And “members of Gaza’s Jihadiya Salafia group further said that al-Qaida is being credited for the attack in its affiliated online forums.”
“‘Arrests in Pakistan, Afghanistan’ in Boston Marathon probe,” by Aaron Klein in WND, April 16:
TEL AVIV — An al-Qaida-allied group in the Gaza Strip claimed to WND that there have been arrests of jihadists in both Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of the probe into yesterday”s Boston Marathon explosions.
The arrests could not be immediately confirmed.
Members of Gaza’s Jihadiya Salafia group further said that al-Qaida is being credited for the attack in its affiliated online forums.
The Gaza sources told WND the online al-Qaida forum messages claimed the bombings were an al-Qaida response to a U.S. military airstrike that killed a high-profile Taliban leader and four other Taliban members last week near Afghanistan’s eastern border with Pakistan.
Jihadia Salafia represents al-Qaida in Gaza.
It was not immediately clear whether the Internet claims should be taken seriously or simply represented jihadists utilizing the explosions….
The Pakistani Taliban today reportedly denied any role in the marathon bombings.
Media blame right-wing
While the initial indications may point toward Islamic terrorism, some in the media have been speculating it could have been a domestic attack, with some analysts suggesting “right wing extremists” were involved.
CNN national-security analyst Peter Bergen said some of the information will become clear when police reveal what kind of explosive was used.
Bergen said al-Qaida often uses hydrogen peroxide explosives, while another type of explosion might signal that a “right-wing extremist” was involved.
The explosions, Bergan said, reminded him of the Oklahoma City bombing, for which Timothy McVeigh was arrested, convicted and executed.
And Bergen said it also brought to mind other “right-wing” attacks.
“Right-wing groups trying to attack, for instance — trying to attack the Martin Luther King parade in Oregon in 2010,” he said. “So, if it is a device of some kind, you know, we shouldn’t leap to conclusion about where it’s coming from.”
Also today, the U.K. Independent ran a report quoting a terror expert who claimed the marathon attack has hints the handiwork of a right-wing terrorist attack rather than al Qaida-inspired extremism….