April 15: Saudi college student Abdulrahman Ali Alharbi is seen near the Boston marathon finish line with two other Saudis. He’s tackled after fleeing the scene of one of the bombings. Authorities question him.
April 15: FBI agents search Alharbi’s apartment, leave with bags of evidence. He’s described as a “person of interest” in attacks.
April 16: Secretary of State John Kerry secretly meets with the Saudi foreign minister, locking out reporters who initially were told the meeting would be open.
April 16: Saudi ambassador phones several papers and insists neither Alharbi nor any Saudi nationals are involved in the bombings. Saudi officials visit the well-connected Alharbi at a Boston hospital.
April 17: Officials clear Alharbi, who’s reportedly related to al-Qaida Gitmo detainees, as a person of interest.
April 17: FBI ID from photos and videos two Mideast-looking men with bags scouting scene of bombings and circulate them among law enforcement. AP, CNN and even Boston Globe report one arrest has been made. CNN describes suspect as “dark-skinned male.” Media swarm Boston courthouse for arraignment.
April 17: Obama has sudden unscheduled meeting with the Saudi foreign minister at White House.
April 17: Justice Dept. scolds CNN for arrest report. FBI cancels press conference. Courthouse bomb scare.
April 17: Terror expert Steve Emerson reports ICE has been ordered to “deport” Alharbi for “national security” reasons, out of reach of FBI questioning.
April 18: Napolitano denies Alharbi will be deported.
(April 18: Obamas Visit Boston Marathon Bombing Victims At Hospitals)
On April 17 there was also an evacuation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital where Al Alharbi was hospitalized. It was close to the same time as the Courthouse bomb scare. Reportedly, the evacuation was prompted by the discovery of a locked, unattended van containing barrels.
I wondered at the time if this was how they got Al Alharbi out of the hospital when all the media had been hanging around. It won’t be surprising to learn that he is back in Saudi Arabia. They will say they weren’t lying when they said he wasn’t deported, because he just wanted to go home and left voluntarily.