American magazine Rolling Stone is being criticised for placing one of the Boston bombers on its latest cover. The cover picture is one that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev reportedly posted of himself online.

The photo shows Tsarnaev staring straight into the camera. The text beside it reads: "The Bomber. How a popular, promising student was failed by his family, fell into radical Islam and became a monster."

In April of this year 3 people died and more than 170 others were injured after devices were detonated at the Boston marathon. His elder brother Tamerlan was killed during a shootout with police.

The music, politics, and popular culture publication is known for its mix of content, including political stories. It has also has branched into coverage of financial and banking issues recently.

The magazine describes the article as "a deeply reported account of the life of Boston bomber Jahar Tsarnaev".

The post on the magazine's Facebook page has seen comments such as "Jeff Bauman, who lost both legs, should be on cover" from one man, while a woman says " Oh look, Rolling Stone magazine is glamorising terrorism. Awesome. I will NOT be buying this issue, or any future issues".

It says the publication has spent the last two months interviewing dozens of sources - childhood and school friends, teachers, neighbours and law enforcement agents - many of whom they say spoke for the first time about the case.

It adds that Tsarnaev let slip to a school friend that he thought the 9/11 terrorist attacks could be justified, and pointed to US policies towards Muslim countries and US drone strikes and other attacks as his rationale.

The issue will hit US newsstands on August 3rd.