Community Corner

Rebel Group Denies Involvement in Marathon Bombings

In 2011, the FBI, at the request of the Russian government, questioned deceased suspect ethnic-Chechen Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

The lone rebel group in the North Caucasus denied they had anything to do with Monday’s attack on the Boston Marathon. 

Kavkazcenter.com, the website outlet of the Mujahideen rebel group of the Caucasus Emirate Province of Dagestan, reported Sunday: “The Command of the Province of Dagestan indicates in this regard that the Caucasian Mujahideen are not fighting against the United States of America. We are at war with Russia, which is not only responsible for the occupation of the Caucasus, but also for heinous crimes against Muslims."

The site added: “Also, remember that even in respect to the enemy state of Russia, which is fighting the Caucasus Emirate, there is an order by the Emir Dokku Umarov, which prohibits strikes on civilian targets.”

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Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, known as the suspect wearing the black hat in the Boston Marathon bombings April 15, was killed when he was run over by his brother, suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in a lengthy battle with law enforcement early Friday morning.

The FBI was warned about Tamerlan Tsarnaev in 2011, according to a statement. He traveled between Boston and Russia several times in 2011 and 2012. The Tsarnaev brothers are ethnic Chechens.

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The FBI acknowledged Tamerlan Tsarnaev changed dramatically after 2010 and began to follow “radical Islam,” according to the statement.

“The FBI also interviewed Tamerlan Tsarnaev and family members,” the statement continues. “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.”


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