[litwin]

one for sure, US still lives in peacetime (pootler really needs the shells ) ... Brittney-Griner will leave GULAG but Victor Bout - a convicted arms dealer and a big prize for Moscow´s war in Ukraine. putin runs out off shells , and we deliver him - V. Bout .... many (mostly Ukrainians ) are gonna be killed due this exchange 

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/worl ... ney-Griner

[litwin]

[litwin]

[litwin]

[Beren]

Bout was arrested in 2008 and convicted in 2011, so he's served his time basically, and I also wonder if he's still such a valuable asset to Putin as he once used to be. He'd have already exchanged him for Paul Whelan perhaps if he were.

[XogGyux]

This poses a real moral dilemma... Is it ok to let the evil unpunished in order to avoid harm to good people? I'd argue yes.
It is appalling nonetheless, I vomit on my mouth thinking countries such as Russia, china, NK, etc are targetting civilians so they can exchange for their favorite terrorists at some point. There is a solution for that... stop traveling to those shitty countries where there is no rule of law and you might just end up being the latest poker card.

[Wels]

Bout was arrested in 2008 and convicted in 2011, so he's served his time basically, and I also wonder if he's still such a valuable asset to Putin as he once used to be. He'd have already exchanged him for Paul Whelan perhaps if he were.

Maybe, but things are tighter now in Russia weapon and ammunition-wise, probably looking for other weapon deliveries using good old contacts provided by this Butt.

[AFAIK]

This is the worst prisoner swap in the history of prisoner swaps.



In the long term this makes international travel more dangerous for Americans as they'll be massively over sentenced for any crimes they commit in order to be used as political prisoners available for additional swaps.

Sad!

[litwin]

This poses a real moral dilemma... Is it ok to let the evil unpunished in order to avoid harm to good people? I'd argue yes.
It is appalling nonetheless, I vomit on my mouth thinking countries such as Russia, china, NK, etc are targetting civilians so they can exchange for their favorite terrorists at some point. There is a solution for that... stop traveling to those shitty countries where there is no rule of law and you might just end up being the latest poker card.

a good point

[AFAIK]

Why does Russia want this guy freed? He doesn't seem that valuable to them.

In the meantime the UK should arrest a random American and then trade them for that hit and run driver who fled the country.

[litwin]

Why does Russia want this guy freed? He doesn't seem that valuable to them.

Moscow horde DESPERATELY NEEDS THE SHELLS , THEY ARE LOSING THE WAR, AND WE GAVE TO MOSCOW N1 EXPERT ON THIS SUBJECT . By the way, the Africans are very very unhappy with such exchange

[late]

We've been swapping prisoners with Russia for as long as I can remember, which is a very long time.

While Putin got the better of the deal, things are quite different now. We used to deal regularly with the Soviet bureaucracy, over the years we developed an understanding.

Now we deal with a dictator, and he's pissed because we are making his life worse. With his position weakened, he had to come out of the deal with it looking like a win.

As was the case with the railroad Union, sometimes you take the small win and plan on fighting again later.

[late]

.

[litwin]

We've been swapping prisoners with Russia for as long as I can remember, which is a very long time.

While Putin got the better of the deal, things are quite different now. We used to deal regularly with the Soviet bureaucracy, over the years we developed an understanding.

Now we deal with a dictator, and he's pissed because we are making his life worse. With his position weakened, he had to come out of the deal with it looking like a win.

As was the case with the railroad Union, sometimes you take the small win and plan on fighting again later.

A GOOD POST, STILL

[late]

A GOOD POST, STILL

The movie Lord of War was loosely based on his life.

He made his name selling off Soviet hardware he basically stole. In other words, all he has is his contacts, and Putin wants to buy, not sell.

I don't know much about the international arms business, but I don't think he will be able to help Putin much.

[XogGyux]

Let me say something, she probably had one of the shittiest years anyone can possibly have. Imagine being a tourist in what you perceive as a respectable country and be snatched out of the blue because something that you carry has a tiny bit of weed and sentenced to half your life expectancy on a penal colony... It is foking surreal. If she was able to keep her mind intact, and that is a big if... she can potentially produce a few lucrative books and/or movies/series out of this. Make lemonade out of the lemons and expose this shit country for what it is.

[Beren]

This whole thing is actually lemonade, a virtually retired arms dealer got exchanged for a civilian nobody kidnapped by the Russian government for the very purpose to free that former arms dealer. Seemingly a PR stunt on both sides, Putin could be sure Biden won't miss the opportunity to do the LGBTQ+ community such a spectacular favour.

[Fasces]

The arms guy made a living selling Soviet weapons - not possible these days. He's been in jail for more than ten years so his contacts and networks are probably useless. He had less than five years left on his sentence anyway.

Don't see the outrage.

[late]

Don't see the outrage.

That's because it's fake..

[AFAIK]

I like how his crimes were played up when he was arrested and minimised when he's released.

"He's the merchant of death and his arrest is a huge step toward peace!"
15 years later
"He's a small fish, let him enjoy his retirement"