Terrorist Bombings at 2013 Boston Marathon today...

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Just turned to the CNN channel and they mentioned that two bombs hidden inside trash cans went off. Two people are dead and 132+ wounded. At least 10+ victims had wounds serious enough to that amputations were needed. Two unexploded bombs were found as well. Ball bearings were used in both bombs to inflict major damage.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[BareKnuckleRoo]

More and more I'm disappointed we haven't achieved good modes of space travel to the point where we can live elsewhere. I'm rather sick of this planet.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

It's sad that incidents like 9/11 and what transpired earlier today, such things will happen. My prayers and thoughts to the victims and wounded today.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[BareKnuckleRoo]

somehow the smiley face signature seems a bit inappropriate in this thread

Unsurprisingly for such a publicized event, there's lots of videos circulating the blasts occurring, the aftermath, etc. Apparently they managed to defuse two other bombs though, so it could have been a lot worse, not that that's really much consolation to the victims.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Yes, I know about the smiley face sig and it's possible unappropiateness issue -- will refrain from using it in this thread. Given the international recogition and prestige of the Boston Marathon with many runners hailing from the world over, it was a very well planned terrorist incident to begin with. There were reports of a Penske rental truck trying to access to the BM route during the event itself but was turned back by security. It surely could've been worse with more victims and senseless carnage.

PC Engine Fan X!

[Skykid]

What terrorist group is being blamed for this?

[trap15]

The Saudis apparently.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

As of right now, the U.S. government hasn't identified whom is behind this incident and no group has stepped up to claim responsiblility for the attack. As whether it's foreign or domestic terrorism is one's guess as of right now.

PC Engine Fan X!

[brentsg]

The Saudis apparently.

It's pretty early yet, rumors are what they are.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

What terrorist group is being blamed for this?

The media's having a field day speculating about this sort of thing:

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/ ... story.html

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/04/15 ... n-bombing/

It does seem a bit too organized to be the work of one crazy person, and a bit too well targeted, certainly more of a demoralizing attack like terrorists tend to do. If it were just a crazy dude with a fetish for explosions, he's really dedicated.

[Skykid]

It does seem a bit too organized to be the work of one crazy person, and a bit too well targeted to demoralize. If it were just a crazy dude with a fetish for explosions, he's really dedicated.

Dunno, Tim McVeigh executed a vastly more complex bombing on his lonesome.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

The question then would be, why a freakin' marathon of all things? Obviously that's the question the investigators are going to ask, but geez, really?

[blackoak]

The question then would be, why a freakin' marathon of all things? Obviously that's the question the investigators are going to ask, but geez, really?

I'd assume the density of people, and the fact that its outdoors (less security, easier to prepare?)... and its an event of course.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Don't Muslim Terrorist's have a habit of owning up rather quickly? If we don't hear anything by tomorrow I'd put this down to just your basic garden variety phycho or a non Muslim. That lack of a clear culprit does make me fear for the US govt to pin the blame on someone convenient (Iran/ N Korea).

When you think about how easy it is for an everyday nutter to pull this off it's quite frightening. I mean the London bomber's (some of whom lived a stone throw away from me) weren't what I'd call highly
trained.

Anyway my heart goes out to the victims, I suppose the low death toll is a silver lining.

[ratikal]

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50144906n

Pretty horrific. It's scary to think this happened nearby. I really don't understand what the motivation could be.

[Ed Oscuro]

It does seem a bit too organized to be the work of one crazy person, and a bit too well targeted to demoralize. If it were just a crazy dude with a fetish for explosions, he's really dedicated.

Dunno, Tim McVeigh executed a vastly more complex bombing on his lonesome.

No, he had an accomplice.

Also, MASSIVEROLLEYES @ your earlier "which donkey to pin the blame on" comment. Well, duh, they haven't named anybody yet, nor is there much reason for assigning blame to one group or another. All that I've heard so far are times and places. Hardly evidence of a hasty rush to judgement except maybe on the part of the bomber(s and any accomplices).

[BPzeBanshee]

They're still debating on Australian news here whether it's even a terrorist attack or not.

[Skykid]

It does seem a bit too organized to be the work of one crazy person, and a bit too well targeted to demoralize. If it were just a crazy dude with a fetish for explosions, he's really dedicated.

Dunno, Tim McVeigh executed a vastly more complex bombing on his lonesome.

No, he had an accomplice.

Also, MASSIVEROLLEYES @ your earlier "which donkey to pin the blame on" comment. Well, duh, they haven't named anybody yet, nor is there much reason for assigning blame to one group or another.

Say what Ed? It was a direct question based on PCE fan's previous comment:

Given the international recogition and prestige of the Boston Marathon with many runners hailing from the world over, it was a very well planned terrorist incident to begin with.

Not sure what I did there to earn the rolleyes.

[Specineff]

This could be the work of one of those weirdos who are trying to purify the world from the unworthy ones to bring about a new world order, blah, blah blah and such. Terrorism targets infrastructures to have a more lasting effect. Feels a bit amateurish of a work, so to speak.

Not downplaying it, but it's too soon to start calling terrorism.

[Ed Oscuro]

@ Skykid: Sorry, I guess I've got my PC-E post blinders on again

Rolleyes @ PCE then! (I read the first sentence of his post and then lost interest )

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Terrorism targets infrastructures to have a more lasting effect. Feels a bit amateurish of a work, so to speak.

Terrorism also targets civilians when it wants to cause damage to the populace's/country's morale. See all the radical bombings in the Middle East that Al Qaeda groups claim credit for, like bombing a marketplace or a school, or a bus, instead of going after government/military installations. The target can depend on the intent of the terrorist.

[Ed Oscuro]

Timeline of pronouncements here:
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2013/04/15/ex ... -marathon/

Good to remember the different definitions some people will have of "terrorism." Of course the FBI would consider it an act of terrorism, rather than just a wannabe mass murderer like the Colorado shooter Holmes.

The Saudi guy sounds like he's not considered a likely threat, and I don't know what to make of this:

[Update, 8:36 p.m. ET] Investigators have warned law enforcement officers to be on the lookout for a "darker-skinned or black male" with a possible foreign accent in connection with Monday's bombings at the Boston Marathon, according to a law enforcement advisory obtained by CNN.

The man was seen with a black backpack and sweatshirt and was trying to get into a restricted area about five minutes before the first explosion, the lookout notice states.

[O. Van Bruce]

Bad decision to let common people know that the police is looking for a "dark skinned man", that will only enable massive paranoia and racism.

I also doubt this was made by a terrorist group. It has been almost 12 hours since this has happened and no terrorist group has claimed the bombs.

This is a wild guess on my part but it would be totally ironic. What if this was planned by some crazy guy claming that you don't need guns to kill massively and consequetialy, guns shouldn't be controlled?

[Ed Oscuro]

How are they going to find somebody they want to check out as a suspect if they don't say? Police can't be everywhere.

[O. Van Bruce]

The police should protect the whole population in Boston. And if you are an innocent dark skinned bostonian who happen to have a funny accent you can be discriminated, insulted or recieve a public beating in the worst case... massive paranoia, specially against minorities, can be very frightening in this situations.

The police should take this into account before publicing such vague descriptions as "dark-skinned or black man with a foreign accent".

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Unfortunately a vague description is sometimes all you have to go off of - chances are they're doing it in the hopes that any witnesses will remember someone fitting that description they saw perhaps doing something suspicious near the marathon.

Any incident like this though only leads to potential paranoia about terrorists and can certainly get innocent people hurt. The police can't omit the person's skin colour/accent just for fear of racism though, they've got a job to do, but conversely, it's true that there's always a fear of reprisals. It's really not an easy situation to get around; you can't get the public's help in finding a suspect without a description, but you don't want to incite people into vigilantism.

Wasn't there some retarded guy who went and shot up a Sikh temple because he thought they were Islamic?

[BryanM]

Wasn't there some retarded guy who went and shot up a Sikh temple because he thought they were Islamic?

"Chinese, Japanese, I don't see the distinction."

There's too goddamn many people like that for me to think of him as stupid or "retarded".

In their defense, we do have a federal holiday devoted to [s]Hitler[/s] Columbus, icon of genocide and chopping off broke people's hands. The day we change that to something else is when we can acknowledge we don't have too big of a problem with this stuff.

[O. Van Bruce]

Yeah, you are probably right on your arguments Kangaroo. I still fear that if they can't find a suspect or in the end the perpetrator is white, this can make a lasting effect in the mind of bostonians about foreigners.

Just thinking... if the criminal isn't a crazed islamic supported by Al-Qaeda, it would be very rare for him to be dark skinned. AFAIK, black people don't do this massacres (let me know if I'm wrong) and the islamic comunity in the the USA is heavily surveilled to prevent terrorist acts.

[O. Van Bruce]

"No use of C-4': The devices used in the Boston Marathon explosion were likely small, homemade bombs carried in one or more backpacks and filled with shrapnel"

source: The Daily Mail

Ding Dong... seems like this was a domestic terrorism case.

[DEL]

Never ever quote the controlled mainstream media as a 'news' source.

Anyway,

this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... cVqZl5JBBo

Aired on March 19, 2013