U.S. Lawmakers Urge Closer Security Cooperation With Russia After Boston Attack

U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. Congressional panel has urged greater security cooperation between Washington and Moscow in the wake of the April 15 Boston Marathon attack.

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (Republican-California) said, "Greater cooperation with Russia and the governments of Central Asia should be explored in order to properly understand and respond to the emerging threat [of Islamic extremism]" in the region.

He was chairing an April 26 subcommittee hearing in the House Foreign Affairs Committee titled "Islamist Extremism in Chechnya: A Threat to the U.S. Homeland?"

Congressman William Keating (Democrat-Massachusetts) said, "There is, undoubtedly, a delicate balance between cooperation with Russia on counterterrorism and concern over Russia's human rights abuses, but in no way should this hinder working together to protect the lives of innocent people."

Russian officials raised concern about Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of two ethnic Chechen brothers suspected in the Boston bombings, to both the FBI and the CIA in 2011.

The fact has led to questions as to why they were not stopped.