Midday Roundup: Boston bombing investigation targets terror groups
Radical links? A former Chechnyan separatist who is now a refugee in the United States has become a key focus in the Boston Marathon bombing investigation. Federal investigators trying to establish whether suspected bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev had any contact with members of the radical Islamist community have questioned Musa Khadzhimuratov, searched his apartment and computers, given him a lie detector test, and taken samples of his DNA. Khadzhimuratov knew Tsarnaev and his wife and hosted them at his home just a few weeks before the bombings, which killed three people and injured about 200 more. Despite the heavy scrutiny, officials say they have no evidence so far to contradict the theory that Tsarnaev and his brother “self-radicalized,” without help or direct influence from outside terrorist groups.
Another terrorist charged. Federal authorities in Idaho have arrested an Uzbekistan national and charged him with terrorism. Fazliddin Kurbanov, 30, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. The indictment also alleges he possessed an unregistered explosive device. A separate federal grand jury in Utah also returned an indictment charging Kurbanov with distributing information about explosives, bombs, and weapons of mass destruction. The indictment, handed down by a grand jury Thursday, does not list Kurbanov’s co-conspirators.
Hack attack. Hackers loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad briefly took over the Financial Times website and Twitter feed this morning. Links posted by the hackers, who call themselves the Syrian Electronic Army, took visitors to a video that claims to show members of the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front Syrian rebel group executing blindfolded and kneeling members of the Syrian army. The links asked: “Do you want to know the reality of the Syrian ‘Rebels?’” The same group was behind last month’s hacking of the Associated Press. The fake message about a bomb at the White House briefly caused the stock market to plummet. (For more on Syria, see Mindy Belz’s cover story from the just-released June 1 issue of WORLD Magazine.)
Ready to repay. Electric car maker Tesla Motors is getting ready to repay a $452.4 million government loan with proceeds from its first bond offering and a simultaneous stock offering. The company’s stock has nearly tripled in value this year. The shares will be offered at $92.24 a piece. Tesla surpassed analysts’ expectations earlier this year when it announced it had made its first quarterly profit. The company’s performance stands out in comparison to other “green” ventures funded by the Obama administration. Another electric car manufacturer, Fisker Automotive Inc., is expected to default on its $193 million government loan. Both companies make luxury vehicles, available to only a limited number of customers.
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