# The Boston Marathon Bombing Debate Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 15, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799 "2013-04-15T23:21:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/101 "2013-04-16T14:17:03Z")
> [@David\_H\_Singanas](#): > > I agree, Sven. I see a possible Islamist modus operendi in the fact that there > were THREE bombs, one of which was set off by a bomb squad. Three is a number, not an MO. It’s true that Al Qaeda has sometimes done two-stage attacks that drive people toward a second bomb or target rescuers, but two bombs near each other that went off almost simultaneously wouldn’t qualify. Maybe it was intended to be something like that, but we can’t say that for sure. And there were only two bombs. The reports of unexploded bombs were not true - which from the point of view of finding more evidence is too bad. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/102 "2013-04-16T14:34:52Z")
I guess Alex Jones, that radio host 9/11 CT loony is already banging the ‘it’s a false flag operations!’ drum on this. :rolleyes: What an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/103 "2013-04-16T14:36:56Z")
I’d guess Alex Jones has a form somewhere that reads: “\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is obviously a false flag operation perpetrated by the government” and he just goes from there. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/104 "2013-04-16T14:39:23Z")
The CT nutters are already out in force, and Alex is leading the pack. We have video and audio from multiple, independent sources, yet here he is talking about loud speakers calling for calm before the explosions and other (easily dis-proven) ridiculous horseshit. Every time I see him on one of the 9/11 CT shows on History or Discovery or whatever it sets my teeth on edge. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/105 "2013-04-16T15:25:00Z")
I may owe Der Trihs an apology. I guess his idea that it was right wing loonies wasn’t as far off the wall as I thought. Was reading about methodology and materials, as well as attempts at bombings in the US since 9/11, and while there haven’t been many bombs actually detonated, there have been plenty of attempts. The majority have been AQ or AQ-like groups, or right wing whack-a-dos (there was one environmental left wing whacko who strapped a bomb to himself, grabbed a couple of guns and took some folks hostage, but he hardly counts). If this was AQ or an AQ motivated group, they would have used hydrogen-peroxide based bombs. Right wing whackos, however, apparently favor black powder/gun powder based bombs that are similar to the one used in this bombing. That doesn’t prove anything, of course, and still no real word on who did this, but it gives (to me anyway) a bit more weight to DT’s assertion that it could have been right wing extremists who did this. If it was, that’s going to be a huge nail in their coffins, as the backlash is going to be harsh for doing this. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/106 "2013-04-16T15:51:14Z")
> [@XT](#): > > If it was, that’s going to be a huge nail in their coffins, as the backlash is going to be harsh for doing this. :mad: I doubt it. If it turns out to be a right-wing tax protesting nutcase, then a year from now, 40% of Americans will remember that the bombing was carried out by a Muslim extremist. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/107 "2013-04-16T15:54:07Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I doubt it. If it turns out to be a right-wing tax protesting nutcase, then a year from now, 40% of Americans will remember that the bombing was carried out by a Muslim extremist. :dubious: Just like they think the Oklahoma bombing was carried out by Muslim extremists?? Horseshit. That alone hurt right wing crazies, and something like this would be a huge blow to them if they perpetrated it. Your understanding of American thought processes where something like this is concerned is seriously flawed if you think that some right wing group could do this and folks would forget about it or blame some other group for it. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/108 "2013-04-16T16:01:25Z")
The Oklahoma bombing took place in 1995, well before the current anti-muslim craziness took hold. Fox news commentators are already writing ["Muslims are evil. Let’s kill them all’](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/muslims-are-evil-lets-kill-them-all-fox-news-pundit-erik-rush-provokes-furious-reaction-with-twitter-rant-after-boston-marathon-bombs-8575176.html) The NY post is desperately trying to [pin this on a Saudi man](http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/fbi_grills_saudi_man_XaT5rE40LDdAH44vMFOEXM), who ran away from the explosion. How unusual for him to do that. Horseshit? No, I don’t think so in this environment. People still think the 9/11 attackers came from Canada. People are stupid, easily led and misinformed. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/109 "2013-04-16T16:03:16Z")
Fox News? 😛 Yeah, it’s horseshit. Tell you what…if it turns out to be right wing extremists and next year 40% of Americans think it was Islamic terrorists, feel free to revive this thread and tell me so. I’ll happily fess up. [QUOTE= Euphonious Polemic] People still think the 9/11 attackers came from Canada. [/QUOTE] People still think the moon launches were a hoax or 9/11 was a cabal of US government and Jews in a false flag operation. Doesn’t mean that the majority of Americans has forgotten who perpetrated it…and certainly doesn’t mean they would fucking forget who did this, once it’s revealed. I’m sorry, but your assertion is ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/110 "2013-04-16T16:22:56Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Fox news commentators are already writing ["Muslims are evil. Let’s kill them all’](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/muslims-are-evil-lets-kill-them-all-fox-news-pundit-erik-rush-provokes-furious-reaction-with-twitter-rant-after-boston-marathon-bombs-8575176.html) Fox News guy is asshole, film at 11. > [@](#): > > The NY post is desperately trying to [pin this on a Saudi man](http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/fbi_grills_saudi_man_XaT5rE40LDdAH44vMFOEXM), who ran away from the explosion. How unusual for him to do that. The guy may have nothing to do with the bombing, but again, what the Post reported about the guy was basically right. They’re not trying to pin it on him. The guy may have nothing at all to do with the bombing, but with history of terrorism being what it is, I think you’ll have a hard time making an argument that ‘police question Saudi man who was near bomb scene’ isn’t something that should be reported as news. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/111 "2013-04-16T16:27:36Z")
Given the fact that no organized group has claimed responsibility leads to to believe that it is most likely a lone wolf. There is no point in bombing a location for your cause if no one knows what your cause is. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/112 "2013-04-16T16:30:00Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Fox News guy is asshole, film at 11. > > The guy may have nothing to do with the bombing, but again, what the Post reported about the guy was basically right. They’re not trying to pin it on him. The guy may have nothing at all to do with the bombing, but with history of terrorism being what it is, I think you’ll have a hard time making an argument that ‘police question Saudi man who was near bomb scene’ isn’t something that should be reported as news. Really. This thread is filled with the sort of comments that say more about the poster than what he’s commenting about. Half this board is deperately hoping this turns out to be right-wing extremists. Maybe it will, but there’s been no evidence of that yet. Just a lot of people who really, really want that to be the case. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/113 "2013-04-16T16:30:06Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > The Oklahoma bombing took place in 1995, well before the current anti-muslim craziness took hold. > > Fox news commentators are already writing ["Muslims are evil. Let’s kill them all’](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/muslims-are-evil-lets-kill-them-all-fox-news-pundit-erik-rush-provokes-furious-reaction-with-twitter-rant-after-boston-marathon-bombs-8575176.html) > > The NY post is desperately trying to [pin this on a Saudi man](http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/fbi_grills_saudi_man_XaT5rE40LDdAH44vMFOEXM), who ran away from the explosion. How unusual for him to do that. > > Horseshit? No, I don’t think so in this environment. People still think the 9/11 attackers came from Canada. People are stupid, easily led and misinformed. I just posted this in the MPSIMS thread but Pete Williams was just on MSNBC reporting the Saudi man in question has been cooperating fully with the authorities and is no longer considered a person of interest. [This story on the NBC website says](http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/15/17767721-officials-to-public-send-photos-video-from-boston-marathon-bombings?lite) > [@](#): > > Overnight, law enforcement officials searched a suburban Boston apartment building, interviewed a man and removed a duffel bag and two trash bags. But a law enforcement official later told NBC News that nothing of interest was found. I realize that won’t do much for those out there with an anti-Muslim ax to grind but it does appear this guy was guilty of little more than being Saudi and in the wrong place at the wrong time. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/114 "2013-04-16T16:35:56Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Fox News? 😛 Yeah, it’s horseshit. Tell you what…if it turns out to be right wing extremists and next year 40% of Americans think it was Islamic terrorists, feel free to revive this thread and tell me so. I’ll happily fess up. I certainly will. Did you know that 2 years after 911, [70% of Americans](http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-09-06-poll-iraq_x.htm) believed it was likely that ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the Sept. 11 attacks? And much of this was thanks to Fox News assholes, and newspapers trying to “pin it on” unrelated countries. So I don’t think I’m just pulling this theory out of my ass here. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/115 "2013-04-16T16:38:25Z")
If we’re all going to speculate without evidence, I’d like to blame the Spaniards. We’ve ignored that perfidious race for too long. Remember the Maine! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/116 "2013-04-16T16:40:24Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Really. This thread is filled with the sort of comments that say more about the poster than what he’s commenting about. Half this board is deperately hoping this turns out to be right-wing extremists. Maybe it will, but there’s been no evidence of that yet. Just a lot of people who really, really want that to be the case. And others are desperately hoping liberals get embarrassed. We’ll see what happens. I’m surprised we don’t know more yet, but we will eventually. > [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > I realize that won’t do much for those out there with an anti-Muslim ax to grind but it does appear this guy was guilty of little more than being Saudi and in the wrong place at the wrong time. It does sound that way. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/117 "2013-04-16T16:40:41Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > If we’re all going to speculate without evidence, I’d like to blame the Spaniards. We’ve ignored that perfidious race for too long. Remember the Maine! **Nava** is going to get you! ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/118 "2013-04-16T16:44:59Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I certainly will. > > Did you know that 2 years after 911, [70% of Americans](http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-09-06-poll-iraq_x.htm) believed it was likely that ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the Sept. 11 attacks? > > And much of this was thanks to Fox News assholes, and newspapers trying to “pin it on” unrelated countries. So I don’t think I’m just pulling this theory out of my ass here. You do realize that thinking that Saddam had something to do with it is a lot different than being shown it was right wing extremists to believing it was Muslim terrorists, right? There was a lot of confusion in peoples minds during that time wrt who did it and even distinctions between Saddam and AQ (they are both vague over in furrin partz somewhere, after all), especially considering that we were planning an invasion of Iraq around that time (and there was all sorts of rhetoric flying about). It’s hard to work out, logically, how things could shift from right wing extremist group to Islamic terrorists in a similar way, however. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/119 "2013-04-16T16:51:06Z")
> [@XT](#): > > It’s hard to work out, logically, how things could shift from right wing extremist group to Islamic terrorists in a similar way, however. 😛 Logic has nothing whatsoever to do with it. As I said, people are stupid, and are easily led. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799/120 "2013-04-16T16:55:00Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Resolved: _Bombing the Boston Marathon is **wrong** , always and everywhere._ > > Discuss. Let us just agree that detonating an anti-personnel bomb at a public gathering is not a thing Jesus would do. (Don’t ask me about Simon Zealotes.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boston-marathon-bombing-debate-thread/655799.md?page=7)