AMU Homeland Security Opinion

Boston Marathon Bomber Trial Takes Turn

By Brett Daniel Shehadey
Special Contributor for In Homeland Security

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is suspected of the Boston Marathon Bombing that killed three and injured over 260. His defense lawyers are trying to mitigate his death sentence by depicting his older brother as the leader and that he was pushed over the edge by the FBI. Their argument is that the FBI was trying to recruit him as an informant against the Chechen underworld. They claim the new strategy comes from a report of the House Homeland Security Committee in which Tamerlan was monitored by federal agents in 2011 and 2012.

The Defense plans to use this to make the case that the older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev became “paranoia and distress” as a result of this pressuring by the FBI and the younger brother “acted under his domination and control.”

But first they need proof. Defense lawyers last Friday asked the judge to force the FBI to turn over all evidence on Tamerlan in this matter.

Prosecution will likely try to redirect on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s direct involvement and not get carried away with the dead assailant. They will need to redirect the attention of the court back to the crime and punishment of the young Russian American Raskolnikov.

Although the 20 year old suspected mass murder Dzhokhar is pleading “not guilty” at the moment. In April of 2013, he originally confessed while recovering at the Beth Israel Deaconess hospital in Boston. He blamed his actions on foreign American wars against Muslims and in Muslim countries. This was before he had access to or was provided with an attorney. But if his Miranda Rights were read to him, this should be held against him in court.

Death penalty is sought by prosecution. He is charged with 30 counts. Defense is attempting to mitigate sentence by all possible means. They know they cannot escape indictment altogether and most likely a sentence of life in prison.

The FBI has denied the claim of Dzhokhar’s lawyers completely, stating that: “(T)he government has no evidence that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was solicited by the government to be an informant.”

“To be absolutely clear: No one was surveilling the Tsarnaevs, and they were not identified until after the shootout,” stated an official from the Bureau.

These are consistent with the FBIs prior statements one year ago. Here is an excerpt: “The Tsarnaev brothers were never sources for the FBI nor did the FBI attempt to recruit them as sources.”

 

 

 

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