CNN Exclusive: Biden administration offers convicted Russian arms dealer in exchange for Griner, Whelan

[Scott]

Washington (CNN) After months of internal debate, the Biden administration has offered to exchange Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms trafficker serving a 25-year US prison sentence, as part of a potential deal to secure the release of two Americans held by Russia, Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, according to people briefed on the matter.

 

These sources told CNN that the plan to trade Bout for Whelan and Griner received the backing of President Joe Biden after being under discussion since earlier this year. Biden's support for the swap overrides opposition from the Department of Justice, which is generally against prisoner trades.

 

"We communicated a substantial offer that we believe could be successful based on a history of conversations with the Russians," a senior administration official told CNN Wednesday.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/27/politics/griner-whelan-biden-offer-viktor-bout-exchange-russia-arms-dealer/index.html

 

 

 

[vandeventer]

One druggie for another druggie that sounds fair? Don't Biden have more important things to do with his short time left, like get America out of the Recession, stop the border jumpers, less crime more police, the list goes on and on as Americans are getting more and more fed-up with the Dems.

[wombat]

Rrtfpmsl...I remember his not so covert rendition from LOS.

[Credo]

21 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

One druggie for another druggie that sounds fair? Don't Biden have more important things to do with his short time left, like get America out of the Recession, stop the border jumpers, less crime more police, the list goes on and on as Americans are getting more and more fed-up with the Dems.

The US is not in recession.  

[Koguma]

35 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

One druggie for another druggie that sounds fair? 

Sounds like you've swallowed the full load of Putin's propaganda.  Congrats!

[vandeventer]

27 minutes ago, Credo said:

The US is not in recession.  

What's the Dems. new name for it? Tell it to the millions of Americans that are suffering.

[Tug]

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

What's the Dems. new name for it? Tell it to the millions of Americans that are suffering.

It’s called inflation it’s a concern for all humans on the planet as it’s affecting all countries on our little world mostly brought on by mr Putin’s war of conquest in Ukraine at least we have a competent person in charge who is smart enough to get out of the way of the experts to let them get a handle on it hope that helps……….

[Berkshire]

Biden is in a no-win situation.  Not doing the trade would result in non-stop grief from the families.  Doing the trade "could" result in open season for Americans overseas if brutal dictators think they can have a bargaining chip.  Word is that Bout has already done most of his time.  So if he's released early....not a huge deal.

[Old Croc]

2 hours ago, vandeventer said:

One druggie for another druggie that sounds fair? Don't Biden have more important things to do with his short time left, like get America out of the Recession, stop the border jumpers, less crime more police, the list goes on and on as Americans are getting more and more fed-up with the Dems.

Facts (alternates?) are not a strong point for some.

Apart from not knowing what a recession is, you don't seem to know the difference between an arms dealer and a drug dealer/user.

The irony with the Bout case is that the US convicted him on charges related to conspiracy to provide war weapons to a neighboring country that could be used to kill Americans in that country. (DEA agents).

He's been in prison for ten years, you would think the US would be happen to be rid of him to free their own.

 

The basketball player should feel fortunate she is so tall. If she had to rely on her brains to make a living she would come up well short.  

[IAMHERE]

Doesn't this tell Russia they can pretty much scoop up any American and get a very lop-sided trade?    Or does it tell Americans , that have klout, to do as they please in Foreign countries?

Edited July 28, 2022 by IAMHERE

[farmerjo]

I think the Americans are selling themselves short.

In this day and age when the west and east are running around the world drumming up support to their causes.

Arms dealers would be at the top of the employment pile.

[Credo]

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

What's the Dems. new name for it? Tell it to the millions of Americans that are suffering.

Sure.  And you stop posting information that is false.   

 

[vandeventer]

24 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Facts (alternates?) are not a strong point for some.

Apart from not knowing what a recession is, you don't seem to know the difference between an arms dealer and a drug dealer/user.

The irony with the Bout case is that the US convicted him on charges related to conspiracy to provide war weapons to a neighboring country that could be used to kill Americans in that country. (DEA agents).

He's been in prison for ten years, you would think the US would be happen to be rid of him to free their own.

 

The basketball player should feel fortunate she is so tall. If she had to rely on her brains to make a living she would come up well short.  

Arms dealers live on drugs that's how they get caught. Why all the concern over her when hundreds of Americans are still held in Afghanistan. I know your not but a lot of Dems. are.

[Scott]

Inflammatory post removed. 

 

[Sydebolle]

Well, well, what do you know.

Bout's stint in Thailand is a vidid memory and now he might get a ticket home? 

I thought, however, that Biden stopped talking to Russians and his NATO-slaves had to follow suit. Contrary to the Cold War, East Berlin is no longer and Checkpoint Charlie got turned into a museum, I now wonder, how and where this swap might take place.

This traditional trading gate/bridge between West and East Berlin saw countless spies, prisoners and system-critical shadows scurrying or darting sides. Stay tuned, John le Carré - regretfully no longer among us - would have had a field day ............ 

[Aussieroaming]

Throw in Trump for free, that should seal the deal.

[Pedrogaz]

5 hours ago, Koguma said:

Sounds like you've swallowed the full load of Putin's propaganda.  Congrats!

Sounds like you have swallowed a lot of US propaganda.

[RT555]

5 hours ago, vandeventer said:

What's the Dems. new name for it? Tell it to the millions of Americans that are suffering.

We ARE SUFFERING.......

[Scott]

Troll post removed.

 

[unblocktheplanet]

Viktor Bout may be a very bad man, at least according to Hollywood & the DEA. That does not alter the fact that he was entrapped by foreign agents on our sovereign soil. He was not freed despite Thai judicial refusal of extradition.

 

An American plane was on full-time standby on the tarmac at Don Muang waiting to take this "Lord of War" (oooooh!) to a US gulag. As expected, Bout got 35 years despite the US judge finding "discrepancies" & "inconsistencies" in the case against him and a "measure of shock" at the urgency of his rendition.

 

So...who are the real lords of war? American arms dealers, all legal & all, just can take the heat of competition from a freewheeling entrepreneur. It's a dirty business to facilitate killing people, no matter who does it.

 

We want an equal playing field, some American politicians & CEOs should get to be cellies with Viktor.

 

Connivance & trickery isn't democracy. The US gave Thailand no Vaseline for doing its dirty work.

 

 

 

 

[Old Croc]

14 hours ago, vandeventer said:

Arms dealers live on drugs that's how they get caught. Why all the concern over her when hundreds of Americans are still held in Afghanistan. I know your not but a lot of Dems. are.

It's spelt them.

[GinBoy2]

Trouble is Putin is recreating a version, so beloved by him, of the USSR in todays Russia.

 

We're all old enough, well most of us, to have lived through the cold war where having 'something to trade' was the name of the game and prisoner swaps were common.

 

I feel like we're living in a John le Carré novel right now.

 

I think we all thought after the fall of communism, Russia would end up looking more like us. Unfortunately after a brief flirtation I think it's increasingly looking like the old USSR

Edited July 28, 2022 by GinBoy2

[DaddyWarbucks]

6 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Trouble is Putin is recreating a version, so beloved by him, of the USSR in todays Russia.

 

We're all old enough, well most of us, to have lived through the cold war where having 'something to trade' was the name of the game and prisoner swaps were common.

 

I feel like we're living in a John le Carré novel right now.

 

I think we all thought after the fall of communism, Russia would end up looking more like us. Unfortunately after a brief flirtation I think it's increasingly looking like the old USSR

That's the crux of the problem... after the fall of their empire they did indeed  ",,,end up looking more like us."

[wombat]

On 7/28/2022 at 8:45 AM, Tug said:

It’s called inflation it’s a concern for all humans on the planet as it’s affecting all countries on our little world mostly brought on by mr Putin’s war of conquest in Ukraine at least we have a competent person in charge who is smart enough to get out of the way of the experts to let them get a handle on it hope that helps……….

Sarcasm is strong in this one.

[placeholder]

On 7/28/2022 at 9:05 AM, farmerjo said:

I think the Americans are selling themselves short.

In this day and age when the west and east are running around the world drumming up support to their causes.

Arms dealers would be at the top of the employment pile.

Well, given what the Ukraine war has revealed about the quality of Russian weaponry, maybe a dealer who trades in Russian weaponry isn't such a hot commodity.

[Rimmer]

Troll post removed

[GinBoy2]

9 hours ago, placeholder said:

Well, given what the Ukraine war has revealed about the quality of Russian weaponry, maybe a dealer who trades in Russian weaponry isn't such a hot commodity.

I think you're right.

 

Maybe with hindsight we should never have been afraid of the Russian Bear, with perhaps the exception of the nukes!

[wombat]

9 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

I think you're right.

 

Maybe with hindsight we should never have been afraid of the Russian Bear, with perhaps the exception of the nukes!

Or you've been sucked into believing propaganda to make you feel good.

There was never any doubts placed on Russian arms in Afghanistan?