“The armaments that he transported, you know, were partly and certainly indirectly responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people in Africa, Afghanistan. ... So do you want to reward that?”
UMM AL-QUWAIN, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The hulking, Soviet-era cargo plane has sat for decades under the blazing sun in a remote corner of the United Arab Emirates, its four jet engines silent after years in the employ of a Russian gunrunner known as the “Merchant of Death.”
apnews.com
Extradited from Thailand, Bout was convicted in 2011 and is now serving a 25-year sentence in a federal prison in Illinois on charges he conspired to sell millions of dollars of weapons to kill Americans to rebels in Colombia — who actually were Drug Enforcement Administration agents.
For Bout, whose gunrunning fueled wars worldwide, an estimated release date is in 2029.
Freeing Bout, who played well-documented role in the First and Second Liberian civil wars, would be a setback to have him account for the crimes he allegedly committed in Liberia, security experts and justice advocates say.
Between 1989 and 2003, Bout sold weapons to Liberian warring factions—most notably former President Charles Taylor—busting several United Nations arms embargoes. Within that time, Taylor’s forces and rivals illegally exploited the country’s timber and mineral industries to buy Bout’s weapons. Some 250,000 people were killed in the conflict, which spiraled to other countries in the region. The conflict degraded Liberia’s forest and the country became synonymous with “Logs of war” and “conflict timbers” across the world. The chaos stirred the reform in the logging sector.
Former US marine Paul Whelan was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison, a Moscow court ruled Monday, concluding a months-long case that put additional strain to already complicated US-Russian relations.
After months of providing the Kremlin with drones to supplement Moscow’s dwindling supply of missiles to use against Ukraine, Iran is moving closer to an outright military partnership with Ru…
nypost.com
After months of providing the Kremlin with drones to supplement Moscow’s dwindling supply of missiles to use against Ukraine, Iran is moving closer to an outright military partnership with Russia, according to American intelligence.
The two pariah states are preparing to bolster one another’s forces in an arrangement that could involve the sale of ballistic missiles, warplanes and helicopters — as well as joint production of lethal drones, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Friday.
“Iran is providing Russia with drones for use on the battlefield in Ukraine,” Kirby said. “In exchange, Russia is offering Iran an unprecedented level of military and technical support that is transforming their relationship into a full-fledged defense partnership.”
“We are concerned that Russia intends to provide Iran with advanced military components,” Kirby added. “Moscow may be providing Tehran with equipment such as helicopters and air defense systems.
What if it was never about freeing #BrittneyGriner? What if the trade was about freeing the terrorist? This administration has done more to help terrorists, cartels, foreign Countries than Americans. Investigate #HunterBidensLaptop get the criminals out of Washington already.
When it comes to congress and the graft that is Ukraine, nothing should come as a surprise. Last month, the Biden administration asked Congress for another $37.7 billion in support for Ukraine.
If that passes, and it certainly will, Congress will have approved more than $100 billion in Ukraine-related spending.
As high-level prisoner swap between US and Russia dominates the headlines, RT’s correspondent Caleb Maupin dives deeper into the roots of Viktor Bout's ordeal. Freedom over censorship, truth over narrative. Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RTnews Follow us on Telegram...