This is not home-grown. In my estimation, this is al-Qaeda, or another related radical Islamic cell. I started this thread this evening as I watched the FBI press conference, and opened the FBI website. I saw 2 young guys in hats, casually walking around with (now known, deadly) backpacks, and thought they could have passed as any average American young person. But these guys were clinical, used al-Qaeda type bomb-making techniques, and the latest photo by Letsrun contributor/CNN interview Green and all the subsequent photo enhancements appear to show that the suspects have facial characteristics that would lead me to the al-Qaeda postulation.
I say this, not in a mean-spirited "profiling" way, but, as I have been deployed in the Balkans, Northern Africa, and Middle East for military operations, I came face to face with thousands of young guys like this, and studied them as part of my job.
I will also say this, and we know clearly from 9/11, al-Qaeda operations are conducted by a loosely organized network of cells. Its infrastructure is small, mobile, and decentralized. Each cell operates independently with its members not knowing the identity of other cells. Local operatives rarely know anyone higher up in the organization's hierarchy. So postulations by some on this board that these 2 were patsies for higher-level persons, or whatever term was used, is plausible, but also the way things operate in cells of this nature.
Two things I find very interesting, and both are tenuous, but interesting nonetheless. Don't flame me for this, it's not conspiracy theory or rabble-rousing, it's just putting the al-Qaeda theory into motion and looking at related facts we know have occurred.
The first is the disappearance of the ex-Brown U. kid on March 16. According to reports, he had been on leave from Brown for about a year. Moreover, after reading these articles below and more, there appears to be a heightened FBI search for the guy (in comparison to other missing person reports), as well as interesting discussions on the series of explosions that occurred in Hanover, MA, between Providence and Boston, just prior to his disappearance.
Is he the guy in the white hat? No, I think we can debunk that based on all the photos. Is his disappearance related to the Hanover explosions and these 2 suspects in the FBI photos? At the very least, possibly, since his disappearance appears suspicious, and has garnered significant attention from the FBI.
http://wtvr.com/2013/03/24/brown-student-missing-aunt-says-philosophy-major-left-vague-note/
http://www.punditpress.com/2013/04/sunil-tripathi-information-4182013.html
http://www.wickedlocal.com/hanover/news/x1037527396/Explosives-cause-concern-in-Hanover#axzz2Qs2alxxx
http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981864024
The second is the circumstances surrounding the Saudi National who was injured in the bomb blast, and taken into custody as a person of interest and questioned. He was put under armed guard in hospital after the bombing, had his apartment searched by federal and state law enforcement agents, and was visited by Saudi diplomat Azzam bin Abdel Karim.
Remember, the media (John King-CNN) was abuzz and assured us Wednesday afternoon that a suspect had been arrested and was being taken to Federal Court, with a FBI press conference at 5 pm on Wednesday. Before we know it, this was all defused and walked back. Further reports indicated the Saudi national was on a student visa, and the investigation was intervened by the Saudi diplomat, and the student was now being deported immediately under section 212 3B — “Security and related grounds.” Subsequent reports have backtracked on the schedule of deportation.
Nevertheless, the significant finding is that the student is a member of a prominent Saudi clan whose family members have long been linked and active in al-Qaeda since the 1980s. Read more here:
http://www.wnd.com/2013/04/u-s-deporting-saudi-person-of-interest/
http://www.prisonplanet.com/source-government-trying-to-make-boston-lone-wolf-terror-to-spare-saudis.html
http://shoebat.com/2013/04/18/another-photo-of-alharbi-in-hospital-this-time-smiling-with-saudi-diplomat/
http://www.okaz.com.sa/new/Issues/20130418/Con20130418591717.htm
So, with all that said, there are enough indicators to me that would lead me to believe this al-Qaeda postulation is being reviewed at the highest levels of the investigation. Obviously we have very little information compared to the years of intel and chatter gathered by national security agencies, but with what is out there, that's my take.