Chechen Leader Blames U.S.: Ramzan Kadyrov Says Upbringing Reason For Terror Suspects' Actions

The young president of the Chechen state inside Russia, whose region has fought an ongoing civil war with the Russians, released a statement saying he "expressed condolences" to the victims of the terrorist attacks in Boston, but that "any attempt to draw a connection between Chechnya and [the] Tsarnaevs-if they are guilty-is futile."

Ramzan Kadyrov said it was "necessary to seek the roots of this evil in America," noting suspects Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were raised mostly in the United States after immigrating in the early 2000s. Kadyrov was seen to be towing a fine line, as he was sharing his mourning for the loss of life while absolving his state of responsibility for the men's actions.

The 36-year-old Kadyrov is the son of Akhmad Abdulkhamidovich Kadyrov, the first president of the Chechen Republic until he was assassinated in 2003. The younger Kadyrov's comments drew criticism from a number of places. Duane Lester of Liberty News rebutted Kadyrov's suggestion of American culture allegedly being at fault by writing that "this wasn't a matter of American upraising. This was a matter of Islamic radicalism."

Chechnya is home to a high number of Muslims, but there is no official indication from the FBI's Agent-In-Charge Rick DesLauriers or other law enforcement officials yet that the bombings were an act of Jihad.

American Presidents and leaders across the country have shied away from mention of Chechnya or the Chechen War out of respect for ally Vladimir Putin, who is on the other side of the battle. President Clinton last inserted an American opinion when he suggested to Boris Yeltsin that a peaceful solution to their disagreements be reached.