As feds point to the report as evidence of having carried out their duties, state and local officials say it was not enough.As it turns out, police in the Boston area were notified about the possibility of a terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon five days before the incident itself took place. The report came from an agency with ties to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and is described as being similar to other reports that are disseminated to local law enforcement prior to major public events.
On Thursday, law enforcement officials from Boston and Massachussetts raised objections at a congressional hearing, saying that federal agencies have been derelict in their duties to keep local law enforcement well informed. The Los Angeles Times has the latest:
WASHINGTON — Five days before two bombs tore through crowds at the Boston Marathon, an intelligence report identified the finish line as an "area of increased vulnerability" and warned Boston police that homegrown extremists could use "small-scale bombings" to attack spectators and runners at the event.
The 18-page report, similar to others sent to police and first responders before major events in the Boston area, was written by the Boston Regional Intelligence Center, which is funded in part by the Department of Homeland Security and helps disseminate intelligence information to local police and first responders.
The assessment noted that there was "no credible, specific information indicating an imminent threat" to the race.
"The FBI has not identified any specific lone offender or extremist group who pose a threat to the Boston Marathon," the report said.
In the aftermath of the bombing, who in law enforcement knew what and when have become significant points of contention.
Even as federal officials pointed to the warning as evidence they had done their jobs, Boston and Massachusetts state police officials complained at a congressional hearing Thursday that the FBI had not told them about an earlier investigation involving Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of two brothers accused of carrying out the April 15 attacks that left three dead and more than 260 injured.
