FBI's full statement on interviewing Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011

[ProSense]

FBI Interviewed Boston Suspect In 2011 At Request Of Foreign Government

<...>

Read the FBI's full statement below:

The two individuals believed to be responsible for the Boston Marathon bombings on Monday have been positively identified as Tamerlan Tsarnaev, now deceased, and Dzhokar Tsarnaev, now in custody. These individuals are brothers and residents of Massachusetts. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was a legal permanent resident and Dzhokar Tsarnaev is a naturalized U.S. citizen. Charges have not yet been filed against Dzhokar Tsarnaev and he is presumed innocent.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, age 26, was previously designated as Suspect 1, wearing a black hat. Dzhokar A. Tsarnaev, age 19, was designated as Suspect 2, wearing a white hat. Both were born in Kyrgyzstan.

Once the FBI learned the identities of the two brothers today, the FBI reviewed its records and determined that in early 2011, a foreign government asked the FBI for information about Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The request stated that it was based on information that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer, and that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave the United States for travel to the country’s region to join unspecified underground groups.

In response to this 2011 request, the FBI checked U.S. government databases and other information to look for such things as derogatory telephone communications, possible use of online sites associated with the promotion of radical activity, associations with other persons of interest, travel history and plans, and education history. The FBI also interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev and family members. The FBI did not find any terrorism activity, domestic or foreign, and those results were provided to the foreign government in the summer of 2011. The FBI requested but did not receive more specific or additional information from the foreign government.

Update:

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was questioned by federal law enforcement officials at the beheast of the Russian government, the Washington Post confirms.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/fbi-interviewed-boston-suspect-in-2011-at-request

The Boston bombers and civil liberties
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022721075

What You Need To Know About Why The Boston Bombing Suspect Hasn’t Been Read His Miranda Rights
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022721166

[darkangel218]

1. This

"The request stated that it was based on information that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer, and that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave the United States for travel to the country’s region to join unspecified underground groups."

Obviously the Russian gov was onto something.

[ProSense]

2. So

This

"The request stated that it was based on information that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer, and that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave the United States for travel to the country’s region to join unspecified underground groups."

Obviously the Russian gov was onto something.

...do you think the Russian Governement withheld evidence? Or do you think the U.S. Government should have kept track of him even though they found no evidence connecting him to extremism?

[darkangel218]

3. They defenetly shouldve kept track of him.

Last edited Sat Apr 20, 2013, 11:16 AM - Edit history (1)

At least his online activity. Even Amazon can do it.

I have a feeling had they discovered his YouTube acount this wouldn't have happened.

[ProSense]

4. You are arguing

They defenetly shouldve kept track of him. At least his online activity. Even Amazon can do it.

...that anyone questioned for being suspicious should be tracked even if there is no evidence connecting them to a crime or extremism. That's ludicrous. It appears his activities occurred recently and at least a year after he was investigated.

[darkangel218]

7. Not anyone.

But don't you think the Russian gov has better things to do than tip the FBI if it wasn't a serious concern? I never said there should be some sort of law to indefinitely monitor someone, I think the lenght should be case by case. Closing the file immediately and ignoring the warning who came from his homeland is a bit silly. But rate just my opinion, who cares what I think.
Maybe FBI did he best they could.

[ProSense]

17. You cannot

"Not anyone. But don't you think the Russian gov has better things to do than tip the FBI if it wasn't a serious concern? I never said there should be some sort of law to indefinitely monitor someone, I think the lenght should be case by case. Closing the file immediately and ignoring the warning who came from his homeland is a bit silly. But rate just my opinion, who cares what I think.
Maybe FBI did he best they could."

...apply such a position selectively. Remember this isn't about someone who was investigated and incriminating evidence found. This was someone who was cleared. It would be different if the investigation had turned up anything, even online postings linking him to extremism.

In order to do what you are suggesting, there would need to be a case made for tracking someone just on the basis of suspicion.

[JackN415]

10. Agree with you. FBI dropped the ball n/t

[dballance]

16. It's Easy to Say That Now in Hind Site. I Don't think they Dropped the Ball.

From what I just read here they did an interview, searched their databases and came up with nothing. Then they asked Russia for more information about Tamerlan and got nothing from the request. So they closed the file. Why would they have continued to monitor him without any reason? He apparently had no ties to any radical group here in the US or he'd be in their databases.

If Russia had some concerns they should have answered the FBI's query.

[woodsprite]

5. Bingo! This is why Putin offered assistance w/ the marathon bombers. n/t

[Barack_America]

9. I think his extended family tipped off the Russian authorities.

I think he and possibly his father started talking about some ideas that alarmed someone in his extended family. His aunts and uncles here in the States have mentioned a 'rift' in the family that prevented them from seeing the boys the past few years. This may be what caused it. His uncle Ruslan mentions them 'speaking hate'. He could have even gone to the consulate here. He was clearly very concerned about his family being associated with them.

[flamingdem]

11. Uncle Ruslan needs to be more forthcoming

He seems to be quite intelligent, enough to have said certain things and left out others in his quest to save the reputation of the Chechen people and his family.. he knows more.

[kestrel91316]

20. "The FBI requested but did not receive more specific or additional information from the foreign

government."

[Heather MC]

6. Ohhhh the Mother was telling some truth, but

It doesn't sound like the FBI feared him

3..2..1 IT'S ALL OBAMA'S FAULT!!!!!
They had him, they let him go because Barack Hussein Obama loves Mooslims
This plan was put into motion by the FBI to Steal our guns, during "routine" house to house searches, in a planned city wide lock down.

I am telling folks Boston wad just a test run for the entire country. Mark my words US soldiers will be marching down your streets in the coming months taking your guns. All in an effort to unarm us for the Massive Mooslim attack and take over of our Country by the Mooslim brotherhood all orchestrated by Obama.
-------

Wow making up bullshit is Easy, no wonder FAUX news doesn't report actual news.

[JackN415]

8. FBI is negligent. The Russians have the right to say "I told you so..."

No wonder Putin and Obama just had a new agreement on collaboration against terrorism.

There may be something in FBI attitude, perhaps discrediting the Russians with ... "Chechans? it's your problem, not ours..."

It's not unlike as if the Chinese Communists would warn the US on some dissenting Chinese citizens living in the US of their terrorist disposition. We would dismiss it of course. It those were Tibetans, we can dismiss. But if they were Chinese muslim terrorists, we would be stupid not to pay attention.

There is a lesson to be learned here.

[dkf]

12. Hmm that could be true that they discounted it because they didnt realize the Chechen movement was

Morphing from a separatist to a religious movement.

If so, it's another black eye on our intelligence.

[gateley]

13. Just heard (MSNBC) them discussing that after the FBI checked the known

terror info (or whatever they check) they got back to Russia with the negative results and asked if Russia would like them to do additional investigation. Supposedly Russia did not respond and the FBI presumably concluded it wasn't a serious concern.

[kestrel91316]

21. "The FBI requested but did not receive more specific or additional information from the foreign

government."

[jpak]

14. Kick

n/t

[global1]

15. It Seems To Me That As Soon As The FBI Was Pulled Into This After The Bombing - The First Thing ....

they should have done was to review their data base and look for anyone in the Boston Area that they might have followed in any way in the past. We're always hearing how much info our government has on all of us and that they are spying on us. They actually had this guy (black hat) in their database. They interviewed him.

Once they generated this list - one would think they would go through it and begin reviewing the recent activities of all those on the list. Checking out their social media sites, movements (travel), etc.

In other words begin a profile of possibles. Where they live in the metropolitan area around Boston, etc

At that time - it seems to me that concurrently - the FBI had pictures of two dudes placing the bombs - a day or so before they released them to the public. At the time they narrowed things down with the pics and before they released them to the public - they should have had a real good idea as to the ID"s of the bombers - if they would have checked the pics against their possibles list that they should have generated above.

Certainly - immediately after stuff broke out in the Cambridge area - they should have - by the process of elimination - narrowed down their search - because - these two guys lived in the Cambridge area.

[dballance]

18. How do You Know They Didn't Do What You Suggest?

If you or I can think of doing such a thing I feel pretty certain seasoned investigators can think of it too. Maybe they did just that but didn't have pictures in their files. Just because the FBI interviews someone doesn't mean they're going to get a picture or mug shot of them. Their interview with Tamerlan was probably all in a report with only text.

The real world doesn't work like TV shows where all the information and pictures from all those databases are magically linked and and agent anywhere can pull up all the data by sitting behind a computer and asking for it. In some instances agencies are prohibited from sharing information. Cases don't get solved in the real world in 50 minutes plus commercials.

[global1]

19. The FBI Didn't Need To Have Pics On File....

if they had info on file of Black Hat and others possibles in the area and then searched for social media presence - they would have found pics of both Black and White Hat right on their Social Media sites. Running those pics against the pics that they already had of two guys they suspected of placing backpacks - they might have made the match sooner.

Actually - I made the same comment to someone yesterday about things not being like on TV - almost with the same words is that we can't solve cases in the span of a 1hr program on TV. I agree with you on that.

I was just surmising how I might have approached the same and that is why I posted.

[JackN415]

22. Not true. The real world existing software and computing power is far more sophisticated ...

than in TV shows. But Government bureaucracy, especially Dept of Homeland Security & FBI wasted $B not knowing how to use those resources (data analytics). The same kind of resources that Google, Amazon, Facebook and other companies track you and know what you are most likely to buy next to advertise.

They are incompetent. Period.