[NEWS] Explosions near Boston Marathon Finish Line (UPDATE: MIT/Watertown shootout w/ suspects)

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Scanner: "on quadrant 2, we're about 25% complete. we don't need the second robot." <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23watertown">#watertown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23manhunt">#manhunt</a></p>&mdash; Austin Guiney (@SenorKoffey) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenorKoffey/status/325277980156899328">April 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
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The Federal Government has the death penalty.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>So far data about the brothers is at best suggestive of their path. Nothing even remotely conclusive as to motive or ideology, if any.</p>&mdash; J.M. Berger (@intelwire) <a href="https://twitter.com/intelwire/status/325278107013636098">April 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>RT @<a href="https://twitter.com/dunkindonuts">dunkindonuts</a>: At the direction of authorities, select DDs in the Boston area are open to serve law enforcement, first responders.</p>&mdash; Matthew Cooper (@mattizcoop) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattizcoop/status/325277933688201216">April 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>From Watertown: Relatively quiet for last 30 mins. Police still dealing with tense situation not tied to bomber. Search goes on.</p>&mdash; Sean Kelly (@SeanKellyTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanKellyTV/status/325278954908962816">April 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
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I still wonder why those Craft guys were at the marathon. Were they working as security personnel?

 

LOL...

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Boston Bombing 'methodologies are identical' to Chechen fighters. Though anyones guess on motivation. from @<a href="https://twitter.com/usninews">usninews</a> <a href="http://t.co/4VjnZGhB6L" title="http://news.usni.org/2013/04/19/bombing-methodology-identical-to-chechen-rebels-motivation-unclear">news.usni.org/2013/04/19/bom…</a></p>&mdash; Sam LaGrone (@samlagrone) <a href="https://twitter.com/samlagrone/status/325279247629434881">April 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Watertown">#Watertown</a> scanner says "sweep the press area before the press conference"</p>&mdash; ersdrive (@ersdrive) <a href="https://twitter.com/ersdrive/status/325279657761062912">April 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Police Sanner Update: Pulling K9, Bears, and Robots out</p>&mdash; a1fitted (@a1fitted) <a href="https://twitter.com/a1fitted/status/325279847104516097">April 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
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http://killerapps.foreignpolicy.com...rd_wmd_teams_were_on_hand_in_boston_yesterday

While Northern Command, the U.S. military's combatant command responsible for defending U.S. soil tells Killer Apps it has not sent any troops to Boston, local National Guard units were on scene during the bombings at the Boston Marathon yesterday.

In particular, the Massachusetts and New York National Guards had deployed their Civil Support Teams to the marathon. (It's worth pointing out that the fact that so many well trained first responders were already on hand may have played a role in keeping the death toll relatively low.)

CSTs, as they are known, are National Guard units that are specially trained and equipped to detect and respond to chemical, biological, or radiological incidents. Basically, they're the first people a governor would call in the event of a WMD attack. These teams were on hand before the marathon even started, according to New York Guard spokesman Eric Durr, who says that such teams are deployed before most major events where public officials worry about the threat of a WMD attack.

"If a bomb goes off, they can check out the scene and determine whether or not there's any other contaminants besides the explosive," said Durr. "They come with a full suite of detection gear, communications equipment, and we generally deploy them in teams of two or three vehicles. Of course they're onsite anytime there's a major public event" such as the opening of the UN General Assembly, the Masters Tournament, or NASCAR race.

"Any significant gathering of people, there's usually a CST in the background prepared to assist law enforcement," said Durr. He could not say how, or how soon after the attack, the CSTs were able to figure out that no WMD were involved in the incident.

While this photo shows CST members on scene wearing khakis and dark polo shirts, they are trained to work in "dirty" environments wearing hazmat suits. They are also trained in decontamination techniques in order to help law enforcement officials respond to WMD incidents.

(In contrast to the relatively low-profile CST uniforms, check out these photos of police guarding sites around Boston after the attack. They're carrying combat gear associated with special operations troops, including helmets with night-vision-goggle mounts, advanced communications gear, and even assault rifles painted with camouflage patterns.)

Durr noted that New York's CST has returned home to its base at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn and that the New York Guard hasn't received any further requests for assistance from Massachusetts. However, a Navy Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit from Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island has been dispatched to the scene. Navy EOD technicians are some of the best in the world at investigating the forensics behind a bomb attack. In addition to the CSTs, Guardsmen wearing Army Combat Uniforms were cleary visible in footage of the attack assisting first responders.

 

Not sure if it's been posted here, but here's a link to a photo bio on the older dude....

Will Box For Passport

Draw your own conclusions.

 

According to Adrien Chen from gawker, this is suspect #2's twitter:

https://twitter.com/J_tsar

old profile pic:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c.../296520318468624386+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

http://a0.twimg.com/profile_images/3187191199/be65c7affe851df203c6ff22485d904d.jpeg

Is "Jahar" another form of Dzhokar?

 

Yeah, I was reading over that. If it's him he seems like a normal teen and way to calm following the bombing.

 

blackhawks, other helicopters, landing here:

http://goo.gl/maps/jkN11

 

Yes - the key is "investigators". People that have access to a whole lot more information than anyone here. Taking clues together in context is investigating. Taking random snippets and conjuring up wild speculation is not.

 

what are "bears" for the police teams? I am of course picturing grizzlies and/or bearded lumberjack-like gay men from San Francisco.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Listening to streamed police scanner from <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Boston">#Boston</a>, seems something is going down at the moment, officers explicitly told standby.</p>&mdash; Firebrand Atheism (@PumaBare) <a href="https://twitter.com/PumaBare/status/325281155857403906">April 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Boston">#Boston</a>, multiple batteries mentioned, seems like bomb disposal.</p>&mdash; Firebrand Atheism (@PumaBare) <a href="https://twitter.com/PumaBare/status/325281436682833920">April 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
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No one here is claiming to be an investigator, or to have access to top secret information, or to know what motivated these guys. Coming up with theories based on what little information we have is harmless.

 

I just read that Tamerlan apparently had a Youtube account on which he favorited Islamist videos. In one of them, some preacher addressed "our Salafist Chechnyan brothers". Might be a clue as to their motivation. But interesting that the uncle who supposedly had no contact with them since 2006 would immediately rule out any link to Islam or Chechnyan politics. I guess it is sort of a self-protection reflex.

 

I knew Clutch should have UNBANNED DD. Now he and his clones are <s>causing havoc</s> helping the authorities. You're a hero, DD. I never doubted you, brother. YAY!