The AP is reporting that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was heavily influenced by a mysterious close friend named “Misha.”
A mysterious new figure has emerged in the case of the Boston bombings, known only as "Misha." He is reported to have radicalized Tamerlan Tsarnaev, influencing him on everything from giving up boxing to believing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev during the Golden Gloves National Boxing Tournament at the Salt Palace, Monday, May 4, 2009.
Via: The Salt Lake Tribune, Rick Egan / AP
Under the tutelage of a friend known to the Tsarnaev family only as Misha, Tamerlan gave up boxing and stopped studying music, his family said. He began opposing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He turned to websites and literature claiming that the CIA was behind the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and Jews controlled the world.
"Somehow, he just took his brain," said Tamerlan's uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, who recalled conversations with Tamerlan's worried father about Misha's influence.
Source: bigstory.ap.org
The AP has yet to identify or get a last name on this shadowy "Misha." The only details they have are from Tamerlan's close relatives.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev (center, bottom), accompanied by his father Anzor (left), mother Zubeidat, and uncle Muhamad Suleimanov (right).
Via: HANDOUT / Reuters
In 2008 or 2009, Tamerlan met Misha, a slightly older, heavyset bald man with a long reddish beard. Khozhugov didn't know where they'd met but believed they attended a Boston-area mosque together. Misha was an Armenian native and a convert to Islam and quickly began influencing his new friend, family members said.
Via: bigstory.ap.org
