What a week for all those who live and call Boston their home. If you are from Massachusetts, Boston is the epicenter of all that represents us as people who identify ourselves as Bostonians.
The local and federal law enforcement showed the world how a manhunt is conducted and along with the help of many citizens, identified these cowardly bastards. These citizens and police are Patriots, one and all.
The manhunt that the world witnessed was unprecedented in the history of our country. These idiots hit us hard but they saw that they messed with the wrong city. The swift force of justice hunted them down.
I was in the DFAC this morning while the news of the capture of the 2nd suspect played out on the TV. A member of the local cooks was standing next to me and I proudly pointed at the TV and told him, " That's my home - These people are my tribe ! " - As all things here are focused on tribal affiliation, I wanted to make sure he knew how proud I was of my people.
On NCIS LA, there is an episode where they were dealing with a criminal who takes out two of the NCIS staff in horrific fashion. Agent Callen ( played by Chris ODonnell) has a heated discussion with the Deputy Director Granger as they are going to let the bad guy walk for political purposes
Callen says to Granger "He killed our people! OUR PEOPLE !"
I and many others have experienced that same emotion this week. I woke up Tuesday morning here in Kandahar to the news of the bombing as it happened while we were sleeping ( 8 1/2 hrs time difference). I cried and wanted to do something but I am here in Kandahar. I went through the same emotions when I was in Egypt on 09/11. It is a terrible feeling of being away, being separated from all you love and desperately wanting to be there to help. There is no way to really describe the emotions as it is an empty feeling but one of resolve to help in any way you can.
Friday was our day off and like many others, I followed the events live via SAT TV. It was my way of coping with not being able to be there. It went on all day and I had to go to bed to be up the next day. Saturday morning I woke up and watched the final part of the drama play itself out. But this is far from over as we need to know the who, what, when , where and the WHY behind all of this.
I am BOSTON Proud and always have been. It is where my family has called home since 1635. 14 generations of my family have lived in Massachusetts and my Mom's parents both came here straight from the Old Sod of Ireland.
They hit us hard but we showed the world we are BOSTON STRONG Always & forever.
To the terrorists, you failed. You took from us 4 gentle souls but you will not bend our will to be a beacon of Freedom. Boston is the best city in America with the best people.
Watch the Marathon in 2014 and you will see that this tragedy will become triumph as we will not allow the cowardly bastards such as these to take away our freedom.
The 2014 Boston Marathon will be a important sign to the world that you don't mess with Boston. Ever.
As the saying goes, " If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, it is probably a duck...."
5 non-citizens from Morocco, breaking into a old courthouse in possession of "photographs of infrastructure including photos of shopping malls, water systems, courthouses and other public buildings which they say were taken in cities nationwide" sounds like these idiots were looking to do something that would not have ended well for our country and it's citizens. Glad that they were caught before they could act on their plans.
Have fun in GITMO guys as that will be the next destination on their travel plans....
Terror Link Downplayed in Courthouse Break-In
'Pictures of courthouses, water systems' from around the US found in the van used by five men believed to be Moroccan Muslims.
Jim Forsyth - WOAI San Antonion, TX
Five men in their twenties, described as French-Moroccan Muslims, are being questioned by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and by officials of the Department of Homeland Security after they were arrested inside the 120 year old Bexar County Courthouse in downtown San Antonio shortly before 2 this morning, 1200 WOAI news reports.
Officials say three of the men crawled through a window to get into the 120 year old Courthouse, which is a landmark in downtown San Antonio, and the other two were found in a van parked in front of the building.
Inside the van, officials say they found "photographs of infrastructure" including photos of shopping malls, water systems, courthouses and other public buildings which they say were taken in cities nationwide.
"They got travel documents, parking passes, they have been all over the country," one law enforcement officials who asked not to be identified told 1200 WOAI's Michael Board on the scene. "A lot of photographic equipment, a lot of documentation equipment inside their vehicle."
Officials say the five men entered the country legally on visas from Heathrow Airport in London. They didn't immediately know how long the men have been in the U.S., or what places they may have visited.
Officials immediately blocked off a two square block area of downtown San Antonio around the Courthouse, and bomb sniffing dogs fanned out throughout the building. About two hours later, the streets were reopened, indicating nothing dangerous was found in the building.
"They are going to be held for interrogation by the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the joint terrorism task force," the law enforcement source said.
The men are described as in their early twenties. One law enforcement official said the men told him they climbed to the fourth floor of the courthouse at 2AM "to get a better view of the city."
There is a military intelligence convention underway at the city's Convention Center several blocks away, with top intelligence officials including White House officials set to speak, but investigators didn't say whether there was any connection.
Investigators were tight lipped about the incident this morning.
"All that, coupled with the fact why they can't explain why they are in the building at 1:22 in the morning raises questions," the law enforcement officer said
" You can run, but you'll just die tired..." - Sniper's Motto
Schadenfruede - (German) scha·den·freu·de. noun, often capitalized \ˈshä-dən-ˌfrȯi-də\ - Deriving pleasure from the agony of others
In most cases, "schadenfreude" is not something one should enjoy....in a case such as this, it is a richly enjoyed case of " Sux to be you Dude..."
Karma has a way of happening, and it looks like it caught up to this Terrorist. Awesome.
Suicide bomber strikes near US base in Afghanistan
Internatioanl Times
KABUL: A suspected suicide bomber driving an explosives-laden vehicle detonated Sunday while driving towards Afghanistan's biggest US-run military base, authorities said.
The explosion appeared to have happened prematurely on a road about five minutes' drive from Bagram Air Field, 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of the capital Kabul, the interior ministry said.
"Again the enemies of Afghanistan failed to achieve their goal. A suicide bomber with his bomb-filled car detonated before reaching his target," the statement said.
The Taliban claimed credit for the bombing but said it targeted a convoy of "American spies".
What a week for all those who live and call Boston their home. If you are from Massachusetts, Boston is the epicenter of all that represents us as people who identify ourselves as Bostonians.
