Advertisement
Key Moments From Day 11 Of Tsarnaev Trial Testimony: Terrorism Expert Testifies
Jurors in the trial of admitted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Monday heard more testimony about the contents of Tsarnaev's computer and from a terrorism expert.
Below find four key moments from Monday's testimony, and see all of our live coverage of Monday's testimony here.
-FBI Special Agent Kevin Swindon was back on the stand Monday after lengthy testimony last week about the contents of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's computer and other electronic devices.
During cross examination, defense attorney William Fick was at times combative towards Swindon, accusing him of not truly understanding the evidence. Swindon often replied that he needed to see the data in front of him in order to confirm a detail.
Fick wants to know why Tamerlan's cell phone not on evidence list. Swindon says 200+ phones confiscated. #Tsarnaev— WBUR Live (@wburLive) March 23, 2015
-Matthew Levitt, a fellow with the Washington Institute and an expert prosecution witness on terrorism, testified about how recruiting tools for religious extremists have changed over the years.
Now, Levitt testified, terrorist organizations don't need to bring recruits to their camps in order to be trained — rather pushing the model toward "lone wolf" actors or "homegrown violent extremists," as he called them.
"You can get your training, you can get your indoctrination, you can get your schooling online," Levitt says of modern movement. #Tsarnaev— WBUR Live (@wburLive) March 23, 2015
-Levitt, explaining the thinking behind the global jihad movement, explained it as a "twisting of Islamic principles" to emphasize violent action to the point where violence toward innocent people ceases to be evil and becomes not only praiseworthy, but necessary to achieve a spot in the highest circle of heaven.
Levitt says for some in the movement, killing innocents is not only praiseworthy, but a religious obligation. #Tsarnaev— WBUR Live (@wburLive) March 23, 2015
-Prosecutors asked Levitt to explain how a person can be turned to violent extremism when he mentioned the idea of a "radicalizer," which could be a stressful event, a series of tweets, or someone the person knows.
Defense attorneys are likely to seize on that point in cross examination on Tuesday as they press the argument that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was pressured into planting a bomb at the Boston Marathon by his brother.
"There is a radicalizer in every case that we see," Levitt says. Adds that it doesn't need to be a specific person. #Tsarnaev— WBUR Live (@wburLive) March 23, 2015
