Bomber admits plans came from al Qaeda magazine

Bill Gertz:

An al Qaeda magazine containing bomb-making instructions helped the Boston Marathon bombers construct the deadly explosive devices that killed three people and wounded more than 180, according to a U.S. official close to the ongoing investigation.

The official confirmed that the disclosure about how the pressure cooker bombs were built came during hospital room exchanges between investigators and wounded bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

The link between the bombers and the magazine is the main clue to emerge so far identifying the bombers as Islamist extremists seeking to wage jihad against the United States.

Tsarnaev said the English-language terrorist magazine Inspire provided details on the pressure cooker bombs, according to the official. The official commented after NBC News and Fox News Channel reported the detail.

Tsarnaev, who is recovering from multiple gunshot wounds in a Boston hospital, also said opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which the bombers viewed as a U.S. war against Islam, were a main motivation behind the Boston Marathon attack.

Officials continued to search for clues to any foreign affiliations between the two ethnic Chechens and terrorist groups in Russia and elsewhere.

U.S. officials told the Washington Free Beacon shortly after the April 15 bombing that there were indications Inspire helped the bombers, specifically instructions contained in the first issue directing terrorists to use kitchen materials to make bombs.

The instructions included photos of a pressure cooker that was filled with gunpowder and designed to enhance its lethality by adding metal balls and nail.

The magazine said such devices could kill “tens” of people.
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This confirms speculation about the source of the bomb design.  It also confirms at least some affinity with al Qaeda.  Al Qaeda has to be somewhat proud of their results.