Boston Marathon bombed

[Papewaio]

Bloody hell, some of those photos are pretty shocking. I find a mindset that makes someone whip out their cellphone and start snapping in that situation disgusting.

Under pressure or shock people tend to revert to their most ingrained training. A soldier might whip out his gun and go to ground, a modern social media person will revert to whipping out a phone and taking photos.

Nothing surprising really. Now if they are taking selfies with that as the background... It's another matter.

[HoreTore]

You compared her to Saddam Hussain.

And you believe I danced when Saddam was hanged....?

You may have done so; I did not.

[Brenus]

“Worse that HoreTore and the other dancing on Thatcher's grave?” Oh, finally… I was surprise that no one spoke about this… Like the coward I am, I didn’t want to start telling all the bad I think of her…

[johnhughthom]

Under pressure or shock people tend to revert to their most ingrained training. A soldier might whip out his gun and go to ground, a modern social media person will revert to whipping out a phone and taking photos.

Nothing surprising really. Now if they are taking selfies with that as the background... It's another matter.

Nonsense. I've been in that situation, admittedly not in the cellphone age, and standing taking photos is simply crass behaviour. Check friends and family are okay, see if anyone needs help. Don't take bloody photos.

[Hax]

Incomparable. Margaret Thatcher died of natural causes after a long and generally healthy life. She was fully responsible for her own actions.

The people who died as a result of these bombing may not have even supported the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I cannot fathom how the two events can be compared.

[Graphic]

Post #2

USAians, democrazy

This is some next level 14 year old . Keep on truckin'.

[Montmorency]

20-year-old Saudi national? Sounds like the sort of guy the alphabet-suits easily neutralize long before their plans enter deployment-phase.

Will be interesting to learn the level of the craftsmanship of the recovered bombs, as well as more bio.

It's either one of the typical schmucks who got lucky (if the backpack-bombs turn out to be amateurish, and the young man is a radicalized dual citizen somehow), or the govt let a highly trained and effective foreign national slip through their defenses.

I'd bet on the former, though SA, for its part, does not recognize multiple-citizenship...

[Papewaio]

JFK library fire was indoors, in a mechanical room.

So a fire in an area hardly anyone let alone the public access is not really a strong link to a series of bombs in a crowded public area.

If the young Saudi is only being associated with the fire then this is an unrelated event. My guess is that it was a mechanical failure or capacitor blowing up. The Saudi happened to be nearby and was nabbed by the keystones.

[Montmorency]

EDIT: If 3ish US-people dead will lead to possibly 300 tons LESS explosive materials being dropped on populated areas in third world countries, I am all for it.

Have you been watching too much anime or something? The size of the US arsenal of ordnance is not determined by the collective patriotic auras of those who number among its body politic.

[Lemur]

Gruesome stuff, and about as classic a case of straight-up terrorism as you could ask for.

The choice of target and method suggest that this is not a homegrown extremist. A Federal building in Oklahoma, yes. The Boston Marathon, no.

[Montmorency]

I don't know - backpack bombs at a local event in a metropolitan area? Sounds pretty Inspired if you ask me.

Anyway, if the bombs are well-designed and this was a professionally-trained agent, well - why would an organization risk a promising young agent, sending him over to the enemy's heartland do pull small-time stuff that they've traditionally pushed on local lone-wolves?

And I just don't think it's likely that a pure Saudi just happened to be radicalized in SA and figured, 'Well, might as well travel to Boston as a tourist and pull some low-level stunt that's within my ability; even two Americans for my life is a good price, so I will submerge my pride for the sake of Allah and Incremental Goals!'

[HopAlongBunny]

A Saudi!? The path is clear.

Awaiting the "pre-emptive" American invasion of Saudi-Arabia; shock/awe, spectacle; this could be amazing!

[Major Robert Dump]

I find it increasingly difficult to care about any of this. Happens all over the world, every week, to people who didn't live nearly as well, with nothing but suffering and suck their entire lives until someone finally takes it from them in a final stroke of injustice. They don't get 24/7 news coverage, million dollar memorial ceremonies, and speeches from the POTUS.

Tragic? Of course it is. But at the end of the day, I just don't care. Not laughing about it, not saying anyone deserved it, but I really just do not care.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

And you believe I danced when Saddam was hanged....?

You may have done so; I did not.

Don't squirm, you made it clear you're glad she's dead.

Hax: How does it compare? Simply put, taking satisfaction in another's death.

Bombs start going off in our cities on the regular and we're gonna the rest of the world up. Again. Bring it.

OK - see - this is what Kad was talking about.

You're going to **** the world up?

Fair does, but it's going to be a bit awkward when it turns out the perpetrator was a actually a Brit of Pakistani descent. I remember the aftermath of 9/11 - I have never seen so many pimply teenagers promising to kill "ragheads" etc.

I have to say, personally I was quite impressed, minimum resources, maximum impact, looks like the majority of the team got away with it. Plus placing the bombs and them not being moved... Overall, very clever and well executed. These boys are approaching IRA/Mossad levels now.

Which is not to take away from it being horrible.

[Graphic]

One of the dead is an 8-year-old child. I wonder if that's enough to sate Kadagar's bloodlust.

[johnhughthom]

There doesn't seem to be too much interest here, or elsewhere on the western oriented parts of the net, in how many children died in these attacks today. Perhaps when there is Kadager will stop getting annoyed at the hysteria attacks on western civilians cause.

[Papewaio]

On the Sydney Morning Herald site the Boston Bombing is headline news with 2 dead.

The Iraqi bombings with 36 dead is further down the page.

[Beskar]

What was sad in a way was when I was speaking to a couple of Arab friends, and I brought this up about the Iraqi attack too, they didn't seem to care about that. Seeing as something regular in a rough area, and they came to the west to get away from all of that and not have the west end up like that too.

[Graphic]

There doesn't seem to be too much interest here, or elsewhere on the western oriented parts of the net, in how many children died in these attacks today. Perhaps when there is Kadager will stop getting annoyed at the hysteria attacks on western civilians cause.

There's a difference between pointing out this obvious double-standard and actively calling for and rejoicing in the murder of western civilians as some kind of blood penance. You know this so stop acting the people who are reacting to Kad's despicable and childish post are in the wrong.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

There's a difference between pointing out this obvious double-standard and actively calling for and rejoicing in the murder of western civilians as some kind of blood penance. You know this so stop acting the people who are reacting to Kad's despicable and childish post are in the wrong.

I don't think Kad rejoices in anyone's death - but I think he thinks that we shouldn't be surprised at this point.

[Visor]

There doesn't seem to be too much interest here, or elsewhere on the western oriented parts of the net, in how many children died in these attacks today. Perhaps when there is Kadager will stop getting annoyed at the hysteria attacks on western civilians cause.

I'm assuming that's the Iraq attacks? I actually heard about that before I heard of the Boston bombs. I was having lunch with my brother, and ABC was showing the bombing footage, etc in Boston, and I saw on the little news feed thing on the bottom mentioning the Iraq attacks. I pointed out to him that no-one cared, and he agreed, saying that why would they?

Which is true. I sympathise with the victims, but as with Major, I just don't care. I'll read it, feel bad, and scroll on, I might donate some money to a fund, I have before, but that'll be it. If it happened in Aus, I would care more, but I wouldn't expect everyone else to care. We don't care about the Iraq victims because "we're in a war with Iraq". They're just statistics to us. Yet when it happens in our country on a much smaller scale suddenly we care because it is closer to home. They're far away so it doesn't matter if they die. It's oh well, turn the page.

I agree with john, why you would take out your camera at this time is ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.

[a completely inoffensive name]

There's a difference between pointing out this obvious double-standard and actively calling for and rejoicing in the murder of western civilians as some kind of blood penance. You know this so stop acting the people who are reacting to Kad's despicable and childish post are in the wrong.

What if Kad genuinely thinks the US and its citizens are monsters? Everyone cheered when Bin Laden was killed, so obviously death in itself is not always a somber act to people on forum. You and Kad just disagree on whether or not the civilians are innocent.

It makes more sense when you approach it from the stance that political apathy is implied consent.

[Fragony]

Bit morbid to say but it could have been much worse

[Andres]

I find it increasingly difficult to care about any of this. Happens all over the world, every week, to people who didn't live nearly as well, with nothing but suffering and suck their entire lives until someone finally takes it from them in a final stroke of injustice. They don't get 24/7 news coverage, million dollar memorial ceremonies, and speeches from the POTUS.

Tragic? Of course it is. But at the end of the day, I just don't care. Not laughing about it, not saying anyone deserved it, but I really just do not care.

I thanked you for your post, because I agree with the sentiment.

But if you truly don't care about the dead of an 8 year old, even if it's one of the so many 8 year olds who have died all over the world in similar attacks, then I feel sorry for you.

For all the talk that has been going on about being human in this thread, your post made me feel very sad.

My condolences to all people involved.

[HoreTore]

Don't squirm, you made it clear you're glad she's dead.

That's only in your own mind.

If you wish to be happy when people die, fine. I'm not.

[Fragony]

I thanked you for your post, because I agree with the sentiment.

But if you truly don't care about the dead of an 8 year old, even if it's one of the so many 8 year olds who have died all over the world in similar attacks, then I feel sorry for you.

For all the talk that has been going on about being human in this thread, your post made me feel very sad.

My condolences to all people involved.

Can't really blame him, wimps like us are not used to seeing violence of this sorts. MRD on the other hand is from a warzone

[rajpoot]

RIP.
I hope the people responsible are caught and duly punished.
It is tragic, but like Frag said it could've been much worse. Other parts of the world see worse, a lot more often.

[ICantSpellDawg]

They do have someone who is a Saudi national being questioned. Its not just the NY post saying this. They are searching a suspicious apartment at 364 ocean ave, Revere Massachusetts. A 411 search shows multiple people of middle eastern descent or Arabic nomenclature there, including people with the last names Zoukah, Sajid, Mounia. It is, however a large building and that the perpetrator doesn't have to be what they are alluding to.

[HoreTore]

They do have someone who is a Saudi national being questioned. Its not just the NY post saying this. They are searching a suspicious apartment at 364 ocean ave, Revere Massachusetts. A 411 search shows multiple people of middle eastern descent or Arabic nomenclature there, including people with the last names Zoukah, Sajid, Mounia. It is, however a large building and that the perpetrator doesn't have to be what they are alluding to.

From what I heard, the Saudi was released, and no-one is being interrogated(at least officially)... One of the injured is reportedly being protected by police at the hospital though.

If it is Islamic terrorism, wouldn't we have seen the "three guys in front of a black flag talking nonsense"-video already? Come to think of it, why isn't there a zillion Islamist groups claiming responsibility regardless of whether they did it or not? Even after ABB was identified, jihadi groups were still taking credit... Has Pakistan lost its internet connection, or what?

[ICantSpellDawg]

I hope it isn't anything more homegrown related to gun restrictions. We are doing so well in the gun debate at the moment, this would just screw it up. It would be counter productive to happen now.

Who knows, maybe they started planning it when things were going poorly and... Once the plan is in motion and all systems are go...

That would be awful