Boston Marathon

[up_for_it]

For those us watching way beyond the sidelines - in my case in London - it is also further proof that a new media age has truly dawned. Twitter feeds from news sources and ordinary members of the public broke the news on all of the events of the past week faster than the old news organisations (though credit also the Boston Globe who really were abreast of every twist and turn of the story.) The last time I remember seeing events so quickly and broadly reported was the japanese Tsunami a couple of years back.

I agree with your comments the "new media age has truly dawned," the use of new technology to not only quickly inform the public but also to track and keep pressure on the suspects (such as the monitoring of their Twitter accounts) is remarkable. However, its not all roses either, for the rise of digital vigilantes and arm chair detectives see:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22214511

[Prospero]

Up-for-it --- thanks for posting that nonsense from Graham. Very worrying.

Some people believe that i give Muslims - and islamic inspired terrorism - an easy ride in my political posts here. I would argue with this.

What I reject is the Pavlovian attitude of so many (especially on the Right) that ALL Muslims are evil and somehow responsible when an event like this occurs.

It is still far from clear if islamic fundamentalism actually inspired these two young Chechens. Hopefully the truth will emerge. That assumption might then prove true or erroneous.

I would not argue at all with the claim that there is a struggle doing on against the forces of violent Jihadism.

That this war has led to many blunders (deliberate or craven) is also unarguable in my view. The invasion of Iraq was one of the worst - but the death of many innocent civilians in drone attacks is another as is the shameful record of the previous administration in allowing special rendition, the creation of offshore and unregulated prisons in third world countries where torture was practised and the creation of Guantanamo Bay. Shame too on Obama for not fulfilling his promise to close Gitmo.

We in the "West" are supposedly a developed and humane society - and these few things I've listed help us lose the claim to moral higher ground in dealing with terrorism.

There is an enemy out there. But it is an enemy too to ordinary Muslim men and women. I have spent a long time working-on and studying the issues and practices around violent Jihad and the clash of ideas and beliefs now tearing the Muslim world apart. The success of the Taliban in Afghanistan, for instance, had a terrible impact on the lives of ordinary men and, especially, women. It is a battle for the hearts, minds and souls of islam that is underway.

The sort of crazy cries of kill or imprison all Muslims or nuke the Middle east which appear in the wake of an incident like Boston actually make things worse - and are a valuable recruiting sergeant for the Jihadist base.

[up_for_it]

Up-for-it --- thanks for posting that nonsense from Graham. Very worrying.

There is an enemy out there. But it is an enemy too to ordinary Muslim men and women. I have spent a long time working-on and studying the issues and practices around violent Jihad and the clash of ideas and beliefs now tearing the Muslim world apart. The success of the Taliban in Afghanistan, for instance, had a terrible impact on the lives of ordinary men and, especially, women. It is a battle for the hearts, minds and souls of islam that is underway.

I agree that we can't paint with a broad brush, thats one of the reasons I posted the BBC article on the role of forums in the investigation- they got lost in debate and conjecture and turned out to be pretty useless. Then again, as you stated, we also need to be aware there really is an enemy out there which seeks to draw in dissafected youth. To Boston's credit, there hasn't been any public backlash against immigrants etc. This speaks to the intelligence of it's residents, and most Americans, that there is an enemy, but that they don't represent all Muslims.

Clearly these two got mixed up in the radical cleric circut on the internet. From what I've read the older of the two had a much harder time assimilating, while the younger one was having a tough transition between high school and entering college. I'm not saying that these in any way shape or form excuse what they did (millions of people share the same types of experiences), but these aspects of their lives offer some clues as to how they might have been attracted to jihadism. What is striking to me is how much they fit the profile of the Madrid bombers- young and having spent most of their lives living as expatriates rather than in war zones.

I'm not convinced they could even be described as 'Chechen' since they never really lived there, but bounced around until settling in the U.S. At any rate, drawing direct connections between Jihadi groups, especially Chechen seperatists, and these two is too simple. Inspired? Yes. Trained? Doubt it.

[nysprod]

No way that huge gash is from surgery, unless it was done with a butter knife instead of a scalpel. And where is that body laid out, anyway? Some back room supply closet? No. No way that picture is the real deal.

No, the margins are clean...it's not an entry or exit wound (although the injury could have started out as such), and the ribs are missing...we tend to think of surgery as being something that's precise, and it can be, but this type of situation is very much the opposite.

And as far as the "supply closet" goes, forget what you see on TV...the tile...it looks realistic

I can't 100% say the pic is real but if it isn't, someone took the time to add some very realistic effects, like the dislocated left shoulder.

[Dino Velvet]

TMZ says its real...looks like part of posterior parietal/superior occipital area is missing...if the body fell forward blood could pool around the face and throat, as in the picture...the left shoulder is dislocated...the wound on the left side was partly from some sort of emergency surgery...ribs are missing...

Anzor will be pissed when he finds out little Harvey Levin made money showing pics of his son's corpse on the internet.

[brickcitybrother]

I wonder what the government and media will give as reasoning for this? Our society here believes everything is for a reason and it clamors for same.

[dderek123]

Sorry, but there is no chance in hell that is a real picture of the dead guy. Anyone who would really believe that, I got a bridge for you that is for sale in Brooklyn.

Fair enough.
I really don't get that reference though.

[fred41]

Hats off to Boston LE for a job well done...and to the wonderful people in the Boston area (my sister included). You folks rock. In the following days I will eventually root against your Bruins and Red Sox again lol, but right now I got nothing but love.

My heart goes out to the victims of these two assholes...They were too young to pass away and too young to be maimed for the rest of their lives, all because that day they wanted to cheer on loved ones, on a beautiful day,that had entered into a marathon...which many entrants often run in for charity.
A day two completely self obsessed dickheads chose to create a monstrous act to make their own black and bloody mark in history.
...but at the end of the day,they are as their uncle stated...losers.

Also R.I.P. MIT P.O. Sean Collier.
As shown by your picture,also much too young to be gone.
From the articles I read he clearly made his Dept.proud
http://www.bostonglobe.com/2013/04/1...4fI/story.html

[EvaCassini]

I religiously watch Colbert and Stewart....but still confused ( i don't watch nor trust mainstream media ) So they caught the douche?

[BellaBellucci]

I religiously watch Colbert and Stewart....but still confused ( i don't watch nor trust mainstream media ) So they caught the douche?

Only took you 24 hours. Try CNN next time, huh?

~BB~