18 hours ago, bradiston said:

A Marine Corp vet? With a bad conduct discharge and a court martial?

That does not always need to be so bad. Others are also dishonorably discharged from Army - or just with less severe administrative discharge - while still further enjoying being kept in a high esteem...  

15 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

This. is the person that should have been released. Being a Vet. means less and less each day.

Because America is suffering a shortfall in practitioners of larceny?

18 minutes ago, Saanim said:

That does not always need to be so bad. Others are also dishonorably discharged from Army - or just with less severe administrative discharge - while still further enjoying being kept in a high esteem...  

He lied about his employment and academic qualifications. I really cannot believe the level of complete stupidity on this forum sometimes. High esteem? He doesn't appear to have even seen active combat . Just a desk job.

 

There's none so blind as they who will not see.

25 minutes ago, bradiston said:

Fool! Read his bio. It's been posted here a million times:

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Whelan_(security_director)

 

Why don't people take the time and trouble to properly inform themselves? They see Marine and they go all wobbly at the knees. And all those tweets in your link. Ye gods! I guess half America is as deluded as you.

 

Maybe because I am a Vietnam Vet.

22 minutes ago, wombat said:

3,2........

Reference to Whelan bio ... unfortunately, it's hard to believe anything any more.   CIA wouldn't leave him hanging ... ????

 

Devil's advocate ... wouldn't he be the perfect one to pick as a 'double agent', as on paper, disgraced and unhappy with USA ... good cover, then gather info.

 

Totally irrelevant ... as the trade was a bad deal ... period.  A doper for an arms dealer.  Surely Victor's talents will be utilized again, maybe to assist Putin's fight with UA.   Not a bod thing, depending who's side of that battle you are rooting for, UA or RU.   

 

Prison Exchange score:

bIden - 0

Putin - 1

An inflammatory post leading to bickering has been removed also replies

42 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

Maybe because I am a Vietnam Vet.

So what? Whelan most certainly isn't.

Message from Paul Whelan's brother

 

 

https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1601345193516466176

https://twitter.com/davidpwhelan/status/1601219405744328706

 

2 hours ago, bradiston said:

He lied about his employment and academic qualifications. I really cannot believe the level of complete stupidity on this forum sometimes. High esteem? He doesn't appear to have even seen active combat . Just a desk job.

 

There's none so blind as they who will not see.

What I wrote was not about him being held in a high esteem. You should read again...  

4 hours ago, bradiston said:

You're right. Paul Whelan's bio wouldn't look good for any of the 4 governments of the countries for which he has passports. Why don't you read it and stop posting your drivel?

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Whelan_(security_director)

I see your personal insult and choose not to respond in kind.

Have a nice day.

Reported troll comment and response to it removed.

Too bad he doesn't have a hoop shot and isn't a left-wing "civil rights icon."

 

For the past year and a half, an American citizen has been languishing in a series of Russian prisons, serving a lengthy sentence for attempting to enter the country with a small quantity of medical marijuana — but that American is not Brittney Griner.

 

That prisoner’s name is Marc Fogel, and unlike Griner — who returned to the United States this week after the Biden administration secured her release in a high-profile prisoner swap — Fogel’s prospects for getting home remain far from certain.

 

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/12/10/marc-fogel-russia-brittney-griner-00073363

22 hours ago, vandeventer said:

Maybe because I am a Vietnam Vet.

I'm pretty sure you were honorably discharged.  I'd imagine roughly 99% of Americans who served were also honorably discharged.  Whelan was not part of this 99%.  He was court-martialed and kicked out of the Marines for cause.  Do you think people who left the service with a Bad Conduct Discharge or Dishonorable Discharge should be viewed the same as those who served with honor?  If so, I would respectfully disagree.

This is from a couple of years ago when the BBC did a fairly detailed article on him.

 

Paul Whelan: The strange case of the ex-marine jailed for spying in Russia

Whelan went on to seek out more Russian friends, using the country's social networking service VK among others, a scroll through their profiles, soon after his arrest, revealed almost all to be men - most considerably younger than him.

Another man gave his friend a sightseeing tour of his own town that same year. He has no apparent link to the military himself and joked to me via VK that the American "didn't request to see anything suspicious :))"

In 2009, he took his own parents to visit Russia, where they've told me they met several of his young friends in military uniform.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53110087

23 hours ago, vandeventer said:

This. is the person that should have been released. Being a Vet. means less and less each day.

Hmmmm....

 

[Trump's former National Security Adviser, John Bolton, revealed on Friday that the Trump administration had the opportunity to swap Whelan for Bout in 2018 but chose not to.]

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/paul-whelans-brother-slams-trump-over-russia-prisoner-swap-comments-2022-12

 

I am making no comment on this video, but it shows Margarita Simonyan, who is the editor in Chief of RT in Russia, giving her opinion!

 

 

3 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

I am making no comment on this video, but it shows Margarita Simonyan, who is the editor in Chief of RT in Russia, giving her opinion!

 

 

Yep...Joe Biden and his United States are world laughing stocks. 

14 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

I am making no comment on this video, but it shows Margarita Simonyan, who is the editor in Chief of RT in Russia, giving her opinion!

 

 

Interesting you get that vid from "Grassroots Army" Channel where they have edited out the introduction against the youtube T.O.S. Changed the title and uploaded it to their channel. 

 

The original is here where it belongs on the "Russian Media Monitor" monitor Channel. RT owner Margarita Simonyan as usual gets her facts wrong.

 

Here's the latest vid from Russian Media Monitor with Maria Butina, a Russian politician, not a media pundit:

 

Maria Butina says it was Russia's decision to exchange Bout for Brittney Griner and not Paul Whelan

 

 

23 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

I am making no comment on this video, but it shows Margarita Simonyan, who is the editor in Chief of RT in Russia, giving her opinion!

 

 

Yes, this bitxh is well known for making these kinds of statements. I occasionally stop by RT when flicking through the channels. This is par for the course. Strange how closely it echoes so many on this forum, and no doubt in the US as a whole. Congratulations! You'd be welcomed in the country your country is at war with.

6 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Interesting you get that vid from "Grassroots Army" Channel where they have edited out the introduction against the youtube T.O.S. Changed the title and uploaded it to their channel. 

 

The original is here where it belongs on the "Russian Media Monitor" monitor Channel. RT owner Margarita Simonyan as usual gets her facts wrong.

 

Here's the latest vid from Russian Media Monitor with Maria Butina, a Russian politician, not a media pundit:

 

Maria Butina says it was Russia's decision to exchange Bout for Brittney Griner and not Paul Whelan

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Butina

On 12/8/2022 at 8:51 PM, pgrahmm said:

How fortunate for her....

 

Realistically, the time spent seems more in line with her (perceived) intent....But, she was exactly where she placed herself......

 

Hopefully, elitist lesson learned....

'eletist'.... be fair, could have been a silly mistake.

5 minutes ago, bradiston said:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Butina

Its good to see both sides of the coin, so to speak? Even in Russia they have differences of opinion?

On 12/10/2022 at 10:20 AM, vandeventer said:

Maybe because I am a Vietnam Vet.

Thanks for your service!!!!!!!!!!!!

11 minutes ago, scorecard said:

'eletist'.... be fair, could have been a silly mistake.

She was earning $1,500,000.00 a year in Russia.....

What would you call it ...

 

According to her it wasn't an oversight, she intentionally packed & brought it ...

4 hours ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

Its good to see both sides of the coin, so to speak? Even in Russia they have differences of opinion?

Its always best to get as many perspectives as possible, makes it more interesting?

On 12/10/2022 at 9:33 AM, vandeventer said:

This. is the person that should have been released. Being a Vet. means less and less each day.

CNN are reporting that his brother said that Trump has mentioned Paul Whelan's name more in the last 24 hours than the 2 years he was incarcerated under Trump's watch.

19 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Yep...Joe Biden and his United States are world laughing stocks. 

I think you didn't mean it literally, but I agree with that, literally.

21 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Too bad he doesn't have a hoop shot and isn't a left-wing "civil rights icon."

 

For the past year and a half, an American citizen has been languishing in a series of Russian prisons, serving a lengthy sentence for attempting to enter the country with a small quantity of medical marijuana — but that American is not Brittney Griner.

 

That prisoner’s name is Marc Fogel, and unlike Griner — who returned to the United States this week after the Biden administration secured her release in a high-profile prisoner swap — Fogel’s prospects for getting home remain far from certain.

 

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/12/10/marc-fogel-russia-brittney-griner-00073363

I think I previously made a comment that the prisoner exchanged was one that made Biden look good. If I didn't, I'm saying it now.