# Explosions at Boston Marathon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 15, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781 "2013-04-15T19:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 70
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1381 "2013-04-26T21:00:07Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Since others where cleaning human blood and body parts off the sidewalks below I don’t think it’s going to attract too much attention. It would be unfortunate if pets died because of this, but the greater Boston area seems to have other concerns at the moment. Yes, that’s another reason it might take time for people to start paying attention to something like this. But it could be a story at some point. In the longer term the question won’t be “did these people have it the worst,” it’ll be “was this necessary?” ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1382 "2013-04-26T21:21:35Z")
Isn’t it fascinating that our relatively well-ordered world can be so disrupted by the actions of just two people? Two deranged brothers go on a killing spree and one of our major cities is shut down. I know the civil authorities work diligently and with great professionalism to prevent these kinds of events. And the immediate reaction to the disaster by the professionals as well as the wonderful spontaneous volunteers speaks volumes about what we can all do… after the fact. It seems a bit daft to imagine anyone predicting this and in my opinion the Boston authorities did a commendable job. As an aside, I have a couple of questions that I am certain someone here can answer: How long were people kept from their homes on Boylston St.? How long was Boston on ‘lockdown’? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1383 "2013-04-26T21:47:18Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > I think that’s why they didn’t flee immediately after the blasts. They thought they’d gotten away clean without anyone spotting them. Then, when the police plastered their stupid mugs all over the internet, they panicked and tried to make a quick getaway. It’ll be interesting if we ever find out what the hell they were planning to do before things started to go haywire. Were they just going to go about their business until they felt like blowing up something else? Were they going to sneak out of the country when things started to die down? I mentioned Faisal Shahzad earlier - if not for the screwup with his keys I think he could’ve gotten out of the U.S. country and made it to Pakistan after the bombing attempt. As it was, with a one-day delay he was caught at the last second. Not that he couldn’t have been captured in Pakistan, but he at least had a plan and a shot at it. If they’d flown to Moscow right away I doubt anyone would have stopped them. > [@](#): > > It occurs to me that security at the marathon was to some degree designed around the assumption of smarter attackers. There was a bomb sweep \*before \*the race because a smart bomber would know there was no way he could plant a bomb during the race without being spotted. Unfortunately, the Tsarnaevs were too stupid to realize that. What the security does, and I assume this is intentional, is prevent larger bombs. It’s just not possible to secure every inch of a 26-mile racecourse, but a sweep before the race means a terrorist can’t leave a huge bomb under the bleachers or park a big truck full of fertilizer next to the starting line or something. Two guys trying to move a huge bomb during the race would get caught, of course. So the bomb has to be portable and kind of inconspicuous, which somewhat limits its size and power. I’m sure they will try harder to watch out for guys just leaving stuff next year, but I think you could argue that security at the race did what it was supposed to do. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1384 "2013-04-26T23:51:40Z")
Yesterday they said the mom has been on the terror list for quite awhile. Today she’s called a ‘person of interest’. This story just got bigger. She’s been making some really crazy comments in the last week. Calling the blood paint. They need to drag her ass into the hospital wards to meet some of the victims and see the amputations for herself. To even suggest this bombing was staged is pretty insulting. > **[Revealed: Mother of Boston 'bombers' was put on CIA terrorist watchlist 18...](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2315440/Boston-bombers-mother-CIA-terrorist-watchlist-18-months-attacks-person-interest.html)** > > The mother of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects was put on the CIA terrorist watchlist 18 months before the tragedy, officials said on Friday. > [@](#): > > The mother of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects was put on the CIA terrorist watchlist 18 months before the tragedy, officials said on Friday as lawmakers revealed Zubeidat Tsarnaev is now considered a ‘person of interest’ in the federal investigation into the attack. > > Two U.S. lawmakers said that investigators have traveled to Dagestan, Russia, to learn more from close associates who knew the suspects’ mother. > > The outspoken mother shot back, saying that claims that she had ties to terrorist activity were ‘lies and hypocrisy.’ ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1385 "2013-04-27T00:01:52Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Yesterday they said the mom has been on the terror list for quite awhile. She is on one of the same broad watch lists her son was on. > [@](#): > > Today she’s called a ‘person of interest’. The person who said that appears to be using the term very loosely- and not in the sense of believing she was involved in the attacks themselves. > [@](#): > > This story just got bigger. How? NBC says there are some obvious signs the Tsarnaevs got their bomb designs from that Yemeni Al Qaeda magazine. And in the interest of fairness I thought Jane Harman was being really premature when she started speculating about this on CNN, but she appears to have been exactly right. [I thought this was sort of darkly funny:](http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/26/17932143-exclusive-government-doc-shows-how-closely-boston-marathon-bombers-followed-al-qaeda-plans?lite) > [@](#): > > At least one of the Watertown bombs used an elbow pipe wrapped in black tape, as discussed in “Inspire.” […] the pressure-cooker bombs also match the “Inspire” designs in their use of spherical shrapnel and gunpowder from fireworks, as well as the possible use of Christmas tree lights as an initiator. […] The pipe bombs also used fireworks and spherical shrapnel. Both types of devices apparently used glue to secure the shrapnel, as described in “Inspire.” And of course that’s immediately followed by > [@](#): > > NBC is not disclosing details that could aid in the construction of a bomb. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1386 "2013-04-27T00:12:40Z")
We’ll have to see how it plays out. If she was on the terror watch list 18 months ago that is significant because she got busted for shoplifting in Boston last summer. Her ties to the US are pretty recent. I doubt that she was directly involved but maybe she knew what her kids were planning? \ They’ll find out eventually. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1387 "2013-04-27T02:39:35Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > They need to drag her ass into the hospital wards to meet some of the victims and see the amputations for herself. What an insanely terrible idea this is. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1388 "2013-04-27T03:09:33Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > How long were people kept from their homes on Boylston St.? Eight Days. > [@](#): > > How long was Boston on ‘lockdown’? > Thanks! Cambridge sent auto calls around 6:00AM Friday morning asking residents to stay home. By the time I was up and watching the news (around 7AM) the news was reporting that Watertown and adjacent communities were asked to shelter in place. The only part of Boston that was asked to do this at that time was Allston-Brighton. Later in the morning (perhaps 9AM?) Gov. Patrick asked all of Boston to shelter in place. The request was lifted around 6PM. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1389 "2013-04-27T03:18:41Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > We’ll have to see how it plays out. If she was on the terror watch list 18 months ago that is significant because she got busted for shoplifting in Boston last summer. Her ties to the US are pretty recent. I doubt that she was directly involved but maybe she knew what her kids were planning? \ They’ll find out eventually. Did she get busted at the same store the video’s came from? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1390 "2013-04-27T05:01:42Z")
Is there only one Lord & Taylor in the Boston area? Pretty sure she got busted at the same store that caught the bombers on video. [http://gma.yahoo.com/mother-accused-bombers-faces-her-015923054.html](http://gma.yahoo.com/mother-accused-bombers-faces-her-015923054.html) > **[Mother Of Boston Bombing Suspects Arrested For Shoplifting](https://kxrb.com/mother-of-boston-bombing-suspects-arrested-for-shoplifting/)** > > At the very store that had a camera producing evidence against her sons. > [@](#): > > A lot of strange information is surfacing regarding the two brothers that are suspects in the Boston Bombing. Here’s some more, this time about the mother. > > The mother of the Boston bombing suspects was arrested last year for shoplifting from the Lord & Taylor department store. It was one of their store cameras that caught her sons along marathon route, helping identify them. > [@](#): > > The clerk of the Natick District Court confirmed to ABC News that Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, failed to appear at a court hearing on October 25, 2012 to resolve charges that she stole $1,600 worth of garments from a nearby Lord & Taylor department store. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1391 "2013-04-27T05:09:29Z")
wonder if she was testing the security camera systems on behalf of her sons. Seems like an awful coincidence that she steals from this specific store. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1392 "2013-04-27T12:25:26Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Did she get busted at the same store the video’s came from? Same chain, different locations. The store where she was shoplifting is miles away from downtown Boston where the bombings took place. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1393 "2013-04-27T16:20:58Z")
It’s a shame threads like this get relegated to a forum devoted to trivial nonsense. I think there would be more people participating if there was a “Current Events” forum. As for the parents, the media makes a big deal about their denial, but isn’t that natural? Was anyone really expecting them to admit that their sons committed monstrous crimes? Least interesting perspective, really. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1394 "2013-04-27T17:03:14Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > It’s a shame threads like this get relegated to a forum devoted to trivial nonsense. I think there would be more people participating if there was a “Current Events” forum. > > As for the parents, the media makes a big deal about their denial, but isn’t that natural? Was anyone really expecting them to admit that their sons committed monstrous crimes? Least interesting perspective, really. the killer’s uncle immediately threw them under the bus. The parents would have been aware of a shift in religious intensity. In this case it’s reported that the mother fell into the same crowd so her response would be expected. So it depends on the parent and the likelihood the child was capable of such an act. The father of the guy who shot U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords knew his son was capable of doing it and was actively trying to find him at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1395 "2013-04-27T18:15:17Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > If she was on the terror watch list 18 months ago that is significant because she got busted for shoplifting in Boston last summer. Why is that significant? I don’t think there’s a link between stealing fancy dresses and terrorism. > [@](#): > > Her ties to the US are pretty recent. I’m not sure how you are defining recent. The entire family moved to the U.S. in 2002 and received provisional asylum as refugees. The parents got divorced in 2011 and they moved back to Europe in (I think) 2012. The marriage might’ve broken down over her newfound religiosity, which is awfully interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1396 "2013-04-28T00:14:25Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > It’s a shame threads like this get relegated to a forum devoted to trivial nonsense. I think there would be more people participating if there was a “Current Events” forum. > > As for the parents, the media makes a big deal about their denial, but isn’t that natural? Was anyone really expecting them to admit that their sons committed monstrous crimes? Least interesting perspective, really. Russia claims to have a wiretap of the mother and older son discussing jihad, and the father appears to be a person of interest now. They are in denial, all right. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1397 "2013-04-28T00:26:38Z")
Dad has apparently changed his plans about coming to the U.S. right away; has put the trip off for “health reasons”. My guess is that he’s allergic to US federal correctional facilities. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1398 "2013-04-28T00:46:02Z")
The mom skipped bail I think in Oct 2012? Just 7 months ago. She could know a lot more then she’s admitting. I got a feeling the brothers planned this bombing for awhile. It took time to buy enough fireworks and extract the gunpowder. Buy too much and it’ll draw attention. They must have made a lot of small purchases at different places. > [@Marley23](#): > > Why is that significant? I don’t think there’s a link between stealing fancy dresses and terrorism. > > I’m not sure how you are defining recent. The entire family moved to the U.S. in 2002 and received provisional asylum as refugees. The parents got divorced in 2011 and they moved back to Europe in (I think) 2012. The marriage might’ve broken down over her newfound religiosity, which is awfully interesting. ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1399 "2013-04-28T00:50:38Z")
> [@Duke\_of\_Rat](#): > > Russia claims to have a wiretap of the mother and older son discussing jihad, and the father appears to be a person of interest now. > > They are in denial, all right. I find it interesting that in the story where KGB is listening on phone calls you assume Russians tell the truth or the whole truth. When did Russian become suddenly all this trustworthy? Especially, considering that, at a certain level when it comes to Russia and US, Chechenya situation is similar to Afghanistan As the days go by this is becoming more complex and the questions mount and not many answers. Aside from Russians exposing themselves how deep they are in this, there is no progress on [convert Misha](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/24/tamerlan-tsarnaev-s-friend-teacher-misha-the-bombings-mystery-man.html) who heavily influenced the older brother. And, to make it all mixed up to the n-th, [uncle Ruslan](http://gawker.com/ex-cia-agent-denies-rumors-of-ties-to-ruslan-tsarnaev-483787629) has CIA connection. The whole story has more holes than the boat they found younger brother in. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781/1400 "2013-04-28T01:01:18Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > I find it interesting that in the story where KGB is listening on phone calls you assume Russians tell the truth or the whole truth. When did Russian become suddenly all this trustworthy? . I find it interesting that you can somehow get that I assume the Russians are telling the truth or the whole truth or are all this trustworthy from me posting “the Russians claim”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781.md?page=69) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-at-boston-marathon/655781.md?page=71)