Thai Court Grants Extradition Of Alleged Russian Arms Dealer Viktor Bout

[LomSak27]

Jinthing posted

Do you reckon the Thai snub of America has anything to do with the behavior of the US ambassador who openly talked with the red shirt leaders, now under terrorism charges, during the recent red shirt revolution attempt?

NoThe Royal Thai Police arrested Bout in Bangkok, Thailand in 2008,[2] and on August 11, 2009, a Thai court ruled in his favor, denying a US extradition request. – March April 2010 US ambassador talked to Reds – That timeline is backnackwards. However as it is Friday and I am planning on imbibing heavily, maybe the timeline will make since in a few hours

Electau Posted

Any western country would hand him over to the US immediately, But Thailand in line with other Asian nations the problem of "loss of face “occurs if they were to hand him straight over to the US. It has to be handled by correct diplomatic procedures.

Any idea what those "correct diplomatic procedures" are ? We can assume the first rejection of the extradition was paid for ... make some money and then deliver him to the US, (trying to extort a few favours from the US too I bet) That is "correct diplomatic procedures"

[sunray69]

"We find the potential release of a man responsible for countless deaths of innocents... simply astounding"

Seems only americans have a license to kill... G. Bush did not do better, starting a war and killing thousands of innocent people just to protect his businesses.

[hammered]

There is an irony in what he did and where he is being extradited to somewhere when you consdier weapons supply and dead innocents.

[Jingthing]

Interesting to see the same old same old America bashing here, but be assured he will get a fair trial in the USA, assuming he will be tried in a regular court. Thailand is a longtime special friend of the USA, it would have been disgusting and a betrayal if they hadn't extradited this wanted man.

[Arkady]

It's not mentioned in the article but I assume Bout has the right to appeal to the Supreme Court. Perhaps that's the reason for the 3 month delay.

For me he is probably guilty along with the Russian government (for being involved with his dirty businesses), the US government (for wanting to get him to be able to suppress information about its own dirty businesses) and the Thai authorities (for being open to entreaty by all sides).

[Jirapa]

Agreed, seems quite odd to wait three months. I'm very confident that US could have a Jet running on the tarmac for extradition quite quickly. I guess it's a watch and see. Stay tuned.

Maybe getting buggered in a Thai prison for the next three months was part of the extradition deal?

[foxtrot]

Viktor Bout was arrested following a joint US-Thai sting operation in the first place. it would be total slap in the face to the US if he is not extradited. i can imagine if you agreed and worked together to arrest this guy and now you would let him go free? that would be a wasted of time and man power in planning the operation in the first place.

[sausageandmash]

Yes, the Russians will get him out. The Americans intend dosing him up with Pentathol and have him singing like a canary about every Russian secret he knows. Major loss of face for Russia if this happens.

Just another chapter of the New Cold War.

Russian government already accused US officials of bribing the court., which is of course inconceivable in clean Thailand. Given the fact that the RUssians were delivering the Thai government very cheap oil I assume they will review that policy after today.

[relentless]

Why do I have a feeling Khun Viktor Bout is going to successfully escape a Thai nick in the next 3 months ?......

hel_l he will, the US Marshalls will or are there to take him away already.

[DP25]

It's not mentioned in the article but I assume Bout has the right to appeal to the Supreme Court. Perhaps that's the reason for the 3 month delay.

There is not "3 month delay." The ruling is that he has to be extradited within 3 months.

[chadillac0]

So its now offical

no one can sell weapons etc other than the USA

all competition will be locked up forever

charming

Thailand is buying Swedish fighter jets, Israeli guns, a Singaporean warship, Russian shoulder fired missiles and Chinese surface to surface missiles. I'm sure I read something about a cargo plane full on North Korean arms confiscated by Thailand as they let the people on board go free. So much for your presumption about the USA being the only arms supplier!

Agreed, whole heatedly.....Look, I love all the Brits that claim Thailand as their own, and the various other EU members that dwell here. That being said, enough is enough guys...All the "anti-American" sentiment that still resonates here is more or less boring. Jealousy is ugly, we (Americans) don't want to shoulder the decisions of our elected officials. We live here for just that reason.. We have no affiliation with the decisions made...that's why WE live here too DIC*S....:jap: Enough Yankee bashing...We all know the score...the biggest boy on the block makes the little kids do his bidding...Remember WWII??.......We pitched in, and on that same note...I remeber offering the Brits help again before facing Germany in the world cup...Just think where you would be had you accepted our help again....uh, point being.....lets all put the politics in Singapore where this site is actually run from:o Let the moderators sort it out....

[Soutpeel]

Why do I have a feeling Khun Viktor Bout is going to successfully escape a Thai nick in the next 3 months ?......

hel_l he will, the US Marshalls will or are there to take him away already.

Me thinks the great Thai face game at play.....Thai courts agree to extradite him.....money changes hands between Thailand and the "Russians".......Khun Victor Bout makes a daring escape using the extensive resources availible to him, slips the border.... on his way to the motherland.....Thai face saved, not their problem anymore....over to you Uncle Sam.....Victor Bout back in Russia.....US requests extradition from the Russians.....answer f8kc off Uncle Sam we dont extradite our own citizens, similar to what Uncle Sam does with US citizens........ and so the game continues

You never know he might end up in Montenegro living next door to another famous fugitive from these parts....

[grumpyoldman]

So its now offical

no one can sell weapons etc other than the USA

all competition will be locked up forever

charming

Thailand is buying Swedish fighter jets, Israeli guns, a Singaporean warship, Russian shoulder fired missiles and Chinese surface to surface missiles. I'm sure I read something about a cargo plane full on North Korean arms confiscated by Thailand as they let the people on board go free. So much for your presumption about the USA being the only arms supplier!

Agreed, whole heatedly.....Look, I love all the Brits that claim Thailand as their own, and the various other EU members that dwell here. That being said, enough is enough guys...All the "anti-American" sentiment that still resonates here is more or less boring. Jealousy is ugly, we (Americans) don't want to shoulder the decisions of our elected officials. We live here for just that reason.. We have no affiliation with the decisions made...that's why WE live here too DIC*S....:jap: Enough Yankee bashing...We all know the score...the biggest boy on the block makes the little kids do his bidding...Remember WWII??.......We pitched in, and on that same note...I remeber offering the Brits help again before facing Germany in the world cup...Just think where you would be had you accepted our help again....uh, point being.....lets all put the politics in Singapore where this site is actually run from:o Let the moderators sort it out....

I'm an American here in LOS, I don't understand your point of no affiliation with decisons, unless of course you don't vote and then you should not say anything either way because you do not take part.

I'll bash GW Bush every chance I get as he was the worst president in the history of the U.S. (off topic), but overall this is a bit hypocritical.

The U.S. sold and gave Afghanistan weaponry to fight the Russians. Much of this weaponry is now being used against NATO forces in Afghanistan. If I'm a father or mother of a British soldier killed by weaponry supplied to Afghanistan by the U.S., where is my Victor Bout to extradite?

[Jimi007]

It's not mentioned in the article but I assume Bout has the right to appeal to the Supreme Court. Perhaps that's the reason for the 3 month delay.

There is not "3 month delay." The ruling is that he has to be extradited within 3 months.

Yes! Another member that can actually read!

[Payboy]

the reason for the 3 month delay

Guess he needs to flush something down the toilet, sell the condo, clean out his bank account and say good bye to the mia noi.

[jtcadv]

So its now offical

no one can sell weapons etc other than the USA

all competition will be locked up forever

charming

Yes its kinda strange they can sell weapons, invade countries and get away with it. But when others do it..... Who made them god. Still i prefer them in power over the Chinese or the Russians. But they are hypocrites.

Yikes. The Anti-American attitude is getting kinda old. Who's going to prosecute guys like this? The Swedes? The Colombians?

[jtcadv]

"We find the potential release of a man responsible for countless deaths of innocents in Africa and elsewhere simply astounding," said the group, led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Howard Berman, a Democrat.

-- Tan Network 2010-08-20

...says Howard Berman, who incidentally voted to authorize the use of military force in Iraq. Remember kids, if you kill thousands of people you are a terrorist, if you kill millions you can be a U.S. congressman!

[chadillac0]

So its now offical

no one can sell weapons etc other than the USA

all competition will be locked up forever

charming

Thailand is buying Swedish fighter jets, Israeli guns, a Singaporean warship, Russian shoulder fired missiles and Chinese surface to surface missiles. I'm sure I read something about a cargo plane full on North Korean arms confiscated by Thailand as they let the people on board go free. So much for your presumption about the USA being the only arms supplier!

Agreed, whole heatedly.....Look, I love all the Brits that claim Thailand as their own, and the various other EU members that dwell here. That being said, enough is enough guys...All the "anti-American" sentiment that still resonates here is more or less boring. Jealousy is ugly, we (Americans) don't want to shoulder the decisions of our elected officials. We live here for just that reason.. We have no affiliation with the decisions made...that's why WE live here too DIC*S....:jap: Enough Yankee bashing...We all know the score...the biggest boy on the block makes the little kids do his bidding...Remember WWII??.......We pitched in, and on that same note...I remeber offering the Brits help again before facing Germany in the world cup...Just think where you would be had you accepted our help again....uh, point being.....lets all put the politics in Singapore where this site is actually run from:o Let the moderators sort it out....

I'm an American here in LOS, I don't understand your point of no affiliation with decisons, unless of course you don't vote and then you should not say anything either way because you do not take part.

I'll bash GW Bush every chance I get as he was the worst president in the history of the U.S. (off topic), but overall this is a bit hypocritical.

The U.S. sold and gave Afghanistan weaponry to fight the Russians. Much of this weaponry is now being used against NATO forces in Afghanistan. If I'm a father or mother of a British soldier killed by weaponry supplied to Afghanistan by the U.S., where is my Victor Bout to extradite?

Uh... no disrespect "grumpyoldman", but "the point" I was trying to make is one you just verified.... If you have a political affiliation, yet you claim to "live" in the LOS, you're loyalties reside with the groups that continue to mock us as just being who we are..."Americans......" If you don't vote"

I'm curious as to why you don't live in the states if your concern is the betterment of the American people. Shouldn't you be living there spending your money and running a business that employs "Americans?" You say you'll bash GWB?? That is a band wagon...!! I smell a Republican:ph34r:......

UH Sorry ...a bit "off topic" To bring up the "vote card" and "Don't participate" is ludicrous, I'm guessing you're an older gentlemen living on a pension with a nice little hut with a "beautiful" Isaan bride to cook you stew every Wednesday.... Fox News would be proud of you my friend....:jap:

[jtcadv]

Selling arms to countries so they can defend themselves againt states such as Russia (during the cold war), North Korea (in the case of South Korea), Iran (in the case of Israel), China (in the case of Taiwan) has its draw backs...but given the fact that European states have, for the most part, shrunken from that responsibility and used the money they should have spent defending themselves during the cold war and beyond on building a socialist Utopia, it really irks me that you (and many like you in this forum) have the audacity to perpetuate this anti-Americanism. Remember, America, while not always right, has never colonized a single country (with the possible exception of Hawaii). Its no coincidence that the countries that the US has defended and rebuilt over the last 50 years are the richest and most prosperous in the history of the world (i.e. Japan, German, South Korea). Have you studied history dude?

[chadillac0]

So its now offical

no one can sell weapons etc other than the USA

all competition will be locked up forever

charming

Yes its kinda strange they can sell weapons, invade countries and get away with it. But when others do it..... Who made them god. Still i prefer them in power over the Chinese or the Russians. But they are hypocrites.

Yikes. The Anti-American attitude is getting kinda old. Who's going to prosecute guys like this? The Swedes? The Colombians?

I like the idea...I think that these kind of issues are to "complicated" for developed countries..(Columbia semi excluded) This is where the AU could really be valuable....Straight tribal law on us Americans

[grumpyoldman]

You are sooo off the mark it's laughable. People on these forums that come to conclusions on others with no real basis for their conclusions are morons.

Nice guess work, not even close Colonel Mustard.

Edited August 20, 2010 by grumpyoldman

[elcent]

some interesting documents here http://victorbout.com/Documents.htm

[TAWP]

I guess Lord of War got it wrong then. When Yuri Orlov gets captured by a US agent in Lord of War, he is allowed to go free because, according to the film, the US needs guys like him to supply weapons in places the US cannot be seen supplying weapons.

Both the US and the UN has used Bout's shipping-services - he didn't only ship guns but also food and other merchandise. His aircraft's could go in with weapons to a war-zone and come out loaded with other wares that needed to the flow to another place, very efficient.

The US let him be when they needed him to do their dirty business, but when he started being a-political and trade with anyone, not just 'approved' 'bad people' (aka, bad people the West likes) he became too much of an issue and they started going after him...

Funny, as he was just a real non-discriminating capitalist, not prohibiting customers of wrong race or nationality...

[virtualtraveller]

Bout won't make it to America, either he will mysteriously get sprung from Thai jail, or a Russian secret agent will poison him with Polonium.

Russia will stop selling cheap oil to Thailand.

Pattaya tourism will half overnight due to 'restrictions from Moscow'

At least arms dealers will think about doing their arms deals somewhere else.

Bravo Thailand.

[gemini81]

So its now offical

no one can sell weapons etc other than the USA

all competition will be locked up forever

charming

Thailand is buying Swedish fighter jets, Israeli guns, a Singaporean warship, Russian shoulder fired missiles and Chinese surface to surface missiles. I'm sure I read something about a cargo plane full on North Korean arms confiscated by Thailand as they let the people on board go free. So much for your presumption about the USA being the only arms supplier!

ouch! haha

everybody is doin' it. they say you're not in trouble till you're caught.

hope all the usual bitchers quit moaning now.

[gemini81]

You are sooo off the mark it's laughable. People on these forums that come to conclusions on others with no real basis for their conclusions are morons.

Nice guess work, not even close Colonel Mustard.

you just came to a conclusion about them....so what are you implying??

[webfact]

UPDATE

Russia slams Bout extradition, vows to bring him home

[khunken]

The whole case is riddled with hypocrisy. As a previous reply said, when the US uses someone like Bout for their own arms delivery purposes, that's ok, but as soon as he goes freelance, he's a target.

What about the Iran/Contra arms affair? The odius Oliver North was involved in arms smuggling & is he in jail?

If Bout is tried in the US he will never receive a fair trial. Anything to do with the US military & CIA means that evidence will be withheld or suppressed as per the Guantanamo inmate 'trials'.

[starcandle]

There you go U S A sticking their nose into other parts of the worlds business,

can't see it being to long before them there yankies start a war with Venezuala, looking for wepons of mass destruction of course.

is it me or are the russians the only people on the planet that the U S do not bully ?

I am also wondering how many U S made arms have killed people all around the world

[gpdjohn]

There you go U S A sticking their nose into other parts of the worlds business,

can't see it being to long before them there yankies start a war with Venezuala, looking for wepons of mass destruction of course.

is it me or are the russians the only people on the planet that the U S do not bully ?

I am also wondering how many U S made arms have killed people all around the world

What's a " yankies"? And where is " Venezuala "? Never heard of either one of them before..

Mr. Bout has appeared to have lost considerable weight. I'm sure while he is finishing up his life in ADX Florence, he will be fed much better.