The mother of Boston Marathon bombing suspects Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev insisted to the press yesterday that her sons were set up, telling journalists that the FBI had looked into (and presumably cleared) older son Tamerlan over a period of years. Zubeidat Tsarnaeva said that she’d encountered a culture of corruption among police in Chechnya, but here in America, we’re beginning to see our own disturbing pattern of missed opportunities and Monday morning quarterbacking.
Today we learned that it was reportedly Russia that had asked the FBI to investigate Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
US official confirms it WAS Russia that in 2011 asked the #FBI to look at the older brother's activities. #BostonStrong
— Barbara Starr (@barbarastarrcnn) April 20, 2013
WH referred me to FBI re: Russian FSB asking US to investigate Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011, which they did and then moved on; FBI radio silent
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 20, 2013
Intel source tells me it's "rare" for Russians to reach out like that, to ask FBI to look into someone as they did with Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 21, 2013
We don’t know who Tapper’s source is, but we have no problem believing it would be rare for Russia to enlist the help of the FBI unless there were a clear security threat to either nation. In the meantime, CNN is reporting that the House Homeland Security Committee is going to press the Obama administration for answers.
Source: GOP congressmen want answers on Boston suspect's 2011 questioning – http://t.co/tAlhxImxQ2
— CNN Political Ticker (@PoliticalTicker) April 21, 2013
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The FBI investigated Tsarnaev, who died this week after a late-night shoot-out with police, at the request of Russian authorities, according to a senior U.S. official. Tsarnaev and his younger brother Dzhokar, who was taken into custody a day after his brother’s death, are originally from the Caucasus region and immigrated to the United States in the 2000s.
Reps. Mike McCaul of Texas, the committee’s chairman, and Peter King of New York, the former committee chairman, are preparing a letter to Director Robert Mueller and Attorney General Eric Holder seeking details about that questioning, the GOP congressional source said.
@jaketapper sounds like Russians thought he had been radicalized and was training to bring it back to Russia ala Beslan.
— Pouncing Coder Brad (@bradcundiff) April 21, 2013
Another important Q: What was original evidence Russian services provided on Tamerlan Tsarnaev? How detailed? How was it obtained?
— Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) April 21, 2013
https://twitter.com/bloodless_coup/status/325763558757515267
@jaketapper T.Tasrnaev was "Interviewed" by FBI two yrs ago ? Does our FBI interview people per requests of OTHER countries ? since when ?
— enigma4ever ??️?️ ???? (@watergatesummer) April 21, 2013
Damn near real journalism .. RT:"@jaketapper: Big q is why FBI didnt talk to Tamerlan Tsarnaev after he returned from Chechnya last yr."
— @RHJenks (@RHJenks) April 21, 2013
https://twitter.com/antonettegreen1/status/325764191376007168
Thanks for the kind words, tweeps. Tough story to cover; means a lot that you appreciated my efforts. An honor to do so for you.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 21, 2013
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