It's being reported that there were two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. There are injuries.
http://news.yahoo.com/two-explosions...9876--spt.html
It's being reported that there were two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. There are injuries.
http://news.yahoo.com/two-explosions...9876--spt.html
"Ninety feet between home plate and first base may be the closest man has ever come to perfection." - Red Smith
Boston Police Department spokeswoman update: 23 injured, 2 dead.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
I know exactly where that is. I stood right near there to watch the end of the marathon a few years ago. That is scary and tragic.
Who will claim responsibility for this one?
I noticed that Yahoo News is giving minute-by-minute updates here:
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/...192213861.html
I've been checking in now and then. My sister has run Boston many times. This hits close to home. The video I saw on the TV in our lunchroom showed a runner just collapsing 10 yards from the finish. It looks like he was hit by shrapnel of something similar.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
One of the news outlets reported they have a suspect in custody. Nothing more to report yet.
Last edited by LA Ute; 04-15-2013 at 04:39 PM.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Judging by the amount of blood on the ground in the overhead picture, I expect there will be many more fatalities. It looks like 12 so far now.
Also something going on at the JFK library in Dorchester, and they found a device in Georgetown as well.
Suspect is a Saudi national.
My partner is back there now, watching his wife run the marathon (she runs every year). She was 1/2 mile from the finish when he got a text from her "Bomb. Race rerouted." then phone service went out. He, fortunately, wasn't at the finish line.
"Don't apologize; it's not your fault. It's my fault for overestimating your competence."
Multiple unexploded devices have been found in various places around the city.
Unfortunately, at a time like this every abandoned piece of equipment or bag would need to be considered dangerous until it is cleared.
Apparently a number of marathon runners ran across the finish line and continued on to Mass General to donate blood (about 1.5 miles).
Initial reports are hard to trust until they are verified.
There is no suspect in custody.
The incident at JFK Library may be unrelated, but apparently was an incendiary device.
One object was blown up, but no additional devices have been confirmed.
As chance would have it, some of the family members and survivors of the Sandy Hook shooting happened to be in the grandstand that's was bombed. No word on injuries.
This is a very scary event.
There was not an explosion at the library. It was an accidental fire in a mechanical room.
Keep in mind much of the information being reported in the media is very incomplete as their information is taken from police and fire radio chatter, or from rumors that spread rapidly.
There was a third bomb that has been rendered safe by Boston Police. As of now there are no other confirmed explosive devices
It is. It is also a new reality. Violence including shootings and bombings and stabbings are here for the foreseeable future. Bans won't stop this. Very powerful and effective explosives can be made from common chemicals purchased at Walgreens. We just can't ban everything that can be used for violence.Originally Posted by NorthwestUteFan
IMO the answers to the underlying problems that lead to all this violence are complicated, and they are beyond our abilities to resolve as a society at this time.
Broken people exist.
Last edited by Devildog; 04-15-2013 at 06:01 PM.
"A first report follows every event. The first report may be entirely accurate and you can take it to the bank; it may be only partially accurate; or it may be totally wrong. How can we weigh first reports to determine where the best probability lies? My experience with hundreds of first reports over the years has provided me with a mental checklist for reacting to them:
- Does it make common sense? Take a deep breath, rub your eyes.
- Does it fit with everything else that is going on? Is there a context for this event?
- How much time do I have to figure this out?
- How can I confirm it?
- What are the risks, costs, and opportunities lost if the report is true and we delay action?
- What are the risks, costs and missed opportunities if it is false and we act too quickly?
- What are the stakes?
- Times up! Do something! Keep searching!"
-- Colin Powell
"It'd be nice to please everyone but I thought it would be more interesting to have a point of view." -- Oscar Levant
It has been reported that the bombs were contained in pressure-cookers packed with ball bearings. If true it is of some significance, because this is a favored IED design used by the Taliban and connected groups in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. It's also the same design used by the 2010 Times Square bomber.
Mind you, anyone with an Internet connection could get the idea from there, too.
Last edited by USS Utah; 04-16-2013 at 01:19 PM.
"It'd be nice to please everyone but I thought it would be more interesting to have a point of view." -- Oscar Levant
My guess is that this is a domestic guy working on his own. Multiple reports have stated that there was no increase in electronic "chatter" from the usual suspects. Also, no group has stepped forward to claim responsibility.
Desse jeito, năo tem jeito.
This is my hope. If it's a Muslim, then we'll just have more and more bloodshed without really accomplishing much of anything. Our predator drones kill innocents all the time.
"This culture doesn't sell modesty. It sells "I am more modest than you" modesty." -- Two Utes
Any source for this? I have a family member that flies them and I don't think he's out there "killing innocents all the time"
List of children killed by drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen
Compiled from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reports
PAKISTAN
Name | Age | Gender
Noor Aziz | 8 | male
Abdul Wasit | 17 | male
Noor Syed | 8 | male
Wajid Noor | 9 | male
Syed Wali Shah | 7 | male
Ayeesha | 3 | female
Qari Alamzeb | 14| male
Shoaib | 8 | male
Hayatullah KhaMohammad | 16 | male
Tariq Aziz | 16 | male
Sanaullah Jan | 17 | male
Maezol Khan | 8 | female
Nasir Khan | male
Naeem Khan | male
Naeemullah | male
Mohammad Tahir | 16 | male
Azizul Wahab | 15 | male
Fazal Wahab | 16 | male
Ziauddin | 16 | male
Mohammad Yunus | 16 | male
Fazal Hakim | 19 | male
Ilyas | 13 | male
Sohail | 7 | male
Asadullah | 9 | male
khalilullah | 9 | male
Noor Mohammad | 8 | male
Khalid | 12 | male
Saifullah | 9 | male
Mashooq Jan | 15 | male
Nawab | 17 | male
Sultanat Khan | 16 | male
Ziaur Rahman | 13 | male
Noor Mohammad | 15 | male
Mohammad Yaas Khan | 16 | male
Qari Alamzeb | 14 | male
Ziaur Rahman | 17 | male
Abdullah | 18 | male
Ikramullah Zada | 17 | male
Inayatur Rehman | 16 | male
Shahbuddin | 15 | male
Yahya Khan | 16 |male
Rahatullah |17 | male
Mohammad Salim | 11 | male
Shahjehan | 15 | male
Gul Sher Khan | 15 | male
Bakht Muneer | 14 | male
Numair | 14 | male
Mashooq Khan | 16 | male
Ihsanullah | 16 | male
Luqman | 12 | male
Jannatullah | 13 | male
Ismail | 12 | male
Taseel Khan | 18 | male
Zaheeruddin | 16 | male
Qari Ishaq | 19 | male
Jamshed Khan | 14 | male
Alam Nabi | 11 | male
Qari Abdul Karim | 19 | male
Rahmatullah | 14 | male
Abdus Samad | 17 | male
Siraj | 16 | male
Saeedullah | 17 | male
Abdul Waris | 16 | male
Darvesh | 13 | male
Ameer Said | 15 | male
Shaukat | 14 | male
Inayatur Rahman | 17 | male
Salman | 12 | male
Fazal Wahab | 18 | male
Baacha Rahman | 13 | male
Wali-ur-Rahman | 17 | male
Iftikhar | 17 | male
Inayatullah | 15 | male
Mashooq Khan | 16 | male
Ihsanullah | 16 | male
Luqman | 12 | male
Jannatullah | 13 | male
Ismail | 12 | male
Abdul Waris | 16 | male
Darvesh | 13 | male
Ameer Said | 15 | male
Shaukat | 14 | male
Inayatur Rahman | 17 | male
Adnan | 16 | male
Najibullah | 13 | male
Naeemullah | 17 | male
Hizbullah | 10 | male
Kitab Gul | 12 | male
Wilayat Khan | 11 | male
Zabihullah | 16 | male
Shehzad Gul | 11 | male
Shabir | 15 | male
Qari Sharifullah | 17 | male
Shafiullah | 16 | male
Nimatullah | 14 | male
Shakirullah | 16 | male
Talha | 8 | male
YEMEN
Afrah Ali Mohammed Nasser | 9 | female
Zayda Ali Mohammed Nasser | 7 | female
Hoda Ali Mohammed Nasser | 5 | female
Sheikha Ali Mohammed Nasser | 4 | female
Ibrahim Abdullah Mokbel Salem Louqye | 13 | male
Asmaa Abdullah Mokbel Salem Louqye | 9 | male
Salma Abdullah Mokbel Salem Louqye | 4 | female
Fatima Abdullah Mokbel Salem Louqye | 3 | female
Khadije Ali Mokbel Louqye | 1 | female
Hanaa Ali Mokbel Louqye | 6 | female
Mohammed Ali Mokbel Salem Louqye | 4 | male
Jawass Mokbel Salem Louqye | 15 | female
Maryam Hussein Abdullah Awad | 2 | female
Shafiq Hussein Abdullah Awad | 1 | female
Sheikha Nasser Mahdi Ahmad Bouh | 3 | female
Maha Mohammed Saleh Mohammed | 12 | male
Soumaya Mohammed Saleh Mohammed | 9 | female
Shafika Mohammed Saleh Mohammed | 4 | female
Shafiq Mohammed Saleh Mohammed | 2 | male
Mabrook Mouqbal Al Qadari | 13 | male
Daolah Nasser 10 years | 10 | female
AbedalGhani Mohammed Mabkhout | 12 | male
Abdel- Rahman Anwar al Awlaki | 16 | male
Abdel-Rahman al-Awlaki | 17 | male
Nasser Salim | 19
"This culture doesn't sell modesty. It sells "I am more modest than you" modesty." -- Two Utes
I am not happy about the way the predator drones are being used. That said, do you really think no distinction can be made between those deaths and injuries, on one hand, and the ones in Boston, on the other?
EDIT: I'm skeptical of the bona fides of your source, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Take a look at their story focus on the right side of the page.
Last edited by LA Ute; 04-16-2013 at 04:44 PM.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
A UAV launched Hellfire missile is significantly less discriminate than a sniper's bullet. Your family member isn't out there to "kill innocents" but everyone in the impact area of the missile is likely to get killed.
At the same time, a Hellfire missile is probably a better option than a JDAM, which would likely kill even more people in the target area. Outside of the smaller payload, there isn't much difference between sending a UAV or sending a striker fighter.
Armed UAVs should only be used in places where sending a sniper, or a team of special operators for a capture/kill mission is not feasible, such a the badlands in Pakistan or Yeman.
"It'd be nice to please everyone but I thought it would be more interesting to have a point of view." -- Oscar Levant
I suppose an argument could be made about a possible overuse of or overreliance on UAVs. If it is feasible to send a team of special operators to capture the high value target, it should be done in the hopes of gaining intelligence through interrogation. Typically, HVTs will give information leading to another HVT.
"It'd be nice to please everyone but I thought it would be more interesting to have a point of view." -- Oscar Levant
Take a look at this: http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/727
CONDUCT OF THE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM (No. 2)
- Session: 2012-13
- Date tabled: 19.11.2012
- Primary sponsor: Flynn, Paul
- Sponsors:
That this House recalls the great successes of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) in its quality work on exposing many national and international scandals, including revealing that the CIA falsely claimed that it was causing zero civilian casualties in drone attacks in Pakistan and confirming that the US had deliberately targeted rescuers in follow-up strikes; applauds The Bureau's work on deaths in police custody that was rewarded with a 2012 Amnesty International Media Award and revealed that high-profile deaths in police custody had not been included in official statistics and that police continue to use restraint techniques that have long been known to be dangerous; further notes that The Bureau investigated the under-spend of European structural funds, reported in detail the misuse of House of Lords facilities and failure of peers to declare their interests, exposed the power and influence of the financial lobby and conducted a valuable investigation of the public relations and lobbying industries; regrets the reduction in spending on investigative journalism by the BBC; and congratulates TBIJ for providing a valuable service in issues neglected by the main broadcasters.
"This culture doesn't sell modesty. It sells "I am more modest than you" modesty." -- Two Utes
Paul Flynn is one of the most left-wing members of Parliament, you miserable vomitous mass.
Now, how about answering my question?
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Yes. The deaths in Boston were 'bad'. The deaths from Predator and other drones (Beast) are 'good' deaths.
Duh.
Well, is the grief and rage of the father of anyone on that list any less horrific or worthy of our sympathy?
"This culture doesn't sell modesty. It sells "I am more modest than you" modesty." -- Two Utes
You're answering my question with a question. Typical banana-obsessed academic stunt.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
No, I'm treating you like a student who asked a dumb question. I think anyone can make a distinction of anything if they want to. My brother's polemics are living proof of this. But, I see no difference in the grief of someone in a foreign land over the actions of my government which caused the death of their family, and the incidents yesterday. All are horrific. All are evil. All are illegal.
Why don't we just bomb the fuck out of "them" if we really want to stop it? I mean, it'd be collateral damage, but the problem would go away if we got them all.
Our drone strikes that kill innocents are just as immoral, in a Kantian sense, as the Boston massacre yesterday.
"This culture doesn't sell modesty. It sells "I am more modest than you" modesty." -- Two Utes
While you have a point, there is a distinction between the events.
Whoever placed the devices yesterday deliberately targeted spectators at a sporting event.
While the drone strikes have certainly killed civilians, I don't think you're trying to say the intent of the drone strikes and the bombing are the same
Certainly both are regrettable and the grief felt by those who are directly touched by them is similar, but the actions leading up to them are not, at least in my opinion.
That is a distinction, and you're right about it. However, I think my point is that the consequences are the same, ultimately, for those on the receiving end.
"This culture doesn't sell modesty. It sells "I am more modest than you" modesty." -- Two Utes
Asking you if you saw no distinction was not dumb, and your suggestion that it was dumb is deeply hurtful. Dummy.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
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