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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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Looks like obama is gonna need all that underhanded flexibility that he promised the russians that he's also determined to keep secret from the American people. Obama wants to win the election so he'll have the flexibility to pardon this terrorist arms seller. Obama, thy name is anything but transparency.
They want him back fast because they're afraid, once he realizes he's going to sit in prison, that he'll talk. How many nasty deals do y'all think someone with his connnections can expose? The authorities better watch him very, very closely in prison before he has an "accident".
I will bet Russia will find some way to retalliate. Considering this guy was a major player, they will more than likely seek high and low to get some bargaining chip to set him loose.
In the meantime, I don't think his arrest and imprisonment won't make a big dent...lots of other players, and nature abhors a vacuum...
He just slipped and fell and hit his head and now he's dead. Buried at sea no body. soz dude.
The us government is the largest arms dealer in the world! And just as the mafia learned years ago the us government hates competition
Thank Obamy. He is the head man in charge.
No mater how much but kissing we do with Russia deep down the Russian Govt will always hate us along with China they would rather continue to see people murdered in Syria than to Aline themselves with the rest of the world so of course they are going to not like this sentencing of this criminal
If Obama had a white aunt, this would be his cousin... Obama will pardon this guy to save face with Russia. I'm sure he apologizing as I type this.
spit out my coffee laughing !
I always believed Obamy was a white guy. His skin is stained from kissing A$$. That is how he obtained his law degree from Harvard. Must be working for him. He got the Nobel peace prize.
Yeah...The Nobel peace Prize for What I May or May Not Do in the Future
Calling Eric Holder....the next case in your "to be dismissed" file is waiting for you!
Who cares about Russia anymore though? We KNOW they will never actually bomb us, they do love to say they will always bomb us. LOL@RUSSIA
The Cold War proved, Russia lacks balls.
Cool Mike I guess you never heard of the missile scare of1983
This guy to Russia is like Haliburton is to the USA. But like many have said, Obama isn't going to do anything to upset the Russians. Once he becomes the Castro of the U.S. he's going to need Russia.
"Merchant of Death". Has a nice ring to it for headlines, but remember people, weapons don't kill people, PEOPLE kill people....so...was he selling weapons or people? I think it was the former, rather than the latter...but they U.S., being the World Police that it is, can try and convict anyone, anywhere (pretty much) with impunity...go US!
Our government is as bad as the Russians. They can do insider tradeing and get away with it, control the oil and gas prices so they make a fortune, cheat on their taxes, draw SSI but never pay into it and it's just business as usual. Until we elect people with some honor and desire to help this country get back on it's feet this will happen every day and anyone speaking out against it will be put on watch lists, monitored and even jailed. Since Obama got into office he's managed to do a lot under the table and with a lot of people Americans would have a cow about if they only knew. The Russian commited a crime in the states and will pay the price here. I don't trust the Russians any more than I trust our own government. They won't even enforce immigration when it suits them and will sue states trying to act within the law just so they get the Hispanic vote. They will race bait to get the black vote and shake hands with a vet with one hand while stabbing him in the back with the other. They are all liers who should be voted off the hill and down to where they belong.
o yeah what are the choices for electing to congress? rich and dumb guy A. or richer and dumber guy b.
lilbear, we know what Obama's done ,we don't know what the rich guy will do, I'm willing to take that chance.
Use this creep as bait for Russia to finally get Iran to drop their nuke program......
If we ban guns, there will be no gun dealers. Problem solved.
Big Al, there will be no American gun dealers
yea big all...then we can just bend over when the criminals have the guns and we dont. ;your idea is lame and not well thought out. I got an idea...just call the cops when you have a problem so they can strip search you cause they want to!
hey Denver Bill. I hope you finally figured out that talking to Toasty is like talking to a wall. Oh wait, i'd rather talk to a wall, its more intellegent.
interesting, this guy was tryn to or actually did sell weapons and got 25 yrs, the guy that actually killed micheal jackson got 4 yrs and the guy that ran megaupload got 50 yrs WTF kind of standard is this
United States of America : It's fun being under estimated.
Many US businesses sell guns to terrorist Narco gangs in Mexico everyday. So why go after one guy selling to a fictitious Colombian Rebel Group. And how much tax money was spent to set this guy up in Thailand?
They want him back in Russia so they can silence him. If he starts singing the @!$%# will hit the fan. It's obvious he didn't build an enterprise like that without some high level connections. He knows way too much.
the U.S. has probably cost russia billions in revenue by slowing down the dealing in russian weapons throughout the world. BUT, don't anyone think for a minute that sergei fill in last name did not immediately step up and take over for putin and his buddies to get the weapons out. wonder how many syrian rebels, women and children died as a result of this arms dealing operation? and judge said since it was a set up to trap him that he should only get 25 years. how do you think most big time dealers in anything get caught------ by a sting judge, by a sting.
If the Russians really want this human excrement's incarceration to interfere with civilized, intelligent and mutally beneficial diplomatic relations with the United States we should tell them to "bite the big one".
Sick world we live in. Weather Russia or the US, the politicians always fall in love with those with the biggest bank accounts. How much will money will be extracted from this person before sending him back in comfort on a Lear jet to his home ?
We'll trade him back only if they take Obama also.
When did Russia go from being our biggest adversary to being our biggest annoyance?
They remind me of a spoiler NFL team in week 17: they can't get to the playoffs, but they sure can mess things up for everyone else.
tagged ,,,, your it .
maybe we will let him go, after he gives up russias state secrets. i bet he knows where a lot of bodies are buried