Boston Bombing Suspect Charged, Not An ‘Enemy Combatant’

Boston Bombing Suspect Charged, Not An ‘Enemy Combatant’

Call it a victory for those who fear an endless “war on terror.”

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the 19-year-old college student who was arrested after a massive manhunt that shut the city of Boston down for the better part of a day, has been charged at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, where he has been since Friday night. The charges include using a weapon of mass destruction.

He “will not be treated as an enemy combatant,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney announced Monday.

Tsarnaev, along with his brother Tamerlan, who died Friday morning in a shootout with police, is suspected of planting the bombs that killed three and injured 176 at the Boston Marathon last Monday.

The younger Tsarnaev will likely also be charged in the death of an MIT police officer, carjacking and multiple other crimes that occurred in a rampage that began Thursday evening after photos of the two brothers were released.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was not read his rights Friday evening due to a “public safety exception.” He is currently in serious condition. Despite a gunshot wound to his throat, which may have been self-inflicted, he reportedly has been communicating with government officials in writing.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) made national news Friday during the closing hours of the manhunt by tweeting that the suspect should not be read his rights. The senator was later joined by Senator John McCain and other Republicans who called for the suspect to be treated as an enemy combatant, who can be held and questioned indefinitely.

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said that declaring Tsarnaev an enemy combatant would be “unconstitutional.” The suspect — who became an American citizen on Sept. 11, 2012 — is ethnically Chechen but was born in Dagestan, near Southern Russia.

Laws written in response to the 9/11 attacks allow any known affiliate of al Qaeda to be designated an enemy combatant and deprived of a civilian trial. The White House’s announcement suggests that Tsarnaev was not connected to the organization.

The city of Boston will hold a moment of silence for the victims of the bombings at 2:50 PM Monday.

Photo: dcJohn via Flickr.com

Start your day with National Memo Newsletter

Know first.

The opinions that matter. Delivered to your inbox every morning

Joe Biden
President Joe Biden

Last week,The Economist's presidential polling average set in motion a reevaluation of the general election when President Joe Biden pulled ahead of Donald Trump for the first time since September 2023.

Keep reading...Show less
Alex Jones

Alex Jones

At a press conference on Tuesday, March 26, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters that there was no sign of terrorism or foul play in the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge — which had been struck by a freighter. According to Moore and the Biden White House, there was no indication that it was anything other than a tragic accident.

Keep reading...Show less
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}