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<p>I agree completely. The FBI is creating 50% of this situation. Regardless of what the Post did, those photos- and other people- were all over the Internet all of yesterday. </p>
<p>Just put out a list of people you want to talk with to help with the investigation and people will come forwards. Then you wont spend agents time trying to find camera angle #5 for Red Cap Guy</p>
<p>I read that the FBI wanted to talk to the victims to ask them what they saw immediately before - I don’t know how useful that would be given that many were heavily traumatized.</p>
<p>I’ve seen some interesting conspiracy (not really conspiracy but interesting questions) on the two with baseball caps and dark clothing and big bags/backpacks. It seems like there’s some strange stuff going on. The pictures are out there now but why can’t they be put out more publicly as in print and media? Right now, they’re on a few websites here and there.</p>
<p>One thing I learned in Evidence class in law school is that you can get a very false idea of the significance of a piece of evidence if you don’t realize how common something is. Thus, if there were hundreds of people with black backpacks, any particular one is not very strong evidence of anything.</p>
<p>Amateur sleuths on 4chan and reddit are busy trying to identify suspects. They advise that their work should not be spread by the public because so many are speculating but that is not realistic. Through their analysis, they have cleared some of the people whose pictures are out there as suspects - mainly by finding pictures after the bombing in which they are still carrying their backpacks. They have close up pictures of backpacks over which they have superimposed the shape of a pressure cooker to show how it sags and how the shape of the top of the pressure cooker may be seen through the backpack. I doubt that this is the guy so it would be interesting to find out what is in that backpack.</p>
<p>I think that you’d want to talk to all of them.</p>
<p>The FBI probably is talking to all of them but the amateurs have moved on to others. They are collecting stills and video from everyone they can and sending them to the FBI.</p>
<p>while I find it nice that the feds will catch these SOBs because of all of this, I concurrently find it alarming that so many pictures are out there of all of us that we can be “cleared” by amateurs finding later photographs of us.</p>
<p>We’re all in the Panopticon.</p>
<p>I found it reprehensible that a major TV show yesterday made a big deal about the first person identified who happened to be a Saudi national, saying on TV that he was “quietly” being ushered out of the country. Instantly all sorts of blogs jumped on this as evidence that a) he was guilty; and b) the US government was in league to protect a mass bomber. So utterly unfortunate. Apparently it never occurred to these folks (including the TV host) that just perhaps he left the country - if he did actually leave the country - to avoid reprisals from vigilante justice.</p>
<p>These circumstances bring out both the worst in us, and the best in us, don’t they?</p>
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<p>Seriously? Release photos of people who may be completely innocent, so that some yahoo who thinks he’s being a big hero can shoot them or beat them to death?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, we all know that the Bush administration flew a large number of well-connected Saudis out of the country immediately after 9/11, when the air lanes were still closed to average citizens and internationals. Including many members of the bin Laden family. And, given the timing, I think it HIGHLY unlikely that any of them were thoroughly questioned about their knowledge of Osama or any of his connections.</p>
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<p>That’s just part of it. I was not familiar with 4chan and had never looked at reedit so I browsed a bit last night and stumbled across a photograph timeline that had been put together about one of those killed. They found pictures prior to the bombing, right at the time of the bombing up until she was on a gurney being taken away. I was astounded at the time that must have been spent going through thousands of images and videos.</p>
<p>Consolation – I’m thinking the same thing. I agree that it is extremely irresponsible and dangerous to start circulating photos of people just because they were at the scene and had a backpack. It is cool though, that people are finding ways to clear some of these supposed <em>suspects</em>. What a world we live in.</p>
<p>A Muslim woman reported being assaulted today in MA- claiming that the attacker was yelling slurs about Muslims causing the bombing. </p>
<p>[Muslim</a> Woman Describes Assault, Harassment near Malden Center - Malden, MA Patch](<a href=“http://malden.patch.com/articles/muslim-woman-assaulted-harassed-near-malden-center]Muslim”>Muslim Woman Describes Assault, Harassment near Malden Center | Malden, MA Patch)</p>
<p>I apologize, I really don’t know whether or not this is a blog. </p>
<p>Obviously, the accusations of a Saudi being behind the attacks didn’t cause this racism. I do, however, firmly believe that it can give some of those already brimming with hate and a little “off” the push that they need to do something violent. There is an element of vigilante justice that’s very strong in America.</p>
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<p>So true, Hunt. I feel exactly that way every time I make the mistake of reading comments to articles on various news sites. There are so many truly awful people out there. It is actually more frightening to me than worrying about being blown up while going about my daily activities.</p>
<p>Clearly, some people out there have a lot of free time to sift through the photos.</p>
<p>In situations like this, people become so eager to find someone responsible for the horrible things that they forget that everyone should be considered innocent until proven guilty. Investigational vigilantism has its place under the sun, but lets leave it up to the the pros to handle the naming of suspects.</p>
<p>Fox 25 Boston is publishing the photo that they believe to be the same suspect with backward white cap.</p>
<p>[Official</a> confirms photo of possible 2nd bomber, possible bomb - Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston](<a href=“http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/22017201/2013/04/18/fbi-confirms-photo-of-possible-2nd-bomber-possible-bomb-before-explosion]Official”>http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/22017201/2013/04/18/fbi-confirms-photo-of-possible-2nd-bomber-possible-bomb-before-explosion)</p>
<p>It seems they’ve found a suspect in the ricin letter cases. A mentally unstable person who has written letters to gov’t officials before with the same wording, only without the ricin. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>The person arrested in conjunction with the ricin letters is an Elvis impersonator? Not sure what to think about that</p>
<p>Clearly, Jym, it is one of the signs of the apocalypse.</p>
<p>Maybe because I live in Boston I’m very glad that pictures of the suspects are out there now. I’m thankful for the technology and the folks that sifted through their pictures.</p>