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Narong Sangnak / EPA, file
Russia is furious over a 25-year prison sentence imposed on arms dealer Viktor Bout -- seen inside a cell at the criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand -- by a court in the U.S.
Moscow on Friday slammed the 25-year prison sentenced imposed on Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout by a U.S. court, saying repatriating the man known as the “Merchant of Death” would be “one of our top priorities in Russian-American relations.”
Bout was caught in an undercover sting in Bangkok in 2008 by U.S. agents posing as Colombian guerrillas seeking weapons and later extradited to New York.
He was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals and officers of the United States and one count each of conspiracy to sell anti-aircraft missiles and providing material support to a terrorist organization.
The judge said Thursday that sentencing guidelines called for a life sentence, which prosecutors requested, but said the fact that Bout's conduct was a result of a government sting operation was a mitigating factor despite his long history of arms dealing.
Russia 'not seeking revenge'
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that he would discuss the sentence with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to Russia’s RIA Novosti news service.
“In this situation we are not seeking revenge, but want to help Viktor Bout. We are not proceeding by a desire to take revenge at any price, but by the desire to enforce the rights of our compatriot. We will actively support the appeal that Bout’s lawyers are going to file and will strive for his repatriation,” he added.
In a statement Russia’s foreign ministry said it would “take whatever action necessary to repatriate Viktor Bout back to his Motherland by any means within international law,” RIA Novosti reported.
“This issue will, without doubt, be one of our top priorities in Russian-American relations," it added.
March 6, 2008: A man the U.S. says is one of the world's biggest arms dealer was arrested in Thailand. MSNBC's Contessa Brewer talks with "Merchant of Death" author Steve Braun.
"In spite of the unreliability of the evidence, the illegal character of his arrest involving the participation of U.S. special service agents in Thailand and the subsequent extradition, American legal officials, having carried out a political order, ignored the arguments of lawyers and numerous appeals from all levels in defense of this Russian citizen," ministry statement said.
"Long before the sentence was given to Bout, the authorities declared him the 'Merchant of Death' and almost an international terrorist, but this accusation was based exclusively on his imputed 'criminal intent,’” it said.
NY judge gives Merchant of Death 25 years
The statement, as quoted by RIA Novosti, alleged that an attempt was made to force Bout to admit he was guilty “by creating unbearable conditions for detention, by both physical and psychological means. The absolutely unacceptable campaign by the American media was aimed at influencing the jury and the judicial process in the 'right direction.'"
Reputed $6 billion fortune
In court for the sentencing hearing Thursday, Bout blurted out “It’s a lie!” as the federal prosecutor argued unsuccessfully for a life sentence.
U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin said 25 years was sufficient and appropriate because there was no evidence the 45-year-old Bout would have been charged with seeking to harm Americans if not approached by informants posing as Colombian rebels. The judge also ordered a $15 million forfeiture.
"But for the approach made through this determined sting operation, there is no reason to believe Bout would ever have committed the charged crimes," she said.
For nearly two decades, Bout built a worldwide air cargo operation, amassing a fleet of more than 60 transport planes, hundreds of companies and a fortune reportedly in excess of $6 billion — exploits that were the main inspiration for the Nicholas Cage film "Lord of War."
His aircraft flew from Afghanistan to Angola, carrying everything from raw minerals to gladiolas, drilling equipment to frozen fish.
But, according to authorities, the network's specialty was black market arms — assault rifles, ammunition, anti-aircraft missiles, helicopter gunships and a full range of sophisticated weapons systems, almost always sourced from Russian stocks or from Eastern European factories.
In the months before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, U.S., British and United Nations authorities heard growing reports that Bout's planes and maintenance operations, then headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, were aiding the Taliban while it sheltered al-Qaida militants in Afghanistan.
Bout later denied that he worked with the Taliban or al-Qaida — and denied ever participating in black market arms deals.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Russia would have no problem being more severe on an American for the same or less charges. Sometimes it is necessary to let others know that you really don't care how they feel about a situation. Russia cannot be allowed to control our judicial system.
How could they, the Jews already have that 'position' in the US government.
Am I an extremist for not trusting our governments intentions no matter what they report?
It seems our Political Class believes the entire reason for governments existence is self-preservation and the preservation of the financial Elites that set the context and policy of the State and Central bank.
How did we American Citizens wind up with this poor excuse of a Land of Laws, Freedoms, and Rights?
You are not an extremist. Unfortunately you are a realist and can see the sorry shape that America is in. Land of the free, land of opportunity, Truth and Justice for the masses, All that is gone we are now living in a Fascist Plutocracy.
The collapse is coming.
Voting for a bunch of liars.
They always get their man. Really! No matter how far they have to go. No matter how much they have to doctor the evidence. No matter how much they have to beat you into submission! That's the way our Corporate Government / Military Industrial Complex get things done. THEY GET THEIR MAN!
Nobama in 2012!
As always, these are my opinions.
Thank You
Danny Hinkle
Elect The Dude for President!
It's always very interesting when the United Snakes (US/Israel), the two biggest killers of innocents on the planet (3.9m in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in the 1970's, 1.4m murdered innocents in Iraq 1991+ and now working 24/7 in AF/PAK to do a little more genocidal record setting; can now, as the biggest sellers of WMD's on the planet point their fingers at Victor Bout and sentence him to 25 years in prison for 'stealing' clients from the Great Satan and its Jewish hemmorhoid. Enough already AmeriKKKa... A nation that sells billions (and I use the word 'sell' loosely ... very loosely, as most of what the war criminal Jews receive from the US is received 'free gratis') to the low life 'baby killers' of Israel who then uses these wepons (many of them 'illegal' like white phosphorus, MK-77 napalm, DIME anti-personnel and cluster bombs to that 1/2 acre of Zionist hell in violation of the US Export Arms Control Act that Israel signed in 1956 that prohibits the use of weapons and munitions procured from the US to attack and murder unarmed civilians in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon and other places (Syria) where the criminal Jews continue their acts of terrorism and war crimes as the Great Satan 'looks the other way.'
You got it Cowboy, Death and Destruction is the business of the United States.
Well Cowboy, since you don't like what the US does, why don't your change your call sign to something else, pack up the ole burro, and leave the country? We won't miss you. And let's get down to basics in this article. This read like a comic book. Russia is actually saying "How dare you send one of our richest arms dealers to prison. It doesn't make any difference that he sells weapons to enemies all over the globe that have killed probably thousands of people. We want him back to be "repatriated". In other words, let him go. I had to laugh. In other words, if he committed a crime, which he did, such as selling weapons to any group of people to kill anyone those buyers want, then Russia thinks that's just dandy and he shouldn't go to prison for 25 years for it. Goes to show you what their standards are. Wonder what they would do if he was selling weapons that were going to be used against Russians? Do you think they would be so anxious to see him repatriated? This is just hilarious. I think Russia has been around that idiot leader in Iran too much. They are starting to think with his logic. And, yes, we sell weapons to Israel and what they do with them (when they are attacked by the way from across the sand in Gaza) is up to them. I am surprised Israel hasn't used more potent weapons at their disposal and disposed of that problem once and for all. Their restraint, overall, considering what they actually could do, should be applauded. They have the capability to clean that nest out in short order but they haven't--so far. And by the way Cowboy, just for your edification, most major nations sell weapons to other countries, so don't put all the blame on the US. But this rogue is another story entirely. This is one guy selling to a bunch of "terrorists direct". Selling weapons is one thing--who you sell them to is another thing. The ATF is getting a lesson in that right now. So AZ Cowboy, since you obviously don't like this country, if you haven't already, just move yourself and your boots out and we will replace you with one of the thousands that want to live here--legally that is--not the ones that crawl in over the sand to get to your state and into the country illegally. In the mean time I would love to hear the conversation Russia's Ambassador has with Hillary when they try to convince her to let their criminal come back to Russia so he can continue his illegal arms dealing and sell weapons to other terrorists and terrorist nations so Russia can swoop down on his profits. That should be one interesting conversation. How do you explain one of your crooks, that has been convicted in court, should be released because your country is outraged because he was sent to prison for breaking every international arms law? And, that he really doesn't deserve to go to prison and Russia really has their onion topped buildings in an uproar about it. What a discussion that should be.
@Keith: You think "death and destruction are the business of the US"????? You really are dumb. Try taking a good look at Iran, Africa, Syria, Columbia, and a few others. You don't know what the he-W-L you are talking about. The US may have intervened where they should not have. That I would agree with. But we didn't start the crap we intervened in. Unfortunately, the US cannot be an isolationist country. I wish we could be and also I wish we would do a better job of picking our fights. We should never have gone into Iraq. That was Bush's private war with Sadam because of his father. But your description of the US is out of line. Leave the country with AZ if you don't like the way this country operates. This country gives you that option and planes leave here every day. All you have to do is buy a ticket. I am sure Iran would love to have you.
Jo - just because others are bad does not excuse America for committing Death and Destruction all over the world for corporate wars. Killing for oil contracts, destroying governments for sugar plantations. I could list thousands of war crimes committed by America but it is unlikely that you would believe me anyway since you started out defending the indefensible.
Obama will certainly demonstrate his flexibility over this and advise Putin he will take care of it after he is re-elected. In addition, he will also provide sensitive information about his bid to gain another 4 years as Emperor of the United States. All of you liberals standby, the arrogant one will not only try to take over the reins of the Judicial Branch, he has is eye on becoming CEO of Solyndra or maybe Fisker after his defeat in 2012. All of you mice might as well jump in line to follow the teleprompter genius on his new career.
Well muaythai,that comment was certainly helpful information about a russian arms dealer.Try to pull yourself together until november,then just go vote.I'm trying to find out how people feel about this arms dealer and Russian/US relations,to which you added exactly nothing.
John, If you do the crime , you do the time.
It would be most wise to just return this man to Russia.
And this is because having positive relations with Russia is much more important to U.S. security interests than prosecuting one man.
And here is another point to consider: if you get along with everyone, this alone assures your security. No enemies = the best security you can have.
The only way we return old boris here is in a wood box with the noose still around his neck.......
Tom Paine II: The other side of the coin is: Does twisting our legal system to spring him amount to nothing more than acquiescing to corruption and compromising bedrock American principles against enabling Merchants of Death? Make no mistake--American tourists, American soldiers, and civilians of other countries have been and will be among the targets of his arms shipments. Only a carnage of indescribable proportion can bring one man $6+ billion proceeds from the his Machinery of Killing.
The primary claim of the Russians is "We want to protect him--so there!" The claims of innocence are unpersuasive. He has been convicted and sentenced--more leniently than the maximum the law allowed. The Russians are not asking him to be released "on humanitarian grounds"--their position is weak enough in the eyes of the world as it is.
Imagine what the response here would be if he were released.
Of course Russia is upset. Russia makes more money selling weapons to terrorists than they do exporting vodka (since they drink most of their vodka and have no other viable products to export). Russia and Iran are still currently supplying Syria, and will probably be found to be supplying terrorists in Africa.
I think you can be sure there is an american equivelent to Viktor,but he supplies our choice for victory in these regional wars.
Tell old boris badneoff to bite our collective butts, he stays in jail........
San Quentin is lovely in the Spring.
Does anyone believe this guy was just working for himself or was it the military industrial complex within the new kinder gentler Russia? This man should have been eliminated in a true black op with extreme prejudice rather than some dumb sting operation.
The reason the Russian government is upset about this arrest is because this guy was doing work for them. I am not at all surprised to find out Russia is back stabbing us. Lately, they won't agree with us on anything and sometimes do things against us. Russia likes doing business with our enemies. They want to protect Iran. They are not our allies.
So why was Charlie Wilson not on trail for the same crimes , Russia lost a lot of sons , yes Russians had families with sons that were sent off to war against their wishes and died by the droves thanks to Mr Wilson selling of stinger missile , I think the term Merchant Of Death would fit him well also
Viktor Bout is at most a weapon transporter, definitely not a weapon dealer.
His conviction by the kangerloo court for political reason is case of miscarriage of justice. This perspective is shared by discussion panels on BBC radio.
Exonerate and free Viktor Bout!
Henrich von Dorf,
Kangaroo court? That's called Federal Court in the United States where they have something like a 98% conviction rate. What we did to Viktor Bout isn't sh-t compared to what we do to our own people for recreational drugs. We have thousands and thousands of examples of miscarriage of justice that are far worse than Viktor Bout's case. Situations whereby our own people receive 20, 30, years and more for non violent drug offenses involving no weapons at all. In addition to receiving 10, 20 and 30 year sentences, all their money and assets are immediately & permanently confiscated. Then the people behind said stings are rewarded with cash & property compensations which is a likely motivating factor behind Viktor Bouts arrest. With the threat of life in prison and never seeing their families again we turn father against son, brother against brother, son against mother and heap misery and financial crisis on American families then call it justice. However, most of this goes unreported in the international news. As of 2012 this is still happening daily in the fair and rational federal court houses of United States of America. Welcome to our nightmare!
Traditionally, we Americans love a good lynching, lynch mob mentalities and kangaroo courts. However, it's not like Russia hasn't done just as bad or worse to it's perceived threats. Regardless, it's a new day and I agree this man should be at most heavily fined and released and maybe required to provide sustainable, profitable employment to the Colombian peasants a.k.a Colombian rebels he was willing to help arm, liberate and profit from.
When the corrupt and immoral American government wants to assassinate or arrest anyone, it automatically label them as either terrorists, terrorist supporters, or terrorist sympathizers. A witch hunt has never been so easy legitimized. And the American people never so gullible. The arrest of Bout is couched under the charge that he sold weapons to terrorist organizations.
During the Vietnam War, the CIA's Air America helped certain Laotian tribes sell opium in exchange for their military cooperation. The CIA provided them with weapons, logistics, and the transport of their opium to the illicit drug market. In return the Laotian tribes attacked the North Vietnamese supply convoy. In the late 70s, Col. Ollie North, under the cover of the Pentagon, illegally traded narcotics for weapons to arm pro-American forces in the decade old wars in Central America. These wars killed and maimed nearly a million people, thanks to American weapon traders. During the decade long Russia-Afghan war, America funneled billions of dollars of arms, from Stingers to AK47 to RPGs, to the Taliban, the same political group that today, America has conveniently labelled as a terrorist organization.
If America insists on arresting any arm dealers who conduct business with terrorist organizations, America should arrest itself for America has become the global terrorist as well as the weapon supplier to terrorist organizations.
When American military forces invaded Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen, it is called liberation, war on terrorism, or support of allies. As even more preposterous assertions, America claimed waging the four wars in Asia for ten years are essential to America's security. When neither Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, or Afghanistan has a blue-ocean navy nor any air-ground offensive capability, America's excuse to justify the war on terrorism against these weak and backward nations is obviously a lie. It is the same kind of lie used to arrest Bout when in fact, American as well as dozens of foreign arms dealers are selling weapons to anyone with the cash.
Anyone who sell arms; a nation or a person should should be stopped; providing third world peoples a means to kill and destroy is just flat out wrong!
hey, it's fine as long as they kill each other, it's called "population control".
I guess the Russians have a low opinion of Mrs. Clinton. They think they can get away with pressuring the US judicial system through her and the State Department. Well, they should just let that filthy Russian killer rot in jail for the next 25 years after having caused enough misery and human suffering throughout the world.
It's a shame to see a bogus sting like this stamped U.S.A The majority of Americans like liberty and democracy and are not represented by slime ball tactics of creating a crime and then solving it as some sort of international deterrent. This nauseating sting doesn't come close to working as a deterrent and only serves as an inflammatory action that creates more enemies and resentment toward the United States. I'd like to know exactly who concocted this transparently corrupt and idiotic plan so that they could be held accountable for endangering the safety and integrity of the Nation. As a truly strong nation we don't need to pull bogus underhanded stunts like these to defend our nation. I have full confidence in the United States Navy and other military branches to take care of any real threat completely and effectively. In this case we're wrong and we can do better. Let's quit it and step up to the great nation we truly are!
The only terrorists we can catch are the ones we train.
The Russian government has a veto power in the UN. Hopefully this will be a wake up call. Russia has made various attepmpts to keep the other countries from issuing sanctions against Iran, Syria, Myanmar, Zimbawe and other countries that support terror.
Since the USA is the worlds biggest merchant of death, why do they get upset when someone sell arms? Must not want anybody competing with them. GREEDY! What makes the USA so great that they sanction other countries? The United States is a disgrace to the entire world.
They don't want anyone to shoot back
STALKER7,
Sanctions are terrorism! Starving children and punishing families for what they have little to no control over is a crime against humanity to put it mildly. You need to wake up and realize that we're all human beings and brothers and sisters on this planet. We need to start caring for each other and not being so calloused lest we be judged and sanctioned ourselves. Do you have a clue of how many children we've killed with these sanctions you so casually mention as if we had the moral high ground. A sanction is the process of robbery, murder and blackmailing other nations to join us or face the same. I'm not saying any other nation is any better however, I am saying it's right to veto 99% of the so-called sanctions a.k.a murder of innocent people. Sanctions are starving and murdering the very people we claim to want to help by freezing and seizing their countries money and assets. Imagine world wide sanctions against us. Can you see yourself going to the bank and not having any way to feed your family because of the past policies of this country. The people that are conceiving these sanctions should have to live amongst the people they have sanctioned to experience first hand the effects of their absurd notion of justice.
And who is booking Eric Holder, for selling weapons to Mexican Drug cartels that were used against US forces and civilians?
Everyone posting tells me we need Ron Paul even more!
I think this is rediculous don't we give the Russian community enough... We already have about 70% of there mobsters in the US not to mention we give them state funding to errect there own churches don't make them pay taxes and give them money to come to the US to live while all Americans get to suffer and go without just remember the ones left with jobs are paying for this rediculousness of giving away our money to be honest we should have closed off the US years ago to people coming here to take advantage of our system as if we could call it that but the thing that is no suprise to me is the fact that Russia thinks they're entitled to what ever they want are we all that suprise they want to "help" this man there are houses over there where children get prostituted and because there is money to be made no one does anything about it. To sum it all up the Russian gov is discusting and our gov is pathetic for giving in to there bull@!$%#.
wow, you don't just babble a little bit of useless, ignorant nonsense at once, do you?
Great Ail-Russian Motor Rally “I want to see myself what happened to my country” started on April 25, 2012
We are participants of the Russian warning system organized a motor rally along the whole Russia to hit the falsehood, that we’ve been stuffed with by the official mass media and see with our own eyes the life in our country as it is and tell people what is really going on, indeed. We want to see with our own eyes, how people live, who lives well and who doesn’t.
Kamchatka and Khabarovsk, St. Petersburg and Chelyabinsk, Krasnodar and Yekaterinburg… For now, 55 Russian cities announced their desire to participate in motor race. Cars will move along 27 directions toward Moscow. On May 5 all participants will meet in Moscow and drive along the Garden Ring, and after it gather together on the rally. Travel Notes and reportages of the motor rally participants will be published in this group, on the web site raznesi.info and you can also follow us on twitter #!/MotorRally
People will tell what is interesting in their city and we will share it with a world. We will come, and show and tell! We invite all not indifferent to the situation in the country people to join our journey, and tell everyone how Russia lives in reality. The motor rally started on April 25 from the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city.
All participants are to wear white T-shirt with s sticker “I want to see myself what happened to my motherland”.
Participation of the journalists and bloggers is very welcome. Take pictures, make reportages from the places.
Great Ail-Russian Motor Rally “I want to see myself what happened to my country” started on April 25, 2012
We are participants of the Russian warning system organized a motor rally along the whole Russia to hit the falsehood, that we’ve been stuffed with by the official mass media and see with our own eyes the life in our country as it is and tell people what is really going on, indeed. We want to see with our own eyes, how people live, who lives well and who doesn’t.
Kamchatka and Khabarovsk, St. Petersburg and Chelyabinsk, Krasnodar and Yekaterinburg… For now, 55 Russian cities announced their desire to participate in motor race. Cars will move along 27 directions toward Moscow. On May 5 all participants will meet in Moscow and drive along the Garden Ring, and after it gather together on the rally. Travel Notes and reportages of the motor rally participants will be published in this group, on the web site raznesi.info and you can also follow us on twitter #!/MotorRally
People will tell what is interesting in their city and we will share it with a world. We will come, and show and tell! We invite all not indifferent to the situation in the country people to join our journey, and tell everyone how Russia lives in reality. The motor rally started on April 25 from the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city.
All participants are to wear white T-shirt with s sticker “I want to see myself what happened to my motherland”.
Participation of the journalists and bloggers is very welcome. Take pictures, make reportages from the places.