[h=3]Conspiracy theorists claim Boston was 'false flag' attack arranged by the government[/h]
Conspiracy theorists started forming their theories about the Boston marathon bombings just hours after the attack, as they claimed the explosions were set up by American government forces.
In the first press conference following the fatal explosions that left three dead and 176 injured, a conservative blogger asked whether it was a 'false flag staged attack'.
False flag attacks are instances where governments are thought to have arranged a violent incident- theoretically like Monday's bombing- in order to scare its citizens into handing over controls to the federal authorities.
Runners continue to run towards the finish line of the Boston Marathon as an explosion erupts near the finish line
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Man asks MA Governor if marathon attack was a false flag
Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick flatly denied the claim, though that has not stopped conspiracy theorists from finding supposed proof that they believe backs up an alternate version of events.
Dan Bidondi of right-wing site InfoWars posited the loaded question, implying that the bombing was designed to increase federal authority.
'Why were the loud speakers telling people in the audience to be calm moments before the bombs went off? Is this another false flag staged attack to take our civil liberties and promote homeland security while sticking their hands down our pants on the streets?' Mr Bidondi said.
Though Democratic governor Patrick flatly denied the implication and moved on to the next question, that didn't stop conservative bloggers from running with the theory.
The second of two explosions rocked the last 1050 yards of the Boston Marathon course, sending shrapnel into the crowd, severing limbs, and ending lives
Conspiracy theorists: Dan Bidondi (left) asked Governor Deval Patrick about the possibility of a false flag attack while fellow InfoWars writer Alex Jones (right) continued to push the theory throughout the day
Wheels turning: InfoWars founder Alex Jones pushed the 'false flag' theory
The sole alleged piece of evidence supporting the false flag theory is that several witnesses said that there was a recording over the loudspeaker just moments before the explosions that asked spectators to ‘keep calm’ and other reports that bomb sniffing dogs were used at the start of the race for a supposed training exercise. Neither detail has been confirmed by investigators.
Alex Jones, the controversial radio show host and 9/11 Truther who runs InfoWars and gained a national audience after having an on-air meltdown during an interview with Piers Morgan, followed Bidondi's lead and took to Twitter.
'Our hearts go out to those that are hurt or killed #Boston marathon - but this thing stinks to high heaven #falseflag,' he wrote.
False flag attacks derive from nautical military strikes, where the crew on a ship would change the national flag to that of a friendly nation in order to approach its target and then attack.
Prior claims: Other conspiracy theorists believed that the Sandy Hook shooting was designed by the government in order to help them pass stricter gun control laws
Now instead of limiting its use to naval warfare, conspiracy theorists apply it to any situation where a terrible act could be used by the perpetrators to influence a change in policy based off public outcry following the tragedy.
Prior to yesterday's Boston bombing, the most recent example was the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Gun rights advocates posited that the attack that left 20 children and six educators dead was planned by Obama administration officials in order to shore up support for stricter gun regulation.
The conspiracy theorists have been able to disseminate their version of events largely because the federal authorities are still trying to compile theirs.
Different kind of flags: The term 'false flag' comes from nautical warfare, where an attacker would use the flag of a friendly nation to trick the target into allowing them to approach
No formal suspects have been identified, though the revelation that one of the bombs was located inside a pressure cooker- which is a preferred weapon of al-Qaeda terrorists and listed as the 'most effective' weapon of jihad, according to in an English language terror magazine- hinting that the perpetrator may be foreign.
So far no terror groups have claimed responsibility. The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood denied any connection to the attack, instead suggesting that it was an anti-Islam conspiracy at work.
Boston police are working with the FBI and are calling for the public’s help in searching for the suspect, asking for any pictures or video taken near the finish line at around the time of the explosion to be sent in for analysis.
