#Freejahar Hashtag Brings Together Skeptics of the Mainstream Boston Marathon Attack Narrative
Over at Wired's Danger Room blog Spencer Ackerman has written an interesting piece on the #freejahar hashtag that has emerged on twitter, which has been used by those who think that (despite the growing evidence to the contrary) Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was not involved in the Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people and injured over 180 more.
It was announced today that Tsarnaev will not be treated as an enemy combatant. He has been charged with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction.
It should not be surprising that skepticism about Tsarnaev's involvement has been expressed by his mother and by at least one of his friends. It must be shocking to find out that one of your immediate family members or friends was involved in murder, and it is understandable that denial would be one of the first reactions.
However, the #freejahar hashtag is being used by people that (presumably without any forensic training) have taken it upon themselves to declare that Tsarnaev is being set up, posting pictures that supposedly exculpate Tsarnaev of any wrongdoing.
Ackerman notes that the #freejahar hashtag is mostly being used by those who are not actively celebrating the attack, and that the Boston Marathon attack has been treated with caution in extremist message boards.
It is not only on twitter that conspiracies have been published. Over at Alex Jone's Infowars site there is a far-fetched theory was published that involves "contractors" and their supposed involvement in the Boston Marathon attack.
The suspects of the Boston Marathon attack are the most interesting part of the whole event. After the bombing there was speculation that whoever was responsible for the attack was going to turn out to be either Tea Party tax protesters or a Saudi national. As far as I can remember (please correct in comments if I am wrong) there was no speculation that young Chechens would be involved. Why the American government would be involved in orchestrating the murder of innocent people in an American city so that the blame would be put on two Chechens, whose quarrel is with the Russians, has yet to be explained adequately by those denying Tsarnaev's alleged involvement in the bombing.
Read more of Reason.com's coverage of the Boston Marathon attack here.
