Bomb attack in Boston

[patrick1]

Pretty sure that graphic pictures (ah, language) are deemed 'not o.k' for the same reason that swearing is.

Nobody gives a sh**t what you deem to be ok and not ok.  Go ahead, start infracting people for posting links to images of this tragedy.  It'll make you really super popular.  You're pathetic.  Infract me up to 11.  I'd welcome the points over this issue.

Al really has no business being a moderator. These images are part of the history that the United States lived through today.

You can find the graphic stuff on hundreds of other sites. They don't belong or need to be here.

[patrick1]

Pretty sure that graphic pictures (ah, language) are deemed 'not o.k' for the same reason that swearing is.

Nobody gives a sh**t what you deem to be ok and not ok.  Go ahead, start infracting people for posting links to images of this tragedy.  It'll make you really super popular.  You're pathetic.  Infract me up to 11.  I'd welcome the points over this issue.

Al really has no business being a moderator. These images are part of the history that the United States lived through today.

You can find the graphic stuff on hundreds of other sites. They don't belong or need to be here.

Well, in that case.. why are we even discussing this here?  Surely there are other, better sites for national tragedies... I guess once you've seen the insides of someone you love as they nearly go mad from the pain.... you take offense when people try to censor this.  You think the people near the bomb got a ToS compliant view of the tragedy?  

When people like you defend people like Al about rules and regulations in situations like this.. it does nothing but breed resentment and make light of the situation.  "Oh, it was a tragedy.. but I just can't stomach seeing body parts!  I'm so terribly weak.. and you know!  Rules and regulations!"

There is a time and a place, indeed.

Snowguy, relax man.  What is to be gained from gore here on this board?  I don't see how posting peoples guts are going to make anyone feel anything useful or gain deeper insight into this tragedy.  The Leip wanted this board free from that type and wanted it school and office safe. Ive seen the early pics that are far worse than what was linked to. It is just gruesome stuff and really traumatic.  Maybe the younger folks are already jaded- but I don't think this sites owner wants kids stumbling on that here.

[patrick1]

Any coverage of the 31 people killed and 200 injured in the multiple bombings across Iraq today?

Guess not, huh?

Events are only as noteworthy as they are novel. 

Yes, it was on the news this morning. What is your point?  There are plenty of "news" stories that are not worthy of the airtime.  This is not one of them.

[patrick1]

So either the low bombs are a sign of potential incompetence... or the attacker got the runners exactly where he meant to. 

But someone attacking a marathon seriously doesn't make sense... which is why there's so much speculation.

Likely just an access thing on the placement. Dumped in the bottom of the trash bin or the attacker left a bag on the ground.

It really makes perfect sense for a terrorist of any stripe. Tons of people, big event and plenty of video cameras rolling. You get people scared and you get their attention.

The long game for AQ or similar groups in that movement, if this is indeed them, is to just have us overreact and spend a whole lot more money. Awlaki and whatever dead guy #2's name was were pretty clear in this new strategy in INSPIRE.

[patrick1]

It really makes perfect sense for a terrorist of any stripe. Tons of people, big event and plenty of video cameras rolling. You get people scared and you get their attention.

But that's not quite right... unless you're blowing yourself up, blowing up things in such a high-attention location is inevitably going to get you arrested.  Just look at how many videos at how many angles of the explosions have been documented!  There are so many videos of the two hours before the explosions that it's nearly inconceivable to think that the identity of the bombers couldn't be discovered just from them, unless somehow the bombers set things up before the race even started getting set up.  And, from what I've heard, the location where the bombs were set off is high-camera anyway.  Yet, despite those facts, we have just one not-confirmed "person of interest", no one is saying that the likely bomber died in the explosions, and no one has claimed responsibility.

I'm with snowguy here.  This whole thing doesn't make much sense.  Given the camera issues, one might presume this is the work of an amateur, but the precision of the bombs (as well as the scope of the attempted bombing; 5+ unexploded bombs were discovered after the fact) suggests otherwise.  I almost wonder if it was a lone wolf attempting to impress some bigger group; but what's the point of that if you're just going to get caught right away?

You are transposing normal thought patterns and behavior on unnatural actions. Having studied terror attacks in some depth, most of the time there is less thought process and planning, if at all, into getting away with it. Of course, the group/individual affiliation, motivation, dynamic has a lot to do with this.  My gut instinct tells me this is lone wolf or very small cell of a couple people. Someone like the Times Square bomber. People willing to take the martyrdom route only if cornered.  That may also be why BPD, FBI etc etc is being tight lipped.  You could have situation like after Madrid where bombers take themselves out once noose tightens.

[patrick1]

It really makes perfect sense for a terrorist of any stripe. Tons of people, big event and plenty of video cameras rolling. You get people scared and you get their attention.

But that's not quite right... unless you're blowing yourself up, blowing up things in such a high-attention location is inevitably going to get you arrested.  Just look at how many videos at how many angles of the explosions have been documented!  There are so many videos of the two hours before the explosions that it's nearly inconceivable to think that the identity of the bombers couldn't be discovered just from them, unless somehow the bombers set things up before the race even started getting set up.  And, from what I've heard, the location where the bombs were set off is high-camera anyway.  Yet, despite those facts, we have just one not-confirmed "person of interest", no one is saying that the likely bomber died in the explosions, and no one has claimed responsibility.

I'm with snowguy here.  This whole thing doesn't make much sense.  Given the camera issues, one might presume this is the work of an amateur, but the precision of the bombs (as well as the scope of the attempted bombing; 5+ unexploded bombs were discovered after the fact) suggests otherwise.  I almost wonder if it was a lone wolf attempting to impress some bigger group; but what's the point of that if you're just going to get caught right away?

You are transposing normal thought patterns and behavior on unnatural actions. Having studied terror attacks in some depth, most of the time there is less thought process and planning, if at all, into getting away with it. Of course, the group/individual affiliation, motivation, dynamic has a lot to do with this.  My gut instinct tells me this is lone wolf or very small cell of a couple people. Someone like the Times Square bomber. People willing to take the martyrdom route only if cornered.  That may also be why BPD, FBI etc etc is being tight lipped.  You could have situation like after Madrid where bombers take themselves out once noose tightens.

Well, I wasn't really suggesting they were going to try to get away with it.  It's more that it seems like if they knew anything at all it would be that they wouldn't get away with it, and, if so, why they haven't surfaced yet...

But I'll defer to your expertise.

I wouldn't call it expertise. I was only fortunate enough to study it with  professionals in the field and trust the real experts are following the leads and will catch the perpetrators in due time. (My current line of work is very peripheral and really wholly unrelated to this and I am just a news watcher)  You are right that this is far from the proverbial perfect crime. Should be a whole lot of evidence to work with once you separate the wheat from the chaff.

[patrick1]

I hope this bit of whether it matters whether the perps where of the Left or Right, non political, Christian, Muslim or atheist, or none of the above, is out of everyone's system. There are nutters out there from all stripes, and to make something out of what the nutter(s) believed as opposed to what was done, simply serves no useful purpose that I can think of.

And I say nutter deliberately. No cause can be furthered by this sort of act. It can only be hurt. Most of the planet recoils from the slaughter of the totally innocent. It requires a psychotic mind to go where the perp(s) went here.

While I agree with the spirit of the post, I'd have to disagree with a minor element.  It is instructive as a preventative tool to study the motivations and methodology of the people who carry out these type of attacks.  Of course, the identifiers of the attackers can be twisted into grotesque bigotry or over rationalization of the merits of the motivations of said attackers but hey opinions are like a$sholes.