Post date: Apr 23, 2013 10:6:22 AM
Residents of Russia's restive Dagestan region, where two Boston suspectsTamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev lived before going to the U.S., are sharply divided about the role of the two brothers in the Boston bombings.
MAKHACHKALA, DAGESTAN (APRIL 23, 2013) (REUTERS) - People of Makhachkala, the centre of Russia's restive Dagestan region, gave a mixed reaction on Tuesday (April 23) regarding the involvment of Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaevs in the Boston Marathon bombing.
The two brothers are accused of killing three people and wounding more than 170 in two blasts at the marathon finish line last Monday (April 15), then killing a college police officer and wounding a transit officer before hijacking a sport utility vehicle opening fire and hurling explosives at pursuing law enforcement.Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was seriously wounded in confrontations with police, andTamerlan was killed after being shot by police and run over by his brother in a stolen car.
"USA is the world's terrorist. I'm telling you this openly. Everyone knows about this. They are poking their nose into everywhere, where they should and shouldn't. And, especially, those two brothers. I don't believe that they have committed the terrorist attack. The terrorist attack - well, I personally do not believe," said Khalit Amirov, a local welder in Makhachkala .
Other residents were less radical towards the U.S., expressing their regrets about the attack.
"Of course, it's very painful, very painful. I'm very sorry for people (hurt), my soul is crying out for these people. The person (who did it) is probably a sadist. He could be burnt alive in front of people. How can you do this? This person, probably, has a stone instead of heart," said local resident Hadidzat Shakhmanova.
"If a person is in Islam he will never do this. Such things can't be done in Islam. If a person is in Islam, Islam does not tell you that you should kill, slaughter, burn down, blow apart. No, no," she added.
The capital of Dagestan is a predominantly Muslim city with 90% of the population practicing Islam.
"How can you do this such a thing? I was very, very worried. All of us are mothers. We want everyone all over the world to live in peace. So we have always peace. I want this on Earth," said local resident Suni.
The younger Tsarnaev, Dzhokar, said to go to school in Makhachkala. Both of the two brothers' parents also live in the capital of Dagestan.
The police started it's interrogation of Dzhokar, he's said to confess that he was under the influence of his elder brother. If accused Dzhokar Tsarnaev might face from life imprisonment to death penalty.