Viktor Bout Statements To US Agents In Thailand Coerced, Judge Rules

[manarak]

People like Bout are operating on political level and should not be seen with the same eyes as you would regard common criminals.

Their deals for the most part support political priorities of their parent political power.

Applying common criminal law to them if often a laughable double standard, since these countries don't apply the same rules to their own dealers.

Another point is territoriality of the Law.

I refuse projection of national Law beyond a country's borders, otherwise Iran could feel righteously compelled to send operatives to bring in Michelle Obama for not wearing a headscarf in public.

[Richard W]

The US bashers conveniently forget that Mr Bout is charged with attempting to sell, amongst other things, surface to air missiles to what he thought was a terrorist organization. Nobody forced him to do that, he was acting out of his own venality.

Are you sure he didn't think that he was selling to "the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army (Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo), also known by the acronym of FARC or FARC-EP, [which] is a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization based in Colombia, [and] which is involved in the ongoing Colombian armed conflict", to quote the Wikipedia entry. As a youth, would he not have been taught that this was morally correct, indeed, meritorious? I understood that the Americans he was allegedly conspiring to kill were aircrew acting against FARC - which would make them legitimate targets.

[OzMick]

The US bashers conveniently forget that Mr Bout is charged with attempting to sell, amongst other things, surface to air missiles to what he thought was a terrorist organization. Nobody forced him to do that, he was acting out of his own venality.

Are you sure he didn't think that he was selling to "the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army (Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo), also known by the acronym of FARC or FARC-EP, [which] is a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization based in Colombia, [and] which is involved in the ongoing Colombian armed conflict", to quote the Wikipedia entry. As a youth, would he not have been taught that this was morally correct, indeed, meritorious? I understood that the Americans he was allegedly conspiring to kill were aircrew acting against FARC - which would make them legitimate targets.

Perhaps that would allow him to be noble and venal at the same time

[lovetotravel]

I didn't find her logic all that profound. More bleeding heart than real world. I suspect it is an appealable point.

Viktor Bout is so lucky that he came before this Judge Sheindlin.

If he had come before big sister Judge Judy, it would be all over for him....

Lucky!? Howcan the law and justice be different from judge to judge? Is the "legal system" askew?

I think you need to google Judge Judy. She's a TV show judge, retired as a family court judge years ago and has a reputation for being "brash". Very popular on TV in the US.

For sure, Bout is lucky to be tried in the US. He could have been tried here:

http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/rebels-control-libyan-prison-that-was-site-of-1996-massacre

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/02/26/horrific-libyan-prison-exposed.html

[kerryk]

I didn't find her logic all that profound. More bleeding heart than real world. I suspect it is an appealable point.

Viktor Bout is so lucky that he came before this Judge Sheindlin.

If he had come before big sister Judge Judy, it would be all over for him....

Lucky!? Howcan the law and justice be different from judge to judge? Is the "legal system" askew?

You really don't know do you? One, judges are not robots and interpret laws differently. Words have generally accepted meanings but there is always much left to individual interpretation.

Some laws are written in stone others are dependent on case law and a judge looks at how other judges have interpreted a particular scenario. The law is constantly changing as a result of social mores and political conditions. For example what is cruel and unusual punishment in California might not be cruel and unusual in Arkansas. What is cruel and unusual in 2011 might not have been cruel and unusual in 1997.

Some judges are liberal and some are conservative and see things through their belief systems. Do you see the American Federal system as primarily honest or dishonest? I would suggest this will effect your view of things. It is the half full or half empty thing. It is the same for a judge. Do you see international arms dealers as honest businessmen trying to make a living or do you see them as scurrilous pirates responsible for mass murder?

[animatic]

How many people in America should be put in jail for the supply of arms to the I.R.A. Duh

All of them that did.

Not to say I don't prefer an united and free Ireland, but you get the point.

[animatic]

I didn't find her logic all that profound. More bleeding heart than real world. I suspect it is an appealable point.

Viktor Bout is so lucky that he came before this Judge Sheindlin.

If he had come before big sister Judge Judy, it would be all over for him....

Lucky!? Howcan the law and justice be different from judge to judge? Is the "legal system" askew?

A judge in NYC will likely rule differently on certain points than one in Oskosh or Atlanta. USA is a bhuge place with hundres or more sub-cultural regions with vastly different points of view on many subjects, Not the social monolith many from outside try to project onto USA. It's not a culture, but MANY cultures.

Why else is there such an ideological fight over Supreme court Justices in the Senate. Some want to stack the 'final decision making deck' to their interpretation of the Constitution.

Edited August 28, 2011 by animatic

[lovetotravel]

How many people in America should be put in jail for the supply of arms to the I.R.A. Duh

All of them that did.

Not to say I don't prefer an united and free Ireland, but you get the point.

+1

[bangkok101]

Is this the typical way that America tries to 'rule the world' by threats.

No, it's just a way to implement justice to the scum like Bout!