25 and directed to Boston Common. The Boston Police Department is calling in all off duty officers in the city. This New York Times map shows where on the route the explosions took place.
Patrick called it a "horrific day in Boston" in a statement. President Barack Obama called Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino to offer his support. Obama also met with Homeland Security adviser Lisa Manaco, according to a White House offiical.
The New York Police Department is stepping up security around the city in response to the explosion. At the White House, yellow police tape was used to block off the street from pedestrians in front of the White House's north gates and secret service were positioned along the perimeter. Credentialed pass holders continued to be permitted entry and exit from both the White House and the Executive Office Building.
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Police: 2 Dead, 23 Hurt by Boston Marathon Bombs
5:43 PM, Apr 15, 2013 | 0 comments
Video: Boston Marathon explosions caught on video
Video: Explosions at Finish Line of Boston Marathon
Video: Explosions rock Boston Marathon
Video: Two Explosions at Boston Marathon Finish Line
Video: Boston Marathon runner Michael Anderson
Video: Explosions at Boston Marathon Finish Line
Video: Several killed in Boston Marathon explosions
A man is loaded into an ambulance after he was injured by one
of two bombs exploded during the 117th Boston Marathon near Copley
Square on April 15, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. Two people are
confirmed dead and at least 23 injured after two explosions went off
near the finish line to the marathon. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
by Michael Winter, USA Today
STORY HEADLINES:
- Police say two devices detonated near the finish line at the Boston Marathon.
- An hour later, a third explosion hit the JFK Library but it is not known whether it was related to the marathon explosions.
- A suspicious package was also detonated by police but it was not a bomb.
At least two people died and 23 others were injured Monday after two blasts ripped through the crowd near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
Police said an hour later, a third explosion hit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, about eight miles from the race finish. No injuries were reported, but nearby universities were being evacuated.
Police found a suspicious package and detonated in a controlled explosion, but it was not a bomb.
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A federal law enforcement source told CNN the other devices had been found in other locations and were being disarmed. They were described as "low flashpoint," and did not appear to have shrapnel inside.
Police Commissioner Ed Davis said the explosions occurred in quick succession, 50 to 100 yards apart, about 2:50 p.m. on Boylston Street near the intersection of Exeter Street, three hours after the winner had crossed the finish line.
Bloodied spectators were carried to medical tent intended for runners. Several of the injured had lost limbs, and at least one police officer was hurt.
"Somebody's leg flew by my head. I gave my belt to stop the blood," spectator John Ross told The Boston Herald.
Police reported at least 23 were injured, but hospitals reported receiving more patients.
Massachusetts General Hospital was treating 19 victims, spokeswoman Susan McGreevey said. Tufts New England Medical Center had nine patients "and we're expecting more," said spokeswoman Julie Jette. Brigham and Women's Hospital reporting they have 18 to 20 injured from the explosions, two critical.
That would put the injured total at 46 to 48. The Boston Globe reported 64 people wounded.
Organizers immediately stopped the race and locked down the marathon headquarters.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced a temporary flight restriction over Boston.
The elite women runners started the race at 9:30 a.m. and the elite men followed about 30 minutes later. About 27,000 runners were in the field for the Patriots Day race.
Smoke hung over the neighborhood as police cleared the thousands of spectators who had jammed the route.
Joe Difazio, of Wakefield, Mass., was working on communications at the race and was near the explosion. He says there was one explosion and five seconds later there was another of the same intensity. It was at a barricaded area near the finish line.
"There were so many people in that area that they couldn't get ambulances in there. They were wheeling people out in wheelchairs," he said. "One guy had no legs. The bones was just sticking out... It was horrible."
Nancy Costa, a medical student from Reading, Pa., was running with her friend Jill Edmonds of Salem, N.H., when the explosions erupted.
"It was insane here. Everyone was running. I was right next to the explosion. It threw me," she said. "I never sprinted so fast after a marathon.
"The first (blast) threw me onto the ground. And everything went silent and then the second went off and I just covered my head and got up and started sprinting. Everyone was screaming and people were getting trampled. We finally found an open T (subway train) that just arrived in Wellington (station). We had to walk a few miles to find one open."
Kimberly DelGuzzi of Pittsburgh was waiting on Boylston Street for her friend to cross the finish line when she found herself pressed against a building, ducking for cover from the blasts.
"At first, I thought it was fireworks, but then I saw the smoke go up in the air," she DelGuzzi, who was standing between the two explosions. "Then, not even a minute later, the second one went off."
She described the scene as "mass chaos" and said, "Oh my God, it was loud."
"The explosions shook everything," she said, her voice still shaking 40 minutes after the bombs went off. "I saw runners down in the street. I saw people down on the sidewalk."
DelGuzzi, 41, has run numerous marathons but was not running in Boston. Her friend reported she was OK.
Tom Beusse, president of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group, had just finished the race and was about 150 yards away from the explosion.
"I finished the race and began to walk through the corrals," he said. "All of a sudden there was this giant explosion. All of us turned around, the runners, and had these looks on their faces like 'Oh my god.' ... Immediately, it turned into mayhem. People were screaming. Cops told us to keep moving away from the finish line in the direction we were going. No one knew what was coming next -- and thankfully, nothing was next."
The final 100 meters of the race is lined with bleacher seating, reserved for race officials and invited guests. The area on Charles River, on the north side Boylston Street is open to the general public. At the corner of Hereford and Boylston Streets, there is a Boston EMS Medical Tent and a fire station.
The Mandarin Oriental hotel on Huntington has been evacuated. A hotel employee who did not provide his name said all businesses on the block had been evacuated as a precautionary measure.
There is relative calm in the streets, no signs of panic. A volunteer EMT said all resources public and private have been called in for response.
President Obama has been notified of the incident in Boston. His administration is in contact with state and local authorities. He directed his administration to provide whatever assistance is necessary in the investigation and response.
The New York Police Department has stepped up security around landmarks in Manhattan, including near prominent hotels, in response to at least one explosion near the finish line of the Boston marathon on Monday, said Paul Browne, deputy commissioner of the NYPD.
Browne told Reuters that New York police were re-deploying counter-terrorism vehicles around the city.
Contributing: Susan Davis, Oren Dorell, Roxanna Scott, Donna Leinwand Leger, Aamer Madhani, Linda Dono, Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY.
Leadership, Media Struggle with Boston Terrorism Attack at the Marathon Run
Officials from Boston to Washington seemed overwhelmed by the task of managing the aftermath of the shocking terror attack at the finish line of the Boston Marathon Monday.
Though the White House called the two bombings acts of “terror,” President Barack Obama declined to do so in his remarks to the nation--and the Department of Homeland Security had not issued any terror alerts as of Tuesday morning, as might be expected.Meanwhile, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick referred to the site of the terror attacks in downtown Boston as a “crime scene,” and could not answer reporters’ questions about whether and how people would be able to commute to the area as usual the following morning.
“We are very much going to depend on you,” he told journalists during a press conference stuffed with politicians and law enforcement officials--but very few answers.
All day long, media confusion reigned as conflicting reports emerged about whether a third explosion, at the JFK library on the city’s South Side, was related to the marathon attacks. News alerts flashed that as many as five additional bombs had been found, then that the devices may not have been bombs. A Saudi student injured in the blasts was said to be a suspect, then a “person of interest,” then perhaps not involved at all.
Without much meaningful information to provide the public, local law enforcement was reduced asking members of the public to look out for a “darker-skinned” and possibly “foreign” suspect.
Absent was the clarity Americans had come to expect after the 9/11 attacks, when terror alerts were color-coded, when attacks were more than “man-caused disasters,” and when the country was self-consciously on a war footing.
What we are witnessing may be the result of the War on Terror being addressed as a law enforcement problem rather than as an urgent national security challenge.
In addressing the nation, President Obama insisted on admonishing the public not to jump to conclusions. He had a similar reaction after the Fort Hood shootings in 2009--which, four years later, the administration still prefers not to describe as a terror attack.
He also emphasized that Democrats and Republicans were united in their horror at the bombings--as if the point needed making, as if his primary concern was political blame, not whether the country had been attacked by an enemy.
He assured Americans that the government would find out who had carried out the attack, and why--again treating the bombings as a crime that hinged on motive, rather than as a self-evident evil.
In the original 9/11 attack that inaugurated an era the Obama administration has been keen to forget, there was plenty of confusion: the President airborne, the Vice President in an “undisclosed location.”
Yet leadership emerged. Even as his emergency command center lay in the wreckage of the World Trade Center, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani rose to the task. The country and its leaders soon rallied--calmly, solemnly, resolutely.
On Monday, the heroism of first responders, medical personnel, and bystanders shone through, even as the nation’s political and security echelon struggled to adapt once again to an old problem that had never really gone away.
If “What difference does it make?” sums up the Benghazi debacle of 2012, “We are very much going to depend on you” could live on--in a positive way--as the epigram of the Boston Marathon attacks.
SHEEP, WOLVES & SHEEPDOGS
By Lt. Col Dave Grossman
Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle,
productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident.†This
is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the
aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is
that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one
another.
We may well be in the most violent times in history, but
violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are
kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by
accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.
Then there
are the wolves and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy. Do you
believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without
mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they
are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is
not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.
Then there
are sheepdogs and I’m a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and
confront the wolf. Or, as a sign in one California law enforcement
agency put it, We intimidate those who intimidate others.
If you
have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen:
a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your
fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath–a wolf.
But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your
fellow citizens? Then you are a sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is
walking the hero’s path. Someone who can walk into the heart of
darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.
We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep.
They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can
accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire
extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout
their kids’ schools. But many of them are outraged at the idea of
putting an armed police officer in their kid’s school. Our children are
thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by
school violence than fire, but the sheep’s only response to the
possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or
harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of
denial.
The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The
difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not
ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest
little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any
other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such
as ours.
Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant
reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he
didn’t tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at
the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16. The
sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint
himself white, and go, “Baa.” Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire
flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.
The
students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high
school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have
had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they
just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack,
however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the
officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of
them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the
wolf is at the door.
Look at what happened after September 11, 2001
when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than
ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and
military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?
Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a
sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a
sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the
perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the
night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs
yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and
wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed, right along
with the young ones.
Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think
differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the
sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001,
most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, “Thank God I
wasn’t on one of those planes.” The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, “Dear
God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could
have made a difference.” When you are truly transformed into a warrior
and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there.
You want to be able to make a difference.
There is nothing morally
superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real
advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive
in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.
There
was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of
violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious,
predatory
crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement
officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims
by body language: Slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness.
They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select
one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.
Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that
most people can choose which one they want to be, and I’m proud to say
that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.
Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was
honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall,
was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone
to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he
learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as
weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, “Let’s roll,”
which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to
confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred
among the passengers – athletes, business people and parents. — from
sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately
saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.
There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men. – Edmund Burke
Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of
police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the
sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and
so are wolves. They didn’t have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a
human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious,
moral decision.
If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep
and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the
wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a
sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one,
but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have
rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk
the warrior’s path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision
every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that
toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.
This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a
matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject,
head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few
people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live
somewhere in between.
Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a
step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps
toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors
started taking their job more seriously. It’s okay to be a sheep, but do
not kick the sheepdog. Indeed, the sheep dog may just run a little
harder, strive to protect a little beter and be fully prepared to pay an
ultimate price in battle and spirit with the sheep moving from “baa” to
“thanks”. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from
sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones
will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.
We do not call for gifts or freedoms beyond our lot. We just need a
small pat on the head, a smile and a thank you to fill the emotional
tank which is drained protecting the sheep. And when our number is
called by the Almighty, and day retreats into night, a small prayer
before the heavens just may be in order to say thanks for letting you
continue to be a sheep. And be grateful for the thousands, millions of
American sheepdogs who permit you the freedom to express even bad ideas.
Boston Marathon bomber manhunt: City on lockdown as authorities hunt for bomb suspect
By Jason Sickles and Liz Goodwin | The Lookout – 1 hr 26 mins ago
[Updated at 3:51 p.m. ET]
BOSTON—Thousands of law enforcement officers are entering the 15th
hour of a massive, door-to-door manhunt for a suspect in Monday's Boston
Marathon bombings that wounded more than 170 people and left three
dead.
A late-night police chase and shootout left one marathon bombing
suspect—26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev—dead and the other, his younger
brother, on the run, police here said. One police officer was killed and
another seriously wounded during the violent spree. The city of Boston
and its surrounding areas have ground to a standstill as the manhunt
continues in a 20-block radius of Watertown, with local leaders warning
residents to stay indoors. Police also announced there will be a
"controlled explosion" in a building in Cambridge on Friday afternoon.
"It is important that folks remain indoors, keep the doors locked and
not open the door unless there is a uniformed law enforcement officer
on the other side of it," Gov Deval Patrick said at a 12:30 p.m. press
conference.
The suspect on the lam is Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, of Cambridge,
Mass., a student at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He and
his brother's family is originally from Chechnya, a volatile and once
war-torn southern Russian republic. The family fled to Kyrgyzstan and
eventually immigrated to the United States as refugees about 10 years
ago.
His older brother studied at a local community college and was a
Golden Gloves boxer. Tamerlan Tsarnaev also reportedly had a wife and
young child. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was remembered by former classmates
as bright and personable, posted links to pro-Chechnyan independence sites on his social media page,
and listed his world view as "Islam." It's unclear if either the
separatist politics of Chechnya or their religion had anything to do
with the suspects' crime. Tsarnaev appeared to be posting to his Twitter
account even after the attacks, writing in his last post on Wednesday, "I'm a stress free kind of guy." His posts covered everything from cute photos of his cat to rap lyrics.
The suspects' uncle told the local CBS News station
that the pair had lived in the country since 2002. The uncle, when told
that one of his nephews was killed, replied that he deserved it. “He
deserved his. He absolutely deserved his,” Ruslan Tsarni said. “They do
not deserve to live
Marathon bombing suspect Tsarnaev (FBI)on this earth.”
In an emotional press conference, Tsarni said his nephews had brought
shame upon his family, and called them "losers." He said they were not
"able to settle themselves" and were "angry at everyone who was able
to." He said he did not believe they were motivated by the radical
politics in Chechnya or their Muslim religion.
"Dzhokhar, If you're alive, turn yourself in and ask for forgiveness
from the victims [and] the injured," he said. "He put a shame on our
family. He put a shame on the entire Chechnyan ethnicity. Turn yourself
in."
He added that he hadn't been in touch with the family for several years but would not say why.
"I'm ready to kneel in front of them and ask their forgiveness,"
Tsarni said of the victims of his nephews' crime. "I respect this
country; I love this country ... this country that gives everybody
chance to be treated like human being."
The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, said that one or both of the brothers traveled back to the Caucasus region of Russia for a year or more before returning to America again.
Tsarnaev's father, reached by the AP in Russia by phone, said his son
was a "true angel" and wonderful student. He later told ABC's "Good
Morning America" that he wanted his son to surrender peacefully.
The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth announced shortly after
10:30 a.m. on Friday that they were evacuating the entire campus after
learning Tsarnaev is a registered student there.
Earlier, at sunrise, Gov. Patrick
ordered a shutdown of all public transit and for residents in the city
of Boston and on its edges to stay indoors as a massive manhunt for the
second suspect was underway. The Boston Globe reported that police are
focusing on a 20-block area of Watertown and fear the suspect may be
wearing explosives. Amtrak has also shut down all trains between Boston
and New York.
“This situation is grave and we are trying to protect the public
safety,” said Massachusetts State Police Col. Timothy Alben, who ordered
a lockdown of Watertown, Waltham, Belmont, Cambridge, Newton, Allston
and Brighton. Brookline was later ordered to be on lockdown as well. A
no-fly zone has been declared over Watertown. The city of Boston was
eerily quiet during Friday's rush hour, the city's busy intersections
totally abandoned.
The mayhem began at approximately 10:20 p.m. Thursday when police
said the bombing suspects robbed a 7-Eleven store in Cambridge. Minutes
later, police said, the men shot and killed an MIT campus officer, Sean
Collier, 26, responding to the robbery call. The terror suspects then
carjacked a Mercedes-Benz SUV with the driver inside and fled,
eventually letting the driver go.
(Shortly before 2 a.m. Friday, MIT issued a statement on its website
saying that the suspect "in this evening's shooting is no longer on
campus. It is now safe to resume normal activities. Please remain
vigilant in the coming hours." MIT, Harvard, Boston University and other
local colleges have canceled classes.)
The suspects were then spotted in Watertown, where Federal agents
swarmed in. At approximately 3:30 a.m., Massachusetts State Police
issued a plea on Twitter for residents of Watertown to lock their doors
and not open them for anyone, as dozens of police officers, many of them
off duty, searched backyards and exteriors of houses there, and a
police perimeter of several blocks was established.
Worried residents were also told to turn off their cell phones out of fear that they could trigger improvised explosive devices.
K9 units and SWAT teams searched homes on Spruce Street as officers
with a police robot searched an SUV that the suspects had abandoned.
Multiple devices were left in the road and two handguns were recovered,
according to police scanners.
Slain MIT police officer Sean Collier. (Middlesex DA)
The suspects exchanged dozens of rounds of gunfire with patrol officers. According to the Washington Post, they also lobbed improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at officers.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was shot by police and brought to Beth Israel
Medical Center. He arrived at the hospital under cardiac arrest with
multiple gunshot wounds and blast-like injuries to his chest. The second
suspect fled on foot, leading to the tense manhunt that is still
underway at this hour.
A transit police officer, Richard H. Donohue, was seriously wounded during the exchange of gunfire, officials said.
"We believe this to be a terrorist," said Boston Police Commissioner
Ed Davis, of Tsarnaev. "We believe this to be a man who has come here to
kill people. We need to get him into custody."
[Related: FBI releases photos of suspects in Boston Marathon bombings]
In a radio alert issued issued to fellow officers, the suspect was
described as a "white male with dark complexion ... with thick curly
hair wearing a charcoal gray hooded sweatshirt ... possibly with an
assault rifle and explosives."
Police in Watertown, Newton, Brighton and Cambridge were put on high
alert. "Units use caution," an officer said. "He might have an explosive
object on his person."
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sjnuxHyOzSNhdOJ5yPvp-HunbUVqMXSGkmz3474ZQCyGyE0eBPw5naQjLkFKmtPwmMV_WQzM2nH1gUh_f56HXQduo7X0P79FmBx5db0Hb63c-yQai5OPXkODyBjqixYc2sg1nbM4iMdHEtqu7jTVOEBwOckSiD-Eo5POU_jd2gq8fz7Z9FJ6ySyVYFZN60nYyMvRyx7fmbl9Q1S4qUkDJb4DhVSmoNgdtsrzZ4Uki97goo_k3LhtCUNtvt1s2OCQ4g=s0-d ""Suspect 2" seen in 7-Eleven surveillance footage; police in Watertown (BPD/Getty)")
"Suspect 2" seen in 7-Eleven surveillance footage; police in Watertown (BPD/Getty)
President Barack Obama, who attended an interfaith service for the
bombing victims in Boston on Thursday, was briefed on the overnight
developments, the White House said early Friday. He received an updated
briefing later in the day.
Police were able to track down images of the suspects after a victim
of the attacks, Jeff Bauman, came to them with a description, Bloomberg reported Thursday. Bauman's legs were torn apart by the bomb.
--Yahoo News reporter Dylan Stableford contributed to this report from Connecticut. Liz Goodwin is reporting from New York.
FBI: Minn. raid disrupts 'localized terror attack'
By | Associated Press – 1 hr 14 mins ago
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The FBI believes authorities disrupted "a localized terror attack" in its planning stages when they arrested a man after converging on a western Minnesota mobile home that contained Molotov cocktails, suspected pipe bombs and firearms, the agency said Monday.
Buford Rogers, 24, of Montevideo,
was arrested Friday and charged with one count of being a felon in
possession of a firearm. He remained in federal custody Monday and it
was not clear if he had an attorney.
"The FBI believed there was a terror attack
in its planning stages, and we believe there would have been a
localized terror attack, and that's why law enforcement moved quickly to
execute the search warrant on Friday to arrest Mr. Rogers," FBI spokesman Kyle Loven said Monday.
Loven declined to elaborate about the location of the alleged target,
other than to say it was believed to be in Montevideo, a city of about
5,000 people about 130 miles west of Minneapolis. He also declined to
say whether Rogers was believed to be acting alone or as part of a
group, or if other arrests were expected.
"This is a very active investigation," he said.
In a news release Monday, the FBI
said it believed "the lives of several local residents were potentially
saved" by the search and arrest, and said "several guns and explosive
devices were discovered." The agency said the alleged terror plot was
discovered through analysis of intelligence gathered by local, state and
federal authorities.
"Cooperation between the FBI and its federal, state, and local
partners enabled law enforcement to prevent a potential tragedy in
Montevideo," Christopher Warrener, the special agent in charge of the
FBI office in Minneapolis, said in the release.
According to a federal affidavit obtained by The Associated Press on
Friday, FBI agents from the domestic terrorism squad searched the
property at the mobile home park in Montevideo and discovered the
Molotov cocktails, suspected pipe bombs and firearms. The affidavit said
Buford was there at the time of the search, and one firearm recovered
from Buford's residence was a Romanian AKM assault rifle.
In an interview with authorities, Rogers admitted firing the weapon
on two separate occasions at a gun range in Granite Falls, the affidavit
said. Rogers has a past conviction for felony burglary and is not
allowed to have a firearm.
Rogers is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court this week.
Rogers' 2011 felony burglary conviction stems from an incident in Lac
qui Parle County. He also has a 2009 misdemeanor conviction for
dangerous handling of a weapon in Hennepin County, as well as other
criminal violations, according to online court records.
___
Follow Amy Forliti on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/amyforliti
By Lt. Col Dave Grossman
Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident.†This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another.
We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.
Then there are the wolves and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy. Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.
Then there are sheepdogs and I’m a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf. Or, as a sign in one California law enforcement agency put it, We intimidate those who intimidate others.
If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen: a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath–a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? Then you are a sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero’s path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.
We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids’ schools. But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid’s school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep’s only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.
The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The
difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.
Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn’t tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, “Baa.” Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.
The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.
Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?
Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed, right along with the young ones.
Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, “Thank God I wasn’t on one of those planes.” The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, “Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference.” When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.
There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.
There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious,
predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: Slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.
Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that
most people can choose which one they want to be, and I’m proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.
Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, “Let’s roll,” which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers – athletes, business people and parents. — from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.
There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men. – Edmund Burke
Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the
sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn’t have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision.
If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior’s path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.
This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a
matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between.
Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. It’s okay to be a sheep, but do not kick the sheepdog. Indeed, the sheep dog may just run a little harder, strive to protect a little beter and be fully prepared to pay an ultimate price in battle and spirit with the sheep moving from “baa” to “thanks”. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.
We do not call for gifts or freedoms beyond our lot. We just need a small pat on the head, a smile and a thank you to fill the emotional tank which is drained protecting the sheep. And when our number is called by the Almighty, and day retreats into night, a small prayer before the heavens just may be in order to say thanks for letting you continue to be a sheep. And be grateful for the thousands, millions of American sheepdogs who permit you the freedom to express even bad ideas.
Boston Marathon bomber manhunt: City on lockdown as authorities hunt for bomb suspect
By Jason Sickles and Liz Goodwin | The Lookout – 1 hr 26 mins ago
[Updated at 3:51 p.m. ET]
BOSTON—Thousands of law enforcement officers are entering the 15th
hour of a massive, door-to-door manhunt for a suspect in Monday's Boston
Marathon bombings that wounded more than 170 people and left three
dead.A late-night police chase and shootout left one marathon bombing suspect—26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev—dead and the other, his younger brother, on the run, police here said. One police officer was killed and another seriously wounded during the violent spree. The city of Boston and its surrounding areas have ground to a standstill as the manhunt continues in a 20-block radius of Watertown, with local leaders warning residents to stay indoors. Police also announced there will be a "controlled explosion" in a building in Cambridge on Friday afternoon.
"It is important that folks remain indoors, keep the doors locked and not open the door unless there is a uniformed law enforcement officer on the other side of it," Gov Deval Patrick said at a 12:30 p.m. press conference.
The suspect on the lam is Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, of Cambridge, Mass., a student at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He and his brother's family is originally from Chechnya, a volatile and once war-torn southern Russian republic. The family fled to Kyrgyzstan and eventually immigrated to the United States as refugees about 10 years ago.
His older brother studied at a local community college and was a Golden Gloves boxer. Tamerlan Tsarnaev also reportedly had a wife and young child. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was remembered by former classmates as bright and personable, posted links to pro-Chechnyan independence sites on his social media page, and listed his world view as "Islam." It's unclear if either the separatist politics of Chechnya or their religion had anything to do with the suspects' crime. Tsarnaev appeared to be posting to his Twitter account even after the attacks, writing in his last post on Wednesday, "I'm a stress free kind of guy." His posts covered everything from cute photos of his cat to rap lyrics.
The suspects' uncle told the local CBS News station that the pair had lived in the country since 2002. The uncle, when told that one of his nephews was killed, replied that he deserved it. “He deserved his. He absolutely deserved his,” Ruslan Tsarni said. “They do not deserve to live
Marathon bombing suspect Tsarnaev (FBI)on this earth.”In an emotional press conference, Tsarni said his nephews had brought shame upon his family, and called them "losers." He said they were not "able to settle themselves" and were "angry at everyone who was able to." He said he did not believe they were motivated by the radical politics in Chechnya or their Muslim religion.
"Dzhokhar, If you're alive, turn yourself in and ask for forgiveness from the victims [and] the injured," he said. "He put a shame on our family. He put a shame on the entire Chechnyan ethnicity. Turn yourself in."
He added that he hadn't been in touch with the family for several years but would not say why.
"I'm ready to kneel in front of them and ask their forgiveness," Tsarni said of the victims of his nephews' crime. "I respect this country; I love this country ... this country that gives everybody chance to be treated like human being."
The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, said that one or both of the brothers traveled back to the Caucasus region of Russia for a year or more before returning to America again.
Tsarnaev's father, reached by the AP in Russia by phone, said his son was a "true angel" and wonderful student. He later told ABC's "Good Morning America" that he wanted his son to surrender peacefully.
The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth announced shortly after 10:30 a.m. on Friday that they were evacuating the entire campus after learning Tsarnaev is a registered student there.
Earlier, at sunrise, Gov. Patrick ordered a shutdown of all public transit and for residents in the city of Boston and on its edges to stay indoors as a massive manhunt for the second suspect was underway. The Boston Globe reported that police are focusing on a 20-block area of Watertown and fear the suspect may be wearing explosives. Amtrak has also shut down all trains between Boston and New York.
“This situation is grave and we are trying to protect the public safety,” said Massachusetts State Police Col. Timothy Alben, who ordered a lockdown of Watertown, Waltham, Belmont, Cambridge, Newton, Allston and Brighton. Brookline was later ordered to be on lockdown as well. A no-fly zone has been declared over Watertown. The city of Boston was eerily quiet during Friday's rush hour, the city's busy intersections totally abandoned.
The mayhem began at approximately 10:20 p.m. Thursday when police said the bombing suspects robbed a 7-Eleven store in Cambridge. Minutes later, police said, the men shot and killed an MIT campus officer, Sean Collier, 26, responding to the robbery call. The terror suspects then carjacked a Mercedes-Benz SUV with the driver inside and fled, eventually letting the driver go.
(Shortly before 2 a.m. Friday, MIT issued a statement on its website saying that the suspect "in this evening's shooting is no longer on campus. It is now safe to resume normal activities. Please remain vigilant in the coming hours." MIT, Harvard, Boston University and other local colleges have canceled classes.)
The suspects were then spotted in Watertown, where Federal agents swarmed in. At approximately 3:30 a.m., Massachusetts State Police issued a plea on Twitter for residents of Watertown to lock their doors and not open them for anyone, as dozens of police officers, many of them off duty, searched backyards and exteriors of houses there, and a police perimeter of several blocks was established.
Worried residents were also told to turn off their cell phones out of fear that they could trigger improvised explosive devices.
K9 units and SWAT teams searched homes on Spruce Street as officers with a police robot searched an SUV that the suspects had abandoned. Multiple devices were left in the road and two handguns were recovered, according to police scanners.
Slain MIT police officer Sean Collier. (Middlesex DA)The suspects exchanged dozens of rounds of gunfire with patrol officers. According to the Washington Post, they also lobbed improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at officers.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was shot by police and brought to Beth Israel Medical Center. He arrived at the hospital under cardiac arrest with multiple gunshot wounds and blast-like injuries to his chest. The second suspect fled on foot, leading to the tense manhunt that is still underway at this hour.
A transit police officer, Richard H. Donohue, was seriously wounded during the exchange of gunfire, officials said.
"We believe this to be a terrorist," said Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, of Tsarnaev. "We believe this to be a man who has come here to kill people. We need to get him into custody."
[Related: FBI releases photos of suspects in Boston Marathon bombings]
In a radio alert issued issued to fellow officers, the suspect was described as a "white male with dark complexion ... with thick curly hair wearing a charcoal gray hooded sweatshirt ... possibly with an assault rifle and explosives."
Police in Watertown, Newton, Brighton and Cambridge were put on high alert. "Units use caution," an officer said. "He might have an explosive object on his person."
"Suspect 2" seen in 7-Eleven surveillance footage; police in Watertown (BPD/Getty)President Barack Obama, who attended an interfaith service for the bombing victims in Boston on Thursday, was briefed on the overnight developments, the White House said early Friday. He received an updated briefing later in the day.
Police were able to track down images of the suspects after a victim of the attacks, Jeff Bauman, came to them with a description, Bloomberg reported Thursday. Bauman's legs were torn apart by the bomb.
--Yahoo News reporter Dylan Stableford contributed to this report from Connecticut. Liz Goodwin is reporting from New York.
FBI: Minn. raid disrupts 'localized terror attack'
By | Associated Press – 1 hr 14 mins ago
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The FBI believes authorities disrupted "a localized terror attack" in its planning stages when they arrested a man after converging on a western Minnesota mobile home that contained Molotov cocktails, suspected pipe bombs and firearms, the agency said Monday.
Buford Rogers, 24, of Montevideo,
was arrested Friday and charged with one count of being a felon in
possession of a firearm. He remained in federal custody Monday and it
was not clear if he had an attorney.
"The FBI believed there was a terror attack
in its planning stages, and we believe there would have been a
localized terror attack, and that's why law enforcement moved quickly to
execute the search warrant on Friday to arrest Mr. Rogers," FBI spokesman Kyle Loven said Monday.
Loven declined to elaborate about the location of the alleged target,
other than to say it was believed to be in Montevideo, a city of about
5,000 people about 130 miles west of Minneapolis. He also declined to
say whether Rogers was believed to be acting alone or as part of a
group, or if other arrests were expected."This is a very active investigation," he said.
In a news release Monday, the FBI
said it believed "the lives of several local residents were potentially
saved" by the search and arrest, and said "several guns and explosive
devices were discovered." The agency said the alleged terror plot was
discovered through analysis of intelligence gathered by local, state and
federal authorities.
"Cooperation between the FBI and its federal, state, and local
partners enabled law enforcement to prevent a potential tragedy in
Montevideo," Christopher Warrener, the special agent in charge of the
FBI office in Minneapolis, said in the release.According to a federal affidavit obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, FBI agents from the domestic terrorism squad searched the property at the mobile home park in Montevideo and discovered the Molotov cocktails, suspected pipe bombs and firearms. The affidavit said Buford was there at the time of the search, and one firearm recovered from Buford's residence was a Romanian AKM assault rifle.
In an interview with authorities, Rogers admitted firing the weapon on two separate occasions at a gun range in Granite Falls, the affidavit said. Rogers has a past conviction for felony burglary and is not allowed to have a firearm.
Rogers is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court this week.
Rogers' 2011 felony burglary conviction stems from an incident in Lac qui Parle County. He also has a 2009 misdemeanor conviction for dangerous handling of a weapon in Hennepin County, as well as other criminal violations, according to online court records.
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