Steven Seagal 'Opened Doors' for US Delegation to Russia, Official States
Steven Seagal is helping U.S. diplomats investigate the April Boston Marathon bombing by using his contacts in Russia to set up talks between the two countries. Seagal has close ties to high-ranking officials in Russia and was scheduled to visit Chechnya, but that visit was reportedly canceled.
"We are very appreciative of the help [Seagal] has given this congressional delegation to make sure we accomplished our mission. I don't know if [Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin] would have been available to us without Steven actually suggesting that he do it," Representative Dana Rohrabacher, leader of the delegation to Russia, told ABC's World News.
"We are very pleased that he opened up some doors for us so we could have some very high level discussions," Rohrabacher added.
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The U.S. delegation wanted to speak with Russian officials about Tamerlan Tsarnaev's time in Dagestan. He allegedly spent six months there last year, but the investigation yielded no new information about Tsarnaev or a possible connection to the Boston bombings.
"There is nothing specific that could've been done that we can point to that, had it been done differently, would've prevented this," Rohrabacher explained.
"I just think it's fascinating to see all the accusations that are being thrown around, and I've asked many, many people, 'Hey, is there any evidence of this or has he been indicted?' Because there's a big difference between wild speculations and accusations, and then facts," Seagal said.
He has recently formed a relationship with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a leader recently criticized for his anti-terrorism tactics, including allegations of abductions and burning homes of suspected terrorists.
"I'm friends with many presidents of many countries and there's rumors about all of them," the actor added.
Seagal reportedly wants to help improve counter-terror cooperation between the U.S. and Russia. He plans to do so by arranging meetings between high-ranking officials of both countries, and the U.S. government is apparently grateful for help.
"I'm sure that when Steven Seagal has put in a good word, it did nothing but help us get that appointment," Rohrabacher said.
