Report: Russia Withheld Vital Intelligence About Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect

A new report by the inspector general has concluded that Russia failed to provide American intelligence agencies with crucial information about Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev that would have drawn more focus on Tsarnaev prior to last year's attack.

A new report by the inspector general of the Office of Intelligence Community, which oversees 17 different American agencies, has concluded that Russia failed to provide American intelligence agencies with crucial information about Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev. It's believed that the additional information would have drawn more focus on Tsarnaev prior to last year's attack, which killed three people and wounded about 200 others.

Two years before the bombing, Russian officials described Tsarnaev as "a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer” in correspondence with American officials, adding that Tsarnaev seemed likely to join "underground groups" in the United States. However, as the FBI subsequently investigated the matter, there were stonewalled by Russian agencies, which refused to share additional information.

The new inspector general’s report found that it was only after the bombing occurred last April that the Russians shared with the F.B.I. the additional intelligence, including information from a telephone conversation the Russian authorities had intercepted between Mr. Tsarnaev and his mother in which they discussed Islamic jihad.

The report comes at an obvious low point between the United States and Russia as the two countries tensely jockey over influence in Ukraine. Portions of the report will be released to the public later this week, less than one week out from the one-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Another scooplet from the forthcoming report reveals that Tsarnaev sought to change his name and even filed a request with U.S. immigration officials in January of 2013.

He wrote that he wanted to switch his first name to Muaz, the last name of Emir Muaz -- a Dagastan insurgent fighting in the Caucasus region of Russia, the official added. Muaz was killed in 2009.

Tsarnaev traveled to Dagastan in 2012.