On April 18, The News’s headline read “Unity Over Anguish,” and no doubt Boston residents felt both emotions in the wake of the terrorist acts perpetrated in the heart of our city. Unfortunately, The News’s interview with Professor Jack Levin on the bombings was less-than-unifying in nature. While Professor Levin states that he believes that attacks were personal, rather than political, in nature, he later adds:  “[the terrorist] may be a member of a civilian militia group, or some other right-wing extremist organization.” This point is not entirely unreasonable, as the attack was committed on April 15, both Patriots Day and Tax Day. However, Professor Levin fails to mention the early signs that the bombings could have also been tied to radical Islam. For one, pressure cookers have been recommended as bombs by terrorist magazines such as al-Qaeda’s “Inspire,” and they have in fact been used in attacks throughout the Middle East.  Additionally, Jihadist leaders have in the past called for attacks on large sporting events, which the Boston Marathon undoubtedly is.

Knowing what we know now, that both co-conspirators were radicalized Muslims, Professor Levin should be invited back for a follow-up interview. His speculation on the political motives of the terrorists was way off the mark, and he offered no alternative theories, even warning against thinking of the conspirators as being from “the Middle East, or Asia.” In fact, the Tsarnaev brothers were both from Dagestan (a Russian republic that borders their ethnic home of Chechnya, which is a hotbed of Islamic terrorism), and Tamerlan Tsarnaev returned to Russia for six months last year. We hope The News will allow Professor Levin to offer a restatement based on the new evidence gathered in the last few weeks, and we hope Professor Levin will inform readers of all speculative possibilities the next time he gives an interview.

-The Northeastern College Republicans Executive Board