Top of the Morning: Chechnya Connection to the Boston Bombing; Widespread Attacks ahead of Iraqi Elections Baghdad

Top stories from DAWNS Digest.

Chechens With an Axe To Grind? 

Two brothers from Chechnya, one of whom was killed in a police shootout, have emerged as suspects. The two suspects were identified by law enforcement officials as brothers from Chechnya. The surviving suspect was identified as Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, of Cambridge, Mass., a law enforcement official said. The one who was killed was identified as his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26. The authorities were investigating whether the dead man had a homemade bomb strapped to his body when he was killed, two law enforcement officials said. The manhunt for the surviving bombing suspect sent the Boston region into the grip of a security emergency: residents of the city and the surrounding area were urged to stay indoors, as hundreds of police officers conducted a manhunt and all public transit services was suspended.” (>NYT http://nyti.ms/YzeDaH)

Yet Another Horrible Pre-Election Bombing in Baghdad

The first elections since the US withdrawal from Iraq will be held this weekend. Earlier this week, some 50 people were killed in a spate of attacks across Iraq. Yesterday, this: “A late-night bombing at a Baghdad cafe frequented by young men playing billiards and video games killed 27 people, just days before Iraq’s first elections since US troops withdrew. The attack was the single deadliest in the country in a month, and comes amid concerns over the credibility of Saturday’s provincial elections as Iraq grapples with a spike in violence and an ongoing political crisis.” (The Australian http://bit.ly/ZAWbPb)