The Biden administration has 'put a substantial proposal on the table' aimed at bringing Brittney Griner and fellow jailed American Paul Whelan home from Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.
to NSC African Affairs Director Gayle Smith, a South African official explained,"It is not clear from the information provided whether [Bout] has committed an act that has been criminalized under South African law and which falls under the jurisdiction of South Africa."
The mounting pressure uprooted Bout and his wife from their home in the United Arab Emirates and caused him to retreat to Moscow. The protection of the Russian government made him practically untouchable there … unless someone could lure him out.In the summer of 2007, a counterterrorism adviser to President George W. Bush approached the DEA’s Michael Braun with an audacious question.
The sting operation culminated in March 2008 when the DEA successfully baited Bout into leaving his Russian safe haven and flying to Bangkok to finalize the deal. DEA agents chose Bangkok because they had a good relationship with the Thai police and because they felt Bout wouldn't be suspicious traveling to a city so many time zones removed from the U.S. or Western Europe.
"Putin and other high-level government officials really tried to move heaven and earth and get him repatriated to Russia," Braun said. When Bout's flight landed at Westchester County Airport in New York, two DEA agents escorted him off the plane. For the first time, the Merchant of Death was on American soil.Viktor Bout’s most unexpected American ally turned out to be the federal judge who presided over his case.
“I think the sentence was too long, but I had no flexibility,” Scheindlin said. “My hands were tied.” To Stephen J. Blank, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, Russia’s interest in Bout is driven by fear of the secrets he could expose if coerced into telling U.S. authorities about Russia’s clandestine arms business.
“He was retired and living in Moscow, minding his own business,” Zissou said. “He had never been to the U.S. before. He had never expressed any ill will toward the U.S. And then the U.S. government spent millions of dollars creating a fictitious crime that didn’t exist.”
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Brittney Griner: WNBA star's drawn-out trial resumes in RussiaThe U.S. basketball star was detained at Moscow airport in February on charges of carrying vape cartridges with cannabis oil, which could carry a 10-year prison sentence.
Read more »
Brittney Griner shares message to wife as WNBA star's drug trial in Russia resumesAs Brittney Griner returned to court in Russia on Tuesday for her drug possession trial, the American basketball star told ABC News she has a message for her wife.
Read more »
US basketball star Brittney Griner testifies that poor translation led to her arrest in RussiaAmerican basketball star Brittney Griner testified Wednesday at her drug trial in Russia that a language interpreter translated only a fraction of what was said during her questioning and officials instructed her to sign documents without providing an explanation.
Read more »
WNBA star Brittney Griner testifies at Russia drug trialBrittney Griner testified at her drug trial in Russia that a language interpreter translated only a fraction of what was said during her questioning and officials instructed her to sign documents without providing an explanation. Details
Read more »
Brittney Griner testifies her rights were not explained when she was arrested in RussiaBrittney Griner testified at her drug trial in Russia that an interpreter provided during her questioning translated only a fraction of what was said.
Read more »
Blinken says U.S. made Russia a 'substantial proposal' for release of Brittney Griner and Paul WhelanBREAKING: The U.S. made an offer to Russia for the release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, Secretary Blinken said.
Read more »