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Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 10:42 AM Apr 2013

Boston Marathon Bombings: FBI Hunts Terror 'Sleeper Cell' Linked to Tsarnaev Brothers

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by NancyBlueINOklahoma (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: International Business times and multiple UK paper

The FBI is hunting a 12-man terrorist "sleeper cell" linked to the brothers suspected of carrying out the Boston bombings.

The Bureau believes that Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev received training in bomb-making before they carried out the attack, which killed three people.
...
A source close to the investigation said: "We have no doubt the brothers were not acting alone. The devices used to detonate the two bombs were highly sophisticated and not the kind of thing people learn from Google.

Read more: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/459580/20130421/boston-bombings-tamerlan-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-sleeper-cell.htm



Take this with a grain of salt.

However, if there is a widespread investigation various agencies in the UK would have been notified and because this is all over the UK papers, it is possible that one of those people leaked.
36 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Boston Marathon Bombings: FBI Hunts Terror 'Sleeper Cell' Linked to Tsarnaev Brothers (Original Post) Yo_Mama Apr 2013 OP
Either if true or not, more security and vigilance is needed along with major gun/bullet control graham4anything Apr 2013 #1
Terrorism, the endless war....which is why we should be very, very careful. mother earth Apr 2013 #3
Madison-The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty (however) graham4anything Apr 2013 #11
Yes, graham, there are two sides to every story. I think that's all we want, the WHOLE of it. mother earth Apr 2013 #17
Except in the case of guns/bullets graham4anything Apr 2013 #20
I don't think it's winnable, but the background checks should be a no brainer & one would've mother earth Apr 2013 #21
It is why we need 75 to 25 or 80-20 instead of 50-50. graham4anything Apr 2013 #23
Yes the devices dipsydoodle Apr 2013 #2
Did you know ... CountAllVotes Apr 2013 #5
I'd missed that dipsydoodle Apr 2013 #9
and it seems that he wasn't doing so well in his classes UpInArms Apr 2013 #12
I believe his major was chemistry CountAllVotes Apr 2013 #14
He failed two Chemistry courses. (Don't know if he passed any...) deurbano Apr 2013 #29
Just because he "failed" CountAllVotes Apr 2013 #34
Don't know if this is legit, but I'll take this opportunity to recommend "Sleeper Cell" gateley Apr 2013 #4
I'll endorse that. dipsydoodle Apr 2013 #10
Haven't seen that -- I'll check it out. gateley Apr 2013 #24
You can't check it out - release date is September 2013 dipsydoodle Apr 2013 #26
Haha! The "3" made me think I'd missed the first two! gateley Apr 2013 #27
Oh, I DID miss the first two seasons. I'll check THOSE out, then! :-) gateley Apr 2013 #28
If you've never seen Homeland dipsydoodle Apr 2013 #32
Yeah, just checked with some friends on FB and the one who's responded gateley Apr 2013 #33
Season 2 will not be released on dvd until September. dipsydoodle Apr 2013 #35
There was a thread here yesterday... iandhr Apr 2013 #6
Could be this info is false, or could be a new lead judiciacously has been found graham4anything Apr 2013 #7
I don't think the Watertown police chief would be informed Yo_Mama Apr 2013 #8
Are you kidding? John2 Apr 2013 #16
I didn't write the article and I think it should not automatically be believed Yo_Mama Apr 2013 #19
The elder brothers best friend was killed in a possibly drug-related murder starroute Apr 2013 #22
Yeah -- that's curious. Both the unsolved murder and no real mention of it. gateley Apr 2013 #25
This is just repeating the rumour the Mirror in Britain started muriel_volestrangler Apr 2013 #15
"... not the kind of thing people learn from Google." Myrina Apr 2013 #13
That struck me also. drm604 Apr 2013 #31
I don't take it with a grain of salt. jessie04 Apr 2013 #18
In other words, suspect all Muslims Hugabear Apr 2013 #30
Locking - doesn't meet LBN SOP OKNancy Apr 2013 #36
 

graham4anything

(11,464 posts)
1. Either if true or not, more security and vigilance is needed along with major gun/bullet control
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 10:44 AM
Apr 2013

mother earth

(6,002 posts)
3. Terrorism, the endless war....which is why we should be very, very careful.
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 10:52 AM
Apr 2013

"Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. … No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare." James Madison

 

graham4anything

(11,464 posts)
11. Madison-The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty (however)
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:13 AM
Apr 2013

“The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.”
― James Madison

however in 2013 there are two sides to every story

therefore, which advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.

(and more Madison quotes to follow...the folly of using a person's more noted quote is they made hundreds of easily to find other quotes that are the exact opposite than the one specifically chosen. I found the above in 5 seconds.)
(also, is Madison here to tell us which one is more importa
nt, which he compromised on, which one should be referenced???)

mother earth

(6,002 posts)
17. Yes, graham, there are two sides to every story. I think that's all we want, the WHOLE of it.
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:30 AM
Apr 2013

Like you, and Madison, it's really our only guardian of true liberty. We can't keep throwing money at a problem, it doesn't seem to be the answer. Or why would we still be having this conversation?

 

graham4anything

(11,464 posts)
20. Except in the case of guns/bullets
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:41 AM
Apr 2013

The NRA til this year has provided 100% of the spin money to keep guns/bullets legal

The only way to fight it now is to throw $1 more in every district in the USA to equal/better the NRA

Or, ban the NRA and their voicepieces(which the money is).

Terrorism and Guns/Bullets are the same thing to each specific event in some way.

mother earth

(6,002 posts)
21. I don't think it's winnable, but the background checks should be a no brainer & one would've
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:48 AM
Apr 2013

believed it would've been agreed to unanimously. You have higher hopes than I do for our broken gov't. We are in dire straights, graham. I feel we are divided and conquered as a nation, and in the end the issues at hand are secondary to the fact of our very broken gov't, hell bent on serving the oligarchy.

All issues are very worthy of debate, but when gov't is broken, what else really matters? We didn't even get background checks, which really speaks to the heart of the matter.

 

graham4anything

(11,464 posts)
23. It is why we need 75 to 25 or 80-20 instead of 50-50.
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:57 AM
Apr 2013

and yes, that means 50 to 60% from the republican side.

I do not believe 75 to 80% of republicans like their extremist leaders.

And I believe women will be a massive part of the 2016 change (if not 2014 in the house nationwide)

The only way to break a 50-50 tie is to increase one side greatly.
And once it is that bigger difference, then weed out all the bad ones from the rest, and at that time, replace them with much better. But it takes time.
If we keep the presidency it could happen 2017,2018,2019 to 2025. Not instantly.

Because just achieving that majority would then entail another 6 year cycle to get the bad ones out. It has to be constant, and it might mean holding ones nose shut until then and like I had to do in NJ, vote for Jon Corzine for Gov. over Chris Christie but not enough did.
But CC took up decases backward, not forward, so which is worse?

Sometimes to move forward one has to stay still a little to not move back.

yes, it's corny I know.

I do say, if the above don't happen, then it might just be hopeless.

dipsydoodle

(42,239 posts)
2. Yes the devices
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 10:50 AM
Apr 2013

as opposed to the bombs which seem to have been more or less what 13/14 year olds would learn in chemistry classes at school.

CountAllVotes

(22,214 posts)
5. Did you know ...
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 10:54 AM
Apr 2013

That the younger of the two brothers was studying chemistry at college? I read that somewhere ...



dipsydoodle

(42,239 posts)
9. I'd missed that
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:08 AM
Apr 2013

but in the fifties my friends and I used to delight in blowing up vegetable plots using what we'd learned chemistry at school. One Sunday morning someone decide to make a canon out of a bicycle frame section with the object of firing a large ball bearing in no particular direction. The halfwit failed to recognise that bike frames do not necessarily have parallel sided tubing and neither are they smooth on the inside. Fortunately he'd used the old jetex model plane fuse which just need a match and was in his house when what had become a pipe bomb went off. The entire neighbourhood thought someone's gas oven had exploded.

We were still messing with ammonia and iodine into our twenties but that was just to wind the cleaners at our workshop as they swept the floor to snap, crackle and pop.

UpInArms

(54,973 posts)
12. and it seems that he wasn't doing so well in his classes
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:15 AM
Apr 2013
http://nation.time.com/2013/04/20/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-boston-bombing-suspects/

But while he was a good student in high school, he suddenly started to struggle in college at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, and a transcript obtained by the Times said he failed seven classes over three semesters.

CountAllVotes

(22,214 posts)
14. I believe his major was chemistry
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:23 AM
Apr 2013

Drat! Where did I read this? I cannot remember where.

I wonder if he failed chemistry along with the other courses?

deurbano

(2,986 posts)
29. He failed two Chemistry courses. (Don't know if he passed any...)
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 12:40 PM
Apr 2013

<<The transcript shows him receiving seven failing grades over three semesters, including F’s in Principles of Modern Chemistry, Intro to American Politics and Chemistry and the Environment. According to the transcript, Dzhokhar received a B in Critical Writing and a D and D-plus in two other courses.>>

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/20/us/details-of-tsarnaev-brothers-boston-suspects-emerge.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0&ref=todayspaper

CountAllVotes

(22,214 posts)
34. Just because he "failed"
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 12:59 PM
Apr 2013

Does not mean that he did not learn something.

gateley

(62,683 posts)
4. Don't know if this is legit, but I'll take this opportunity to recommend "Sleeper Cell"
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 10:54 AM
Apr 2013

which was on Showtime several years back (two seasons). I -- from my non-member perspective -- shows insight into those who are drawn into this. Very interesting. On Netflix.

Darwyn Al-Sayeed, a 30-year-old American undercover FBI agent who is a Muslim and embracing Islam as his religion, is assigned to infiltrate a terrorist sleeper cell that is planning an attack in Los Angeles. The cell is run by an Arab extremist named Faris al-Farik who disguises as a Jewish. The members of the cell come from a variety of racial background and conflicting personalities. The series also portray members of the cell who are Muslims that commit heaviest sins of all (e.g. sex outside marriage) but want to be martyr of Islam. Darwyn is supervised by FBI senior agent Ray Fuller, also a close friend who worries for Darwyn's safety.
In the second season, Darwyn infiltrates a new cell that has formed to avenge the defeat of the original cell. When his second handler, Patrice Serxner, is killed in Sudan, Darwyn must try to work with yet another handler, Special Agent Russell. Meanwhile, his girlfriend Gayle is drawn deeper into the intrigue when she's caught between Russell, Darwyn and a member of the cell.
The writers once again offered a non-stereotypical mix of cell members, including a white European woman, a Latino-American man and, in a first for American television, a gay Muslim man.
[edit]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeper_Cell_(TV_series)

dipsydoodle

(42,239 posts)
10. I'll endorse that.
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:11 AM
Apr 2013

Shame it was discontinued.

I'm waiting for Homeland 3 too.

gateley

(62,683 posts)
24. Haven't seen that -- I'll check it out.
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 12:28 PM
Apr 2013

Agree -- shame it was discontinued. VERY well done, IMO. And I was riveted.

dipsydoodle

(42,239 posts)
26. You can't check it out - release date is September 2013
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 12:34 PM
Apr 2013

according to this : http://www.imdb.com/news/ni44924845/

I'm just about to watch Dark Skys from start to finish too.

gateley

(62,683 posts)
27. Haha! The "3" made me think I'd missed the first two!
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 12:37 PM
Apr 2013

:laugh:

Heading to the imdb link now -- thanks!

gateley

(62,683 posts)
28. Oh, I DID miss the first two seasons. I'll check THOSE out, then! :-)
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 12:39 PM
Apr 2013

dipsydoodle

(42,239 posts)
32. If you've never seen Homeland
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 12:49 PM
Apr 2013

then you've got a real treat coming.

gateley

(62,683 posts)
33. Yeah, just checked with some friends on FB and the one who's responded
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 12:51 PM
Apr 2013

thus far agrees. Not available on Netflix , but I can get the DVD on ebay for a good price.

No Season 2 listed on ebay -- do you know if they've released the DVD for that, yet?

dipsydoodle

(42,239 posts)
35. Season 2 will not be released on dvd until September.
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 01:02 PM
Apr 2013

When we had season 2 here in the UK I hadn't seen season 1. So I bought 1 on Amazon and stored 2 on a hard drive ready to watch at a later date - which I did.

iandhr

(6,852 posts)
6. There was a thread here yesterday...
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 10:59 AM
Apr 2013

... where the Boston police chief said "as far as I know now the brothers acted alone"


I am wondering what changed since yesterday? Or is this more conflicting information like there was when the manhunt was going on.

 

graham4anything

(11,464 posts)
7. Could be this info is false, or could be a new lead judiciacously has been found
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:07 AM
Apr 2013

1000s and 1000s of clues have come in since the capture

Marvelous police and detective work showing Americans won't let terrorists stop them.

Besides which though-is the article by someone privy to info or someone with an angle?

Law enforcement was not to blame for the phony leads those with political angles and agendas threw out there.

If someone yells there is a fire in a theater, one has to assume without a doubt, there is.
If someone yelled out fire in a threatre not burning, that is an illegal crime, subject to or should be the very harshest of penalties.

To not follow up on a lead would lead to W isms.

Remember, W said he would smoke BinLaden out but let the trail grow cold
In a matter of a short period of time that President Obama took office, Binladen was caught and killed.

Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)
8. I don't think the Watertown police chief would be informed
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:08 AM
Apr 2013

IF this is true, I bet the FBI is foaming at the mouth over the disclosure.

And it's not as if the British newspapers have never been known to publish inaccurate stories. If it's not an official government release, there's significant doubt.

On the other hand, this also fits with the ICE/FBI arrest reported yesterday. I would assume that even if the bomber brothers were acting entirely alone the FBI would be investigating to try to verify that fact. So it may be that they were acting alone and there is a very large investigation going on. One does not preclude the other.

 

John2

(2,730 posts)
16. Are you kidding?
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:30 AM
Apr 2013

Just what were the British news papers reporting up to the War on Iraq? Ok, we have some people came here to kill Americans, and apparently had foreign military training. One is dead and one can't talk. Now they are supposed to be part of some sleeper cell. Keep in mind now, the FBI claimed to some Foreign country, they had no information attaching the deceased brother to Terrorism at the time of a certain country's request. So far, I'm skepticle. Next thing you know, some people will be calling me a terrorist and a sympathezer. I care less about any religious zealot, because you are all nuts to me.

Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)
19. I didn't write the article and I think it should not automatically be believed
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:37 AM
Apr 2013

It is however news, at least in the UK, which means it is news here. Well, we've had a lot of false news.

I personally think it was mostly them - maybe they had a few fellow-travelers, but no big organization.

I am sure that the FBI is following the money trail.

The elder brother had no visible means of support for years now - either he was dealing drugs or engaging in some other form of criminal activity, or he was being funded by a terrorist organization. My guess is he was dealing drugs.

starroute

(12,977 posts)
22. The elder brothers best friend was killed in a possibly drug-related murder
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:52 AM
Apr 2013

See, for example, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/tamerlan-tsarnaev-lost-american-friend-grisly-murder-article-1.1322990

This has mainly been picked up by the tabloids, which is why I'm linking to the Daily News and not something more reputable. But the murder certainly took place, and it's been suggested that it might have been one of the things that pushed Tamerlan over the edge.

If there's a possibility that Tamerlan himself was selling drugs, though, it takes on an entirely different coloration.

gateley

(62,683 posts)
25. Yeah -- that's curious. Both the unsolved murder and no real mention of it.
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 12:30 PM
Apr 2013

muriel_volestrangler

(106,201 posts)
15. This is just repeating the rumour the Mirror in Britain started
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:29 AM
Apr 2013
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/boston-bombers-fbi-hunting-12-strong-1844844#.UXM54Yqm6hA.twitter

and yes, the Mirror has made things up before, or fallen for hoaxes. Piers Morgan was sacked from being the editor after he published faked photos claiming to show British soldiers mistreating Iraqi detainees.

I don't believe a 'sleeper cell' would revolve around a 19 year old. Or that the authorities could have gathered so much information (such as the number of people in the cell) without other arrests being made. The only way they could have found that out would be from documents/a computer at the brothers' apartment. And if they knew that, they wouldn't be blabbing to a UK tabloid, but making arrests.

Myrina

(12,296 posts)
13. "... not the kind of thing people learn from Google."
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:21 AM
Apr 2013

Really? The 'source' doesn't know how to google very well, does he/she?

And I would hope the FBI is following all leads related to this incident. But that doesn't mean the lead is going to turn up anything solid. Or maybe it will.

Point is, we'd all do well to stop "Rorschaching" the bombing and not draw any conclusions based on our own pre-dispositions until (and if) we hear the what/why/how from Dzhokhar himself.

drm604

(16,230 posts)
31. That struck me also.
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 12:48 PM
Apr 2013

How sophisticated can it be? How sophisticated does it have to be. What is there about a remote control device that makes it something you can't Google?

 

jessie04

(1,528 posts)
18. I don't take it with a grain of salt.
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 11:35 AM
Apr 2013

Very few of them act TOTALLY alone.

They had to have had financial support....and possibly other support.

I think its certainly plausible.

Hugabear

(10,340 posts)
30. In other words, suspect all Muslims
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 12:46 PM
Apr 2013

What a crock of shit

OKNancy

(41,832 posts)
36. Locking - doesn't meet LBN SOP
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 01:16 PM
Apr 2013

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