L.A. Times: Report warned Boston Marathon was vulnerable to terrorism

Los Angeles Times ^ | 5/9/13 | Brian Bennett

[SilvieWaldorfMD]

WASHINGTON — Five days before two bombs tore through crowds at the Boston Marathon, an intelligence report identified the finish line as an "area of increased vulnerability" and warned Boston police that homegrown extremists could use "small-scale bombings" to attack spectators and runners at the event.

The 18-page report, similar to others sent to police and first responders before major events in the Boston area, was written by the Boston Regional Intelligence Center, which is funded in part by the Department of Homeland Security and helps disseminate intelligence information to local police and first responders.

The assessment noted that there was "no credible, specific information indicating an imminent threat" to the race.

"The FBI has not identified any specific lone offender or extremist group who pose a threat to the Boston Marathon," the report said.

In the aftermath of the bombing, who in law enforcement knew what and when have become significant points of contention.

Even as federal officials pointed to the warning as evidence they had done their jobs, Boston and Massachusetts state police officials complained at a congressional hearing Thursday that the FBI had not told them about an earlier investigation involving Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of two brothers accused of carrying out the April 15 attacks that left three dead and more than 260 injured.

[SilvieWaldorfMD]

Did not see this posted anywhere...

[Mr. K]

THIS CAN BE SAID ABOUT EVERY SPORTING EVENT, and you only have to be right once to look prescient

[Salgak]

Duh. Terrorists tend to hit places with relatively low security and high political/societal feedback.

The Boston Marathon is not just a race, it’s an annual media event, and, gee, people tend to congregate near the finish line, because they want to see who wins.

So, yes, pretty obvious target. Protecting it, entirely different problem, unless you insist on a TSA-level body cavity search before entering the finish area. . .

[Liz]

ISLAMIC STRANGLEHOLD ON BOSTON Pretty soon they'll start whining about building a mosque close to the Boston Marathon finish line b/c Islam is all about "triumphalism" (thus the plans to build a mosque near the WTC).

And you can bet they'll get lotsa help from Obomba, Boston Mayor Menino, Secy of State Kerry, and Gov Deval Patrick (who obstructed govt dissemination of the Tsarnaev's welfare $$haul). Read on.

BOSTON MAYOR MENINO (hands down, the dumbest mayor in the US)

"Just call me Mayor Stupid."

WAIT FOR IT---yet another stupid remark from Menino, and I quote.....the Boston bomber brothers "acted alone" says Menino.

STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES Boston Mayor Menino (he was the stupid-sounding one at the presser held after the marathon bombings----in the wheelchair---injured in auto accident) should be rigorously scrutinized ---- possibly charged with aiding and abetting terror against Americans. Menino handed Islamics a $2 million piece of land for $170,000 to build the Boston Mosque.

MENINO'S MOSQUE
The Phoenix | November 24, 2008 | David S. Bernstein / FR Posted by Prospero

EDITED/EXCERPT Most Boston locals concede that getting anything of substance accomplished in Boston is a Herculean task. Residents have all but embraced the principle of civic inaction with a perverse kind of local pride. In the end, "who you know" is probably more important than what you are trying to do.

STRONGARM MAYOR And there is no doubt that little is accomplished without the approval and support of the mayor, Thomas M. Menino.

So it is with the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC) near the intersection of Tremont Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard. Better known as the Roxbury mosque, the ISBCC has been in the works for more than 20 years. A few weeks ago it finally opened its doors for prayer — five years late, millions over budget, and still far from complete.

While the story of the building of the Roxbury mosque may not be worthy of a Hollywood epic, it does contain the stuff of a good television drama: (with Mayor Menino aiding and abetting) community intrigue, religious conflict, media controversy, foreign money, suspicions of extremist ties......and once-cocksure public officials, who (like Menino and then-Sen Kerry who once gave Islamics serial BJ's) have since retreated into a zone of silence.

=====================================================

Bombers worshipped at Islamic Society of Boston's mosque.---built w/ strongarm sap-happy Menino's govt authority.

Kerry's "credentials," presented to Ohaha when the Secy of State job became available.

Islamic jihadist motivation that drove the Boston massacre is a non-starter in the WH.

Not photoshopped--actual pic.

[nevergore]

NeverGore Notice: The State of Georgia is vulnerable to tornados in May.....

Now, if a tornado touches down this month, everyone was warned....

[penelopesire]

Boston Bombing Ping!

[TomGuy]

The 18-page report, similar to others sent to police and first responders before major events in the Boston area, was written by the Boston Regional Intelligence Center, which is funded in part by the Department of Homeland Security

Translation: You can't blame Janet for this one.

[crosslink]

Thank you for all the pings, I, like you, felt drained yesterday, with the ABC story today I feel a new burst of energy. Hope you do too.

[penelopesire]

I do...things look a little brighter today.

[FreedomPoster]

I want to know why everyone overlooked the muzzies and focused on “homegrown extremists”.

I expect you could identify a lot of what’s wrong with our government with the answers to that question.

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

...warned Boston police that homegrown extremists...

The report was wrong then.

[RedMDer]

Secure our borders - Defend our Constitution!
Uphold your oath of office.

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[HangnJudge]

This type of attack is ridiculously simple to implement

Soft target,
low tech/highly destructive weapons
callous disregard for human suffering

A Pickup Truck bomb could easily do profound damage to
any school/hospital/business

Scuttle a houseboat with the hold full of explosives
up stream to to a dam

Small charges, if used in unison,
can take down the electric grid

One could, with a little imagination,
do a lot of damage with little personal risk

It's 10 wonders more of this has not occurred

[massgopguy]

Imagine an event that could bring the city of Boston and the surrounding area to a standstill?.......It’s called the Boston Marathon. What were you thinking it was?

[Ramius]

I think it’s a little unfair to blame anybody for failing to intercept an attack like this one. There’s ~always~ a memo somewhere in the forest of memos that somebody wrote warning of the exact thing. Two brothers, with no prior offenses to take notice of, and keeping mostly to themselves... There just aren’t many ways to stop them ahead of time.

[Drawn7979]

you're right, i didn't see this posted anywhere else..

[Jane Long]

When you've lost The LA Slimes...

Good to see this covered by an extreme left-wing outlet.

[caww]

<.....”I think it’s a little unfair to blame anybody for failing to intercept an attack like this one”.....>

I agree. I sometimes think people do not realize how much information has to be waded thru by the good people trying to keep us all safe.......it would be better if we’d consider all they’ve stopped from happening we are not privy to.

I prefer these good people spend their time staying focused on their job rather than worrying and or defending what they do or don’t do out of fear som,eones going to hammer them wither way they go.

[penelopesire]

Agree...

[Grampa Dave]