Lord of War: Viktor Bout

[Kevin23]

It looks like that after a long detention in Thailand, prolific(and many would say infamous) Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is going to be extradited to the US. Diplomatically and legally according to news reports the extradition of the former Soviet Air Force officer is viewed as a victory for the Obama Administration in which legal actions against Bout were pursued by Washington way before 2009/2010. However, many within Russia's military and intelligence apparatuses are alarmed over this developments and do not want Bout going on trial in the United States.

Here is the link,

http://www.military.com/news/article...ath-to-us.html

[davidbfpo]

Hat tip to FP blog:

The world’s most notoroious arms dealer is coming to America to stand trial. And that has Russia very worried.

Link:http://www.foreignpolicy.com/article...ktor_bout_know

I don't suppose the USA will permit a "swap" and this article indicates it could be quite a high price. Ah, the armchair speculator.

[davidbfpo]

After a delay CNN reports he is flying to the USA:http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/as..._igoogle_world

One wonders what he will be charged with and what happens at his trial. Leaving aside the Russian reaction of course.

[davidbfpo]

A story on Viktor Bout's legal process:http://www.npr.org/2011/08/17/139676...d-before-trial

[davidbfpo]

A CNN report on Viktor Bout:http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/02/ju...html?hpt=wo_c2

Note the Federal jury has convicted him, no sentence has been passed.

A thoughtful CNN background comment:http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn....iref=allsearch

Update 4/11/2011:

Bout is due to be sentenced on February 8 and faces up to life in prison.

Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...Bout-home.html

Russian ire at the decision:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...ng-viktor-bout

[jmm99]

From the DoJ Press Release:

Bout was convicted today of [1] conspiring to kill U.S. nationals; [2] conspiring to kill U.S. officers and employees; [3] conspiring to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles; and [4] conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
....
Between November 2007 and March 2008, Bout agreed to sell to the FARC millions of dollars’ worth of weapons – including 800 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), 30,000 AK-47 firearms, 10 million rounds of ammunition, five tons of C-4 plastic explosives, “ultralight” airplanes outfitted with grenade launchers and unmanned aerial vehicles. Bout agreed to sell the weapons to two confidential sources working with the DEA (the “CSs”), who represented that they were acquiring them for the FARC, with the specific understanding that the weapons were to be used to attack U.S. helicopters in Colombia.
....
Bout faces a maximum sentence of life in prison on counts one through three, including a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison for count three. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison on count four.

Although the Federal Judge, Shira Scheindlin, appears to be a liberal (based on prior decisions), anything but life sentences on counts 1-3 would be surprising. But then, I've been surprised a number of times - especially by U of Michigan coeds (Judge Scheindlin was at the Univ of Mich at the same time as I).

Regards

Mike

[M-A Lagrange]

According to Georges Starkmann, Bout was a "logistician" more than a weapon dealer.
This is based on the fact that Bount had several aviation companies.

Testimonies from Georges Starkmann have to be taken with caution, Bout was one of his concurrent.