Bloody Monday
Not really in the news:News:At least 75 Iraqis were killed and 356 more were wounded in a series of attacks across the country. Only the far south and Iraqi Kurdistan were spared. Many of the attacks were apparently coordinated and occurred at about the same time this morning. They also came a few days ahead of local elections in most provinces. Nineva and Anbar province, both heavily Sunni, had their elections postponed by the Shi’ite-led government.
In Baghdad, the bombings left 30 dead and 92 wounded. Among them, a blast in the Kamaliya neighborhood left four dead and 13 injured; security forces then fired into the air to disperse crowds. Near the airport a pair of bombs killed three people and wounded 16 more. Four people were killed and 15 more were wounded in a bombing at a market and bus station in Umm al-Maalif. In Karrada, another bomb left two dead and 15 injured. A car bomb in Shurta killed two people and wounded nine more. A roadside bomb wounded five policemen in Baladiyat. Two people were killed and nine more were wounded in a blast in Habibiya.
In Kirkuk, at least nine people were killed and 79 more were wounded in a string of six car bombings. The downtown bombs exploded in three different ethnic neighborhoods, suggesting that no particular group was targeted. Those explosions took place in Arab, Kurdish, and Turkmen neighborhoods. The other three blasts hit neighborhoods outside of the city. One bombing targeted the home of a Shi’ite politician. Also, gunmen wounded a doctor last night.
Explosions in Tuz Khormato left six dead and 67 wounded.
In Mosul, gunmen killed a civilian. Two people were wounded in roadside bombings. Gunmen killed a married couple. Security forces killed a bomber. Another blast left no casualties. A soldier was killed in a clash. Three policemen were wounded in a bomb blast.
In Falluja, a suicide car bomber killed two policemen and wounded six more at a checkpoint. A civilian was shot dead. A sticky bomb killed two civilians. Another bomb south of the city left no casualties.
A car bomb in Mussayab killed four people and wounded 13 more.
Four people were killed and three more were wounded in a Tikrit bombing at political office. Another bombing left 13 policemen wounded.
In Nasariya, a car bomb killed two people and wounded 14 more.
A policeman was killed in Buhriz when a sticky bomb exploded.
Near Ramadi, a bomb targeting a Sunni cleric and leader of anti-government protests killed two bodyguards and wounded at least one more. His cousin was killed in a sticky bomb blast in Falluja.
A policeman was shot dead in Tarmiya.
A bomb in Khalis killed one child and wounded eight more.
Nineteen people were wounded in bombings in Babil province.
In Dowr, 13 people were wounded in a blast there.
Bombs wounded seven people at a political candidate’s home in Salah ad Din province.
In Muqdadiya, a car bomb wounded seven people.
In Tal Abta, a blast killed a policeman and wounded two more.
In Baquba, two policemen were wounded during a bombing. Three people were wounded in a blast.
Gunmen in Sabeen killed a captain and wounded two soldiers.
A young man was gunned down in Shirqat.
On a rural road in Bani Saad, a bomb wounded a civilian.
Two explosions in Boston killed three and wounded at least 144.May all the dead rest in peace and best wishes to all the wounded.
Posted by b on April 16, 2013 at 5:47 UTC | Permalink
What happened in Boston is quite literally about one millionth of the carnage the US/NATO cabal has wreaked on innocents (through bombardment and sanction) wherever they cast their bloodthirsty gaze, but from the reaction one would be forgiven for thinking it was a nuclear attack. Murder of innocents is of course reprehensible. Would it be too much for Obama to simply and without qualification acknowledge this simple fact? Of course it would be. Better to regurgitate the standard rhetoric, then blame Iran or Assad I fear. How many Americans thought "My God, this is what my government is sponsoring in Syria..."?
I don't dare hope that this will result in some introspection.
Posted by: Sasha | Apr 16 2013 6:29 utc | 2
Yeah, right
how come b reports dozens of dead victims and hundreds of injured in Iraq when there are 2 dead victim in the usa?
And yes, there are more than a million dead victims of usa terror acts in Iraq. But!!! There are 2 in the usa!!! In the worst case those 2 are americans (rather than tourists, "alien" workers, etc).
2 dead americans - and the world goes on, the planet continues to spin - how frivolous!
Seriously now, what makes me suspicious ist that they still didn't point out the bad guys. Quite probably the reason is one of two:
- The cia planned and organized somehow went wrong, e.g. their "islamist" patsy turned out to be an agent of an another agency.
- they can't agree. Some politician (think Mac NoBr ... uh McCain) seriously wants to point to North Korea while some others consider this dangerously non-smart and want to stick to their habit of vaguely pointing to some islamists as terrorists (Just think "brain dead and lobotomized faction against sinister conservatives).
There are also some first opinions coming out assuming the americans simply don't know it yet. Frankly, this can be considered irrational dreaming - obviously those people don't know how the usa tick.
Posted by: Mr. Pragma | Apr 16 2013 10:20 utc | 3
Heartbreaking... all the deaths and injuries are just heartbreaking.
WHY?
A bunch of redneck blogs are discussing how 'evil' and 'awful' the muslims are – 'so violent' is another favorite expression that comes up a lot. Where do westerners get the idea muslims are so bad? Seriously, a bunch of cracker-asses whose western culture is almost all violence are declaring that muslims are nothing but violent extremist.
I guess if all you know of history has been written since Israel was formed, well, I suppose I understand the view of violent muslims... but if you look at the past few hundred years, isn't it the christians that have actually been far more violent? The crusades were probably a good argument for the muslims to keep the gringos out of the middle east... Sigh.
I guess it's too early in the a.m. for me (4:00) and I should shut-up, but I still don't understand the western hatred of muslims. It wasn't muslims that killed their jesus. Muslims haven't been violently invading country after country (IMO)... what gives?
And who's to blame for Boston? Most of the people I've seen pointing fingers should be looking in the mirror as they're pointing. The same assholes that brought us 9/11 and the war on terror are who is ultimately responsible for this latest crime... regardless of who set the bomb off.
Meanwhile at the local Walmart folks spend plastic money to buy more plastic shit they don't need while their spouses are earning a paycheck by sitting at a computer and blowing away another innocent wedding party by remote control. In some ethnic neighborhood in Anywhere u.s.a. the gang in blue is beating some idiot crack dealer to death... in AZ a red-faced angry 'patriot' is stuck in a border check-point (200 miles north of the border) yelling about 'his rights' while the jackbooted thugs he's paying the salaries of are screwing with him. The liberal who is sipping a starbucks coffee while reading about america's coming to terms with 'gay rights' on his smart phone is smiling, glad he voted for obama, glad he lives in such a great gay nation. The shyster businessperson is figuring-out how to screw his customers with another stupid service fee. A bunch of college students are planning a rally to protest this, that, and the other and in 20 years, when they're part of the establishment, they will have something cool to remember and tell their kids about. Politicians are taking bribes and voting not just against their constituent's best interest, but their own. Lawyers are drawing-up complicated paperwork they don't even understand to help their corporate masters steal another billion. And most of us are blind to anything other than trying to pay our bills and keep food on the table... everyday another thousand americans fall thru the cracks and lose their jobs, their homes and even their families because of the crap they themselves voted for.
And in the boardrooms of the world's big businesses there is nothing but laughter.
When does this end?
of course you never mentioned the 30 women and children killed by drone attack just last week alone.
Posted by: scottindallas | Apr 16 2013 10:48 utc | 5
It seems to get clearer now ...
There is this picture of a man on the roof of a house a some 100 yards away.
Let me look into my magic chrystal ball:
(Some weeks ahead) "If we had had drones available", explains a speaker of the police "we would have been able to see that man early enough to avoid the bloodshed".
In other words, the explosions in Boston might quite well turn out to be nothing more than a sales event of the drone mafia.
Posted by: Mr. Pragma | Apr 16 2013 11:14 utc | 6
I'm a bit disappointed, although not surprised, that the word "terrorism" to describe the Boston Marathon event sprang up almost immediately. If nobody claims credit for something (and at this point, I don't think anybody has,) it's not "terrorism." "Terrorists" are politically motivated and do terrible things to call attention to their cause. It is the product of a collective anger and disenfranchisement.
If the point (and I use that word loosely here) is just to randomly kill, it is the action of a crazy person or people, but it is not "terrorism." It does not stem from a collective anger and disenfranchisement as much as a generalized anomie.
We live in a world with very few actual "terrorists" and an increasingly large number of violent and unbalanced people. The Tim McVeighs et al. of the world are not "terrorists." They have no goal in mind apart from damaging as many lives as they can. Improperly ascribing these actions to "terrorists" increases that anomie and merely muddies the waters making it more difficult to deal with them in the future.
Posted by: Monolycus | Apr 16 2013 11:31 utc | 7
terrorism: The unlawful use of violence or threat of violence to instill fear and coerce governments or societies. Terrorism is often motivated by religious, political, or other ideological beliefs and committed in the pursuit of goals that are usually political.
The Boston bombings occured on Patriots' Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts, commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. These were the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. It is observed on the third Monday in April in Massachusetts (and in Maine, where it is Patriot's Day, which was once part of Massachusetts).
Patriots' Day terrorism. Now will come the police state's reaction under the USA Patriot Act.
Speaking of bombs Made In USA, they're usually used abroad
WWII -- 1.6 million tons of bombs
Korean War -- 600,000 tons
Vietnam War -- 7 million tons
Iraq Gulf War -- 88,500 tons
Iraq OIF -- ? probably about 80,000 tons again
Afghanistan OEF -- ?*
*The 14,000 tons of bombs dropped upon Afghanistan between October 2001 and February 2002 killed, at a conservative estimate, between 3,100 and 3,500.
@Monolycus#6, You cant state it is not, as much as someone can state that it is, either way you are wrong, unless you are privy to inside information and know all the facts that the rest of us don't. As far as the definition of terrorism, and there are many, and not only politically motivation, like; religious or ideological goals; the common vein is deliberately targeting or disregard the safety of non-combatants, civilians/citizens generally unrelated. One such definition: United Nations Secretary General report described terrorism as: any act "intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act". So we have a clear and/Or (Very UN, never tie yourself down). However this case does more and is defined by 'Domestic terrorism' (For now, as the Nationality or persons are still unclear) as Terrorists (USG)are entities that attack national symbols,events, gatherings (As the Marathon was) to display power and to attempt to shake the foundation of the country or society they are opposed to.
This act did negatively affect a government, RoL, peace and general well being of all, not just the US, it even rippled the stock market.
True, if you want to spin, one can say; separatist, freedom fighter, liberator, revolutionary, opposition, vigilante, militant, paramilitary, guerrilla, rebel etc; all dressing, unless you have an agenda and need to change perception for the agenda.
In the US, the ruling the aside from 'Political terrorism' covers Civil disorder as one of six terrorist categories, and many more sub cat's – A form of collective violence interfering with the peace, security, and normal functioning of the community - This went far beyond 'community'. Participants of the event were also 'International', the runners!
In a nut shell, whatever the outcome, it is 'Terrorism'. I addition; Medically devaluing a perpetrator does not lessen the crime or change the act, it just changes the judgement or penalty. What you are stating is a person who is mentally unstable can politically (If they so do decide) or not blow shit up and because they are unbalanced, it is not an act of terror?
Posted by: Kev | Apr 16 2013 12:31 utc | 10
Concur with Don#7; the Patriot act is only suited to an agenda if needed. An Act that has the clause "other purposes" that often includes the detection and prosecution of non-terrorist 'alleged' future crimes. In other words, your screwed even if innocent. In this case, even if clear cut, the Act (As mentioned on Patriot Day) is silenced and vocalizing 'Terrorism' is a no-no!
Posted by: Kev | Apr 16 2013 12:49 utc | 11
My view is that there is three major strands that have lead to this steady escalation in Iraq - all of which has been covered in various parts by 'b' & other posters here, but I like to summarise:
1) The enormous sums of money & arms flowing into the salafi horde from the GCC/NATO alliance moving on from Libya & now into Syria. This has been well covered here, with the enormous jihadi recruitment drive weaponizing thousands of jihadis streaming from across the globe into the staging grounds around Syria.
2) The now accepted wisdom across the board that the Shia gaining power in Iraq was an enormous loss to the West, & that Iraq has now been moved into a subset of the anti-Iran file across many of the major Western thinktanks. The Saudi's have been extremely hostile from the start, & the current Western elite factions in the driving seat appears to have accepted their 'solution' to the problem, ie. chaos followed by open insurrection.
3) The fact that Syria isn't going that well for the jihadi's inspite of the vast levels of Western/GCC support & they are taking enormous losses. As numerous propaganda videos & their actions attest, many of these 'Warriors of God' are in fact cowards that are much happier slaughtering helpless civilians than engaging in a standup fight, or even in protracted guerilla warfare, ala Hezbollah. They are now looking for easier targets away from the meatgrinder that is Syria...
Some of the attacks are obviously orchestrated, likely by the Saudi's utilising some Western off-the-books intelligence resources, ie. the assaults & bombings of independant politicians standing for the coming elections, especially targeting independant Sunni voices. Others attacks appear to be more opportunistic - an obvious result of recruiting, arming & sending the thousands of jihadi's into Syria, from where they spread to what seems to be easiest target of opportunity but where their actions will still be supported by GCC money train.
The Iraqi government seems to have only realised the extent of their predicament recently, as the US seems to of kept soothing them with promises of official backing (again, there seems to different factions at play - the conventional US military seems to want to back them & have been doing so to a certain extent, but they keep getting over-ruled by the 'liberal/humanitarian' imperialist factions & the CIA. There are also the oil majors along with the new Middle Eastern pipelinistan great game).
Finally they seemed to wake up & went through with the major Russian arms deal. They will need to expedite this quickly, especially the Mi-28's. The salafi's next move will likely be to set up staging areas from which they can expand from, & these need to smashed fast. With the amount of heavy armament that have been given to the salafi's, the weaponry the US has been selling to them won't cut it, but the heavily armoured, armed, & sophisticated Mil's will chop right through them.
They also need to stop sitting on the fence about Iran & start supporting the Iranian channels of support into Syria much more pro-actively instead of just looking the other way now & then.
One of the 'good' things that may result from all this carnage is that the West/GCC alliance seems to be inexorably driving Iran, Syria & Iraq into a block of mutual support, as each will need the other to help survive the onslaught.
Posted by: KenM | Apr 16 2013 14:12 utc | 12
The day after, and TV is still dedicating all of its "news" coverage to this. They have nothing new to say but yammer non-stop.
This can only be good for security budgets under threat by sequester.
Posted by: JohnH | Apr 16 2013 15:04 utc | 13
Jim Stone is always interesting, never boring, on the marathon here. Apparently there were sniffer dogs near where the first bomb went off, part of a "drill."
Before the Iraq invasion, some warned that the projected violence would come home (i.e. to USuk), and not thru blowback, as it is usually understood or touted by the left (we are evil and do harm, others will naturally riposte or seek revenge, one can’t blame them for that!), but simply as a way of acting, of doing.
We were both right and wrong.
9/11 spawned, as many crimes do, copycats. The London and Madrid bombings, both seriously deadly, were false flag, or better said, collaboration between parts of the PTB and roped in dummies or poor on-the-make types, to make it perhaps too simple.
Wrong because subsequently there have been no major incidents of “terrorism” in the USuk besides insignificant events of different kinds: shoe bomber, underwear bomber, - media hype! - flying into a building that houses a tax office, abortion clinics, 2007 Glasgow airport ‘attack’, etc., all of them, imho, either fabricated with help from whomever, or pathetic lone nuts, in any case trivial.
In the US, any excuse has to be used for the ‘fear factor’, generally by obscuring ‘right-wing’ terror and hyping either mysteries or anything that can be connected to Muslims.
Posted by: Noirette | Apr 16 2013 16:22 utc | 16
--The battles of Lexington and Concord were on April 19, 1775.
--The Waco siege began on Sunday, February 28, 1993, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19.
--The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.
Before the Iraq invasion, some warned that the projected violence would come home (i.e. to USuk), and not thru blowback, as it is usually understood or touted by the left (we are evil and do harm, others will naturally riposte or seek revenge, one can’t blame them for that!), but simply as a way of acting, of doing.
I WAS gonna post
"first person to post something about blaming this on 'Blowback' gets 2 hasbara gold-stars"
but you ruined before I got there
Posted by: yah . . . But | Apr 16 2013 16:37 utc | 18
NATO’s Secret Army by Daniel Ganser [PDF]
“You had to attack civilians, the people, women, children, innocent people, unknown people far removed from any political game. The reason was quite simple: to force … the public to turn to the state to ask for greater security.”
Operation Gladio and Terrorism in Western Europe
Posted by: yah . . . But | Apr 16 2013 16:47 utc | 19
curious
--The two explosions occurred at 2.50PM on Monday.
--After I spoke to McCormick [and after the two explosions], there was a loud sound, which seemed to come from the other side of Copley Square, and the crowd began to move around uneasily. It was a little after four. It may have been a controlled detonation by the police (it was reported that there was at least one). Or maybe it was just the sound of something heavy being dropped—a normal city sound.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/04/after-the-boston-marathon-explosion.html
--Boston law enforcement indicated on the emergency personnel radio scanner at 3:53 p.m. ET that they would be conducting a controlled explosion on the 600 block of Boylston Street, near the Copley Square site of the original explosions that rocked the Boston Marathon earlier Monday afternoon. The explosion occurred around 3:55 p.m. ET -- news reports follow.
http://www.sbnation.com/2013/4/15/4227858/boston-marathon-explosions-controlled-detonation
--Boston police initially said a third incident — a fire or explosion — occurred at the JFK Presidential Library at around 4:30 p.m., about an hour and a half after and four miles away from the marathon blasts. But they later indicated that incident was unrelated to the attack.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/twin_bombing_rocks_boston_ruCEEddqK5xkHVxquE2FaO
--BOSTON -- Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick says no unexploded bombs were found at the Boston Marathon. He says the only explosives were the ones that went off Monday. . .Special Agent in Charge Richard DesLauriers says at a news conference there are no known additional threats.
http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/295074/45/Officials-Only-two-explosives-at-Boston-Marathon?odyssey=tab|topnews|bc|large
I hesitate to post these photos, because I don't know the time they were taken, but I will anyhow because it appears that they were taken shortly after the events.
--K-9 unit, Boston Police, photo 2
--Hazmat worker at scene, "special operations command", photo 5
Curious, Indeed. High profile event with relatively low casualties. If they don't name a Neo-Nazi pro gun control group as the suspects, I will be very surprised. No Crazy Jihadist this time.
Posted by: HIlmi Hakim | Apr 16 2013 17:11 utc | 22
Shocking bit of commentary from the Guardian. I almost choked on my tea.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/16/boston-marathon-explosions-notes-reactions
Posted by: Sasha | Apr 16 2013 20:44 utc | 23
@Sasha, just read it, an balanced report; very rare. As I see it the reporter is neither American or from another conflict/War zone thus looks at the issue in black and white, i.e. civilians/Deaths/method, and rightly came to the conclusion the Boston attack is minor in the bigger picture in terms of civilian atrocities, unless your an American that is. But as you said, 'choked on tea'; likewise my mouth sat open (Kettle was still boiling), even the comments we 'pro' the write-up.
I just saw 'Ricin' is in US post to a senator as 'Breaking News' not sure if this is a diversion, as they also linked 9/11 (Anthrax) to the same MO - more fear mongering. Frigging caster oil by-product, this is a false flag, and making it seem like terrorism but will not mention the 'word'. In that the write-up also mentioned 'Is that what "terrorism" is?' and rightly so!
Posted by: Kev | Apr 16 2013 23:02 utc | 24
The AP, ever helpful, quotes the ever-present "person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still going on," Apr 16
A person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still going on said the explosives were put in 6-liter kitchen pressure cookers, hidden in black duffel bags and left on the ground. They were packed with shrapnel, the person said.The person said law enforcement officials have some of the bomb components but do not yet know what was used to set off the explosives.
A doctor treating the wounded appeared to corroborate the person's account, saying one of the victims was maimed by what looked like ball bearings or BBs. Doctors also said they removed a host of sharp objects from the victims, including nails that were sticking out of one little girl's body.
Similar pressure-cooker explosives have been used in Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, according to a July 2010 intelligence report by the FBI and Homeland Security. Also, one of the three devices used in the May 2010 Times Square attempted bombing was a pressure cooker, the report said.
"Placed carefully, such devices provide little or no indication of an impending attack," the report said.
Remember, place it carefully.
Sugar bombs are old hat, used in all sorts of sealed 'High Pressure' objects like fire an extinguisher. This can be triggered with match-heads, no explosives needed. Black-powder would also work and would smoke like the footage. This is essentially a pipe-bomb but bigger (Volume). The question is trigger, a mechanical timer, ignition; even impact can cause match head friction. One would rule out GSM/Radio triggers. For a lone Wolf this would be virtually impossible to pull off, you would stick out like a sore thumb in a manicure advert. CNN is showing a before and after pic of a bag next to a post box, the after shows the post box only, the box looked intact?
In that, this bomb type was planned before, Accused Fort Hood plotter, also not a "terrorist attack" - Huh?
“Abdo admitted that he planned to assemble two bombs in the hotel room using gun powder and shrapnel packed into pressure cookers to detonate inside an unspecified restaurant frequented by soldiers from Fort Hood,” the affidavit says.
Posted by: Kev | Apr 16 2013 23:38 utc | 27
@#25
How difficult can it be to become a journalist?
It's 'dealer's choice' -- either make up something or look it up on the web, and then attribute it to 'a person who can't be identified because . . .', write it up and publish it.
I'm sure that Karen Jeffrey hasn't been the only one to make stuff up, by a long shot. Cape Cod Times:
The reporter was Karen Jeffrey, 59, a writer for the Cape Cod Times since 1981. In an audit of her work, Times editors have been unable to find 69 people in 34 stories since 1998, when we began archiving stories electronically.On Tuesday, Jeffrey admitted to fabricating people in some of these articles and giving some others false names. She no longer works for the Cape Cod Times.
Jeffrey went too far with it, is the reason she got caught. Instead of quoting "persons who choose to remain anonymous because . ." like the geniuses on AP, etc., she fabricated people.
In 2011, for example, a story on the Fourth of July parade in Cotuit featured Johnson Coggins, 88, “the patriarch of the family” and a longtime Cotuit summer resident. No one by that name can be found using public-records searches and there is no Coggins in the town of Barnstable's assessor's database. We were unable to locate five other people featured in that story.
Real "journalists" don't do that - they use anonymous sources. Why be creative?
Okay, that's my vent for the day.
Don Bacon (25)
Yes, right.
And: Don't forget to rip out the security valve and to properly weld-close the hole.
Because - and this might be non-neglegible for explosion-type attacks - that valve is there for one simple reason: to open up if too much pressure builds up.
Or, to put it in an easy to remember way for terrorists:
Don't forget to close the valve
or the fun will be less than half.
"Placed carefully, such devices provide little or no indication of an impending attack," the report said.
How right he is! As everyone knows, pretty everyone over there, be "there" Pakistan or the usa, is running around with ressure cookers all the time. But then, they're just too practical and handy, those pressure cookers. In the morning you make your coffee or tea with them and drink it out of them (after having washed your face in them and brushed your teeth); later, in the office, they come handy when watering your flowers or - who hasn't experienced that? - when your desk is full and you don't know where to put all those files and your keyboard. One must be careful though to properly mark them! Often times I saw people debating or even fighting just because their pressure cookers looked to similar and they hadn't marked them properly.
Ball bearings, too. Standard terrorist equipment.
And they have an additional advantage: if you went to a hardware store asking for some large bolts and nuts, say, just the size needed for a car wheel, they'd look at you in a strange way and become mistrusting. Asking for ball-bearings, though, wakes no sleeping dogs. Actually you might even ask your neighbours wife to kindly bring 10 or 12 Pounds of ball-bearing along when she goes shopping.
Somewhat unsatisfying, however, I find the fact that they hardly mentioned mobile phones as bomb triggers. And they have so many advantages that they are quite naturally in a terrorists standard equipment. Hardly 10 times more expensive than one of those gazillion electronic boards and way more complicated. Electronics boards are for noobs; actually quite many of them already have 2 poles marked "load" (Please note that meaningless marking rather than something useful like "bomb ignition"). With a mobile phone, though, it's so much more comfortable. With just a high speed oscilloscope and a logic analyser along with an electronics lab you are prepared to find the extremely tiny 2 spots where you can soldier your wires through the case of the phone (which also looks conveniently unsuspicious).
Maybe it's about time for the cia to publish "A terrorist in 14 days" or "explosion attacks for dummies".
Posted by: Mr. Pragma | Apr 16 2013 23:43 utc | 29
Just ask yourself of what religious persuasion were those who perpetrated the list of attacks on this so-called Bloody Monday. Comparable attacks occur every day of the week, every week of the year. It's no wonder we become complacent.
Posted by: David | Apr 16 2013 23:48 utc | 30
news report: The countdown clock on the Chicago Marathon's website Tuesday showed 179 days left until the Oct. 13 race, but organizers this week were focused with fresh urgency on security details in the wake of Monday's apparent terrorist attack in Boston.
in other news: Chicago Weekend Shootings: Four Dead Among The 26 Shot Around The City In Weekend Gun Violence
A laissez faire approach to terrorism would be a BANE, not a boon, for the defense and homeland security industry. So I doubt, despite what some in the MSM have suggested, that a laissez faire approach to terrorism will lead to a boom in the terror market, i.e., the war on terror. The war on drugs is a reliable template of this. The more we spend on the war on drugs, the bigger the war on drugs becomes.
Therefore, the most strategically sensible steps the US can take to ensure itself against terrorist attacks is to drag its arrogant military ass out of all other countries and to shut its yapping pie hole about how evil any other country is! These steps add nothing to the military and homeland security budget and are guaranteed to be effective.
And I know that hindsight is 20-20, but why didn't these world-renowned "security experts" make any efforts to secure a high-profile finish line? Just another reason why it's futile to waste a lot on tax dollars on combating the war on terror!
Posted by: Cynthia | Apr 17 2013 14:50 utc | 32
Don Bacon,
The obvious response is to ignore any terrorism that doesn't rise above the daily traffic-fatalities level.
Posted by: Cynthia | Apr 17 2013 14:51 utc | 33
30) David, I suggest no religion. The following is a list of so called "Christian" terrorists.
Posted by: somebody | Apr 17 2013 16:02 utc | 34
Not really in the news:
Peshawar City, Pakistan, 16 Apr 2013: At least 17 people were killed and near 60 more wounded in a suicide bomb blast at a political gathering of the Awami National Party meeting in Peshawar. Several hundred people were attending the meeting when the bomb went off. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. It was the fourth deadly attack on politicians or political parties in three days in Pakistan as the country prepares to hold elections on May 11. “A suicide bomber, who was standing among the workers waiting outside the meeting venue to welcome the leaders, jumped in front of the leader's car and blew himself up.” About six kilograms of explosives along with splinters and ball bearings were used in the bombing. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\04\17\story_17-4-2013_pg1_1 , http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-97057-Peshawar:-Blast-near-ANP-rally-kills-4,-injures-20
I dare to assume that almost no real terrorists exist that is, that basically every "terrorist" attack is state sponsored or executed by secret services.
Of course, private persons kill, too. And for many reasons. But all those reasons fall in 1 of 2 categories, crime or personal (jealousy, revenge, etc.) In basically all cases private persons go for a clearly defined target (a bank, the lover, etc.). "Terrorism" however goes against rather indiscriminate groups.
While I can't see any reason whatsoever for a private person or group to bomb marathon runners, there are plenty of reasons a state or interest group could have.
Also the risk/benefit ratio is completely different for private persons and state organizations. To instill fear and panic in a rather indiscriminate group has no value for a private person while the risk to be cought is extremely increased. For a state organization, however, it's quite the contrary; the state power (police etc.) are no danger but rather an asset and instilling fear and panic serves a states interests very well.
Another point worthy mentioning is the child-victim. Basically every human being has a very high barrier to harm or kill children. Actually there are cases of crimes stopped for the simple reason that a child entered the scene (e.g. a child with his maother in a bank to be robbed).
For state organizations, however, this "shock factor" is actually a benefit. Bluntly speaking it strongly underlines the question intended to form in citizens minds "Are we willing to tolerate that or should we give more power to the state?" With a dead or maimed child in the equation the chances to get a "Go" are considerably higher for the state.
Btw.: Turning this around also explains why it's so important for the usa military and the embedded media whores to show kids with weapons early on in the war (and be it by giving some boy a weapon and some dollars to wave it ...). On a conscious level this carries the message how savage those enemies are; on a subconscious level it "OK's" the indiscriminate brutality of ones own troups. After all, even kids of the enemy are to be perceived as dangerous killers.
Posted by: Mr. Pragma | Apr 17 2013 22:34 utc | 36
Not really in the news:
17 Apr 2013, Afghanistan. Casualty figures for April suggest that about 182 people have been killed in violence in Afghanistan this month, making it the bloodiest month of 2013. In today's events at least 24 people have been killed in five separate attacks across west, east and north Afghanistan, officials say. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22181135 . Afghanistan officials said attacks across the country on Wednesday 17 Apr 2013 killed at least 19 people, including police officers and health care workers. Wednesday’s attacks reflect an uptick in violence as spring fighting gets underway. http://www.english.moqawama.org/fastnewsdetails.php?fstid=4967
Wako, Texas fire, fertilized plant, a cover-up of a bigger 'home grown' plan that could be related to Boston - OR am I just being a tit?
Posted by: Kev | Apr 18 2013 3:02 utc | 38
This incident is also on April 19th, same as the Siege and Bombing Wako. Little more than strange or coincident, and the likely hood of the Pressure cooker bomb being fertilizer based is also high. This is looking more and more like the “Patriot” movement". Is this a group (About 1000+ groups at the moment) or is this bigger - The state of U.S. economy also may offer the best single explanation for the huge expansion in the so-called “sovereign citizens” movement, a subset of the larger Patriot movement. Although the size of the sovereign movement is hard to gauge — sovereigns tend to operate as individuals rather than in organized groups — law enforcement officials around the country have reported encounters. The SPLC, for its part, has estimated that some 300,000 Americans are involved. Mabey they are starting to communicate?
Posted by: Kev | Apr 18 2013 4:15 utc | 39
That nitrate plant in Texas:
April 17 (a few years ago):
Blasts and Fires Wreck Texas City of 15,000; 300 to 1,200 Dead; Thousands Hurt, Homeless; Wide Coast Area Rocked, Damage in Millions
Texas City, Tex., Thursday, April 17 - A chain of explosions set off by the blowing up of a nitrate-laden ship smote this Gulf port yesterday, killing hundreds and injuring thousands. It was the worst American disaster in ten years.Much of the boom industrial city of 15,000 population was destroyed or damaged. Property loss will run into millions of dollars.
Fires followed the blasts. Poisonous gas from exploding chemicals was reported to be filtering through the area.
Estimates of the fatalities ranged from 1,200 down to 450.
...
@ #38 e
"Special Forces in Boston?"
NOTE: TheAtlanticWire.com discusses the 4Chan "Think Tank" but strangely makes no mention of the various photos showing the 2 "Special Forces" looking guys.
Pretty sloppy if it's them, though
Posted by: yah . . . But | Apr 18 2013 15:19 utc | 41
I still don't understand the western hatred of Muslims, Dave S wrote.
First, not everyone exhibits that hate as Dave knows.
In Europe, when talking ethno/religious/racial groups, from say 1950 > 1990, hatred of Jews, of Blacks, of immigrants as a class predominated. Not to mention other targets such as homosexuals, the very rich, or Catholics hating Protestants, and so on. Or just ‘immigrants’, again..
The country that had the biggest problems with post-colonial immigration, France, did not frame social problems or scape-goating in religious terms, but in National terms (.. Algerians are scum), or in terms that refer to social groups, such as ‘ppl living in X suburb’, ‘uneducated profiting from social assistance’, etc. Not Muslims. Nobody cared about religious-ethnic definitions.
The hatred for Muslims is a result of relentless, continuing, media manipulations.
It started before 9/11 - think defiled Palestinian suicide bombers - but thereafter boomed.
Day by day, the news shows pictures, snippets, odd news, writes articles, that overtly or subtly describes the terrorist or devil class as ‘Muslim’. The BBC is a master at this.
The media sortie had the effect of making Muslims (previously unconcerned by this aspect of discrimination) band together more, re-enforce their ‘culture’, and opened up new spaces for ‘Muslim’ leaders to enter to mobilize ppl., not to mention those who can be radicalized under any banner. (See Syria.) Being an avowed Muslim became a self-defensive move, a new community being created, which then in turn can be identified, then throws up nasty, aggressive, discussions, etc.
Muslims are painted as the ultimate evil, for Sharia law, for patriarchy, for backwardness, for poverty, for lack of education, for women’s role, for rejecting homosexuals, and on and on. Lots of social values in there - try entering a French restaurant wearing a veil today, can’t be done. That is why it works, in part: the hate bypasses the racist label and becomes ‘cultural’, so to speak, a new yardstick trumped up out of nothing. Other groups that exhibit similar characteristics get a free pass. Muslims are *terrorists*, there you go, truth!
Almost all terrorist attacks in the W in the past 20 years have been carried out by separatists, extreme right- and left- wing factions, almost always local, inc. some lone nuts. Or by the State (false flag.)
Israel’s enemies are Muslim, and several ‘muslim’ countries are sitting on huge oil reserves. So for the W sheeples to go along Muslims have to be demonized.
Posted by: Noirette | Apr 18 2013 15:29 utc | 42
So those navy seal guys dressed in black, wearing desert fatigues and desert boots, were also wearing Craft International/Blackwater/Xe logos? And were somehow able to avoid injury, but still be on the scene immediately after to 'help'? I don't think we need to even bring Mossad into this. Patsies, yes. Why is this not on the news?
BUT WHY WOULD THESE MERCENARIES DISPLAY THEIR LOGOS so prominently and dress alike? Hubris?
Posted by: L Bean | Apr 18 2013 18:59 utc | 43
Crazy as hell, CNN & BBC still running with two suspects, Black cap & White cap, both teens and not connected, Huff post did a piece eventually. The one lad happens to be of Moroccan origin, and scared stiff. New York Post had recklessly placed on its cover a picture of two young men not implicated in the Boston attack and labeled them BAG MEN in its headline. BTW the two men have been "cleared by investigators.". Media making a buck again, hope they get sued! The full statement from Allan, the Post editor, was obtained by Salon:
We stand by our story. The image was emailed to law enforcement agencies yesterday afternoon seeking information about these men, as our story reported. We did not identify them as suspects.
Just the 'Bag men then'?
Posted by: Kev | Apr 19 2013 4:12 utc | 44
"Crazy as hell, CNN & BBC still running with two suspects, Black cap & White cap, both teens and not connected, Huff post did a piece eventually"
long after the media knew it was neither of the 2 guys fingered by the Post, the media still keeps banging that drum. while ignoring completely the 2 guys all dolled up to look like Special-Forces-guys-on-Recon.
Some will of course (as usual) ignore this and will of course (as usual) attempt to dismiss it entirely as merely the media being dumb and racist, pointing the finger at the most Muslim-looking guys they could find.
But it no longer is just ONE media outlet completely ignoring the 2 guys all dolled up to look like Special-Forces-guys-on-Recon.
Now there's a whole herd of them doing the obvious ignoring.
Posted by: yah . . . But | Apr 19 2013 6:05 utc | 45
care to be more specific in your objections? Otherwise it's impossible to understand what it is you are objecting to.
For example: Are you maintaining that the were no " 2 guys all dolled up to look like Special-Forces-guys-on-Recon."?
Are you maintaining that those photos of " 2 guys all dolled up to look like Special-Forces-guys-on-Recon." are fake?
Or are you maintaining that the " 2 guys all dolled up to look like Special-Forces-guys-on-Recon." pictured at the bombsite, shortly before the bombs went off, are of no significance?
How would you know that?
Are you maintaining that I am wrong in my assertion that the media has as yet made no mention of the " 2 guys all dolled up to look like Special-Forces-guys-on-Recon."?
If so could you provide me with some of examples of mainstream media reporting of the " 2 guys all dolled up to look like Special-Forces-guys-on-Recon", please.
Posted by: yah . . . But | Apr 20 2013 4:57 utc | 46
The comments to this entry are closed.
Again I say bombs have gone off in Boston. While at work all the employees were gathered in the cafeteria watching and agonizing over what is truly a sad and tragic event. Especially in a city I know fairly well as a result of having lived in the Summerville neighborhood once upon a magical time. Well back to the future, the employees gathered round the idiot box watching the footage of what I can only call an inside job at the moment. The people asked themselves how could this happen? Why?
I reminded them all that aren't they surprised that this doesn't happen more often as a result of the shit this country pulls all over the world?
Plus I told them that this is what people have to suffer through in places like Iraq.
Of course many of the faces went blank and tuned me out. Others thought about it and actually reasoned over what Id said. So no, I'm not happy that America has experienced in a small scale it visits upon others. I'm very sad.
I'm hoping that the bastards who did this are caught and executed in a horrible way.
Posted by: Fernando | Apr 16 2013 6:09 utc | 1