According to CBS News’ twitter feed, Tamerlan Tsarnaev was questioned by the FBI two years ago at the request of a foreign country over alleged extremist ties. They maintain that they found nothing derogatory about him and closed the file:
FBI now acknowledges they interviewed Tsarnaev 2 years ago at the request of a foreign country about possible extremist ties
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 19, 2013
They maintain that they did not find any derogatory information about him and closed the file. FBI expected to issue a statement shortly
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 19, 2013
CBS came out with more details shortly after:
CBS News correspondent John Miller reports it is likely Russia asked to have the elder Tsarnaev vetted because of suspected ties to Chechen extremists.
This appears to be an ongoing issue for the FBI according to CBS.
This is an issue they’ve had in the past. They interviewed Carlos Bledsoe in Little Rock, Ark., before he shot up an Army recruiting station in 2009. They were also looking into Major Hasan Nadal before the Fort Hood shootings.
However, the FBI has maintained in those incidents that they took all the steps they were asked to and were allowed to under the law.
This came to light after the brothers’ mother gave an interview claiming the FBI knew of her sons’ activities.
They used to come [to our] home, they used to talk to me … they were telling me that he was really an extremist leader and that they were afraid of him,” Tsarnaeva said. “They told me whatever information he is getting, he gets from these extremist sites… they were controlling him, they were controlling his every step…and now they say that this is a terrorist act!
