While Biden critics are disgusted by trading a Black, Lesbian basketball player, Brittney Griner, for the notorious arms dealer, Viktor Bout, Biden supporters are ecstatic. Personally, I think any effort to free Griner is ridiculous, but she played a role in making herself a victim. The real story lies behind the Western meme that portrays Bout as the spawn of Satan intent on creating mayhem and slaughter around the globe. I have a different take.
I believe Viktor Bout was a Russian intelligence officer operating under cover as an arms dealer. In this capacity he could identify key players in revolutionary and criminal movements around the world. It is the United States that has created the Merchant of Death tale.
Let us start with the fact that Bout previously sold weapons to the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan. That kind of sale would have been monitored and known to Russian intelligence. Important to recall that the Northern Alliance played a key role in helping the United States oust the Taliban in the wake of the 9-11 attacks. Although some reports claim Bout also sold to the Taliban, I’ve seen no credible evidence supporting that. However, I cannot discount him doing so with the support of Russia’s Government as a means of identifying and developing potential intelligence sources with the Taliban.
Vladimir Putin was the first world leader to call George W Bush after the 9-11 attacks to offer assistance. We took him up on that and the Russians, as a result of their ties to the Northern Alliance, facilitated the deployment of the CIA JAWBREAKER team. First team in was led by Gary Schroen, who was followed by Gary Berntsen. Gary Berntsen’s book, JAWKBREAKER, recounts that adventure.
Bout’s work as a Russian intel operative working under the cover of arms trafficking gave him incredible access to sources and activities not normally available to a Russian intelligence officer working under diplomatic or military cover. It is a smart way for the Russians to collect intel and recruit human sources on a variety of active insurgent groups and criminal organizations. If you think the United States has not ried something like this, think again.
I know from previous conversations with friends involved in CIA logistics activities that the United States has used people like Bout to buy weapons for our own international adventures. Worth recalling that the CIA was gathering up weapons and arming Islamic radicals in Syria in a bid to overthrow Bashir Assad (remember Benghazi?).
Bout’s arrest in March 2008 needs to be considered in the broader context of U.S./Russian relations. It is trued that Bout was arrested in Thailand as part of a DEA sting. But the story has some significant holes. The official version is that a DEA Confidential Informant approached Bout about selling arms, including SAMs, to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The subsequent US indictment claimed that Bout was selling weapons use against U.S. forces in Colombia.
This is nonsense. That was an artful creation on the part of US prosecutors. The FARC’s military capability in 2008 was in severe decline. If the FARC had plans to use IGLAs, they would have been used against Colombian air assets attacking FARC camps in the jungles of Colombia.
On March 1, 2008, the Colombian military attacked a FARC–EP camp inside Ecuador‘s territory, resulting in the death of over 20 people, with at least 17 of them being FARC–EP guerillas.[106] Raúl Reyes was among the dead, along with at least 16 of his fellow guerrillas. Raúl Reyes was FARC–EP’s international spokesman and hostage release negotiator and considered to be FARC–EP’s second-in-command. This incident led to a breakdown in diplomatic relations between Ecuador and Colombia, and between Venezuela and Colombia.[107][108] Ecuador condemned the attack[citation needed].
This is considered the biggest blow against FARC–EP in its more than four decades of existence.[107] [109] This event was quickly followed by the death of Ivan Rios, another member of FARC–EP’s seven-man Secretariat, less than a week later, by the hand of his own bodyguard. It came as a result of heavy Colombian military pressure and a reward offer of up to $5 million from the Colombian government.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_FARC
Bout is not the kind of guy who is clueless about the strategic situation on the ground in Colombia and would have known this proposal was questionable. In fact, Bout’s dealing with the DEA informant could have been part of a Russian effort to develop better intel on the waning fortunes of the FARC. I believe some other deal was proposed but that was not included in the indictment. That helps explain why Bout denied the charge in the indictment. He was not trying to kill or facilitate the killing of U.S. military personnel.
One month later (April 2, 2008), Vladimir Putin spoke at the NATO Summit in Bucharest and laid down clear markers warning the West to not incorporate Ukraine or Georgia into NATO. NATO gave some lip service to this but tensions between Russia and Georgia escalated in the following months.
On 15 July, the United States and Russia began two parallel military trainings in the Caucasus, though Russia denied that the identical timing was intentional.[120] The joint US-Georgian exercise was called Immediate Response 2008 and also included servicemen from Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Armenia. A total of 1,630 servicemen, including 1,000 American troops, took part in the exercise, which concluded on 31 July.[121] Counter-insurgency action was the focal point of the joint exercise. The Georgian brigade was trained to serve in Iraq.[122] The Russian exercise was named Caucasus 2008 and units of the North Caucasus Military District, including the 58th Army, took part. The exercise included training to aid peacekeeping forces stationed in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.[123] During exercises, a pamphlet named “Soldier! Know your probable enemy!” was circulated among the Russian soldiers. The pamphlet described the Georgian Armed Forces.[124] Russian troops stayed near the border with Georgia after the end of their exercise on 2 August, instead of going back to their barracks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Georgian_War
Hostilities broke out on 1 August 2008 between the Russian supported South Ossetians and Georgia. The fighting escalated and continued for 11 days, with Russian forces increasing their forces inside Georgia, when then Russian President Medvedev announced the cessation of the “peace enforcement” operation in Georgia.:
“The operation has achieved its goal, security for peacekeepers and civilians has been restored. The aggressor was punished, suffering huge losses.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Georgian_War
The 2008 Russo-Georgian War was seen by the West as an unwelcome Russian victory and set back for NATO expansion into Georgia. Viewed in this context, punishing Bout was part of a broader effort to punish Russia for winning in Georgia. Russia had a military presence in this region going back to the 1990 civil war in Georgia. Prior to 2008, Russian forces were there as peacekeepers and were recognized as such by both sides. That all changed after the August 2008 military operation. Russia expanded it military infrastructure and political ties with both South Ossetia and Abkhazia. That stuck in the craw of Washington and NATO.
I am amused by the critics who criticized harshly Russia’s action in Georgia because it marked the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union “that the Russian military had been used against an independent state, thereby demonstrating Russia’s willingness to use military force to attain its political objectives”. Hello? And U.S. operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya were humanitarian missions? From the Russian perspective, Russia was doing what the U.S. had been doing for years. Using military force to secure its borders.
In short, I think Bout was a scapegoat that the United States could punish and send a message to Russia. Bout’s arrest and imprisonment was a serious blow to Russia’s intelligence operations. I think the Russian’s got the message and looked for opportunities to recover one of their intelligence assets. I imagine the Russian intel chiefs are laughing their asses off that they secured the release of a valued intelligence asset for a pot smoking, LGBTQ basketball player. Talk about something for nothing.
Only the incomprehensible Biden administration could make such a blunder that was so strategicaly and politically stupid. Biden’s appointees are all like plodding oxen, all marching implacably to annihilation.
I never thought about what Victor Bout was, but I knew his actual worth wasn’t as some kind of puny arms dealer. Thanks for spelling it out.
Maybe it is just a small signal, a “wave with the peace pipe”.
Well, as we know, hope dies last, but I mean, if Martyanov is approximately right and Douglas Macgregor too (and of course the master of this weblog) … there can’t be only idiots in the US administration.
The Russians have canceled the negotiations (START) in Cairo.
Ryabkov, deputy foreign minister, says about it (interview 08.12.2022):
“…
All the more reason to expect any results from it only if the other side understands that unilateral concessions from Russia are simply ruled out. This is not an option, it is not even considered.
…”
https://iz.ru/1437015/nataliia-portiakova/s-protianutoi-rukoi-za-nimi-ne-khodim-nikakikh-odolzhenii-ne-prosim
One has obviously “learned lessons”, one should not hope for another “Gorbachev”.
And one should read everything, at all Ryabkov as well as Grushkov always listen carefully…
If the Griner thing is some kind of peace offering, then it’s a peace pipe that won’t be touching my lips in this lifetime. My idea of a peace pipe is dropping five (5) 25-megaton peace pipes on Washington, DC.
Lol, I love your comment & agree with your sentiment..
Yes indeed these scumbags are not idiots they’re deranged lawless Nazi thugs who are just like that pedofile they installed in Ukraine “birds of a feather flock together”
Is there an English language version?
Run it thru deepl translator site
Maybe they are idiots, or maybe they’ve deluded themselves in the thinking they are right with good intentions and everyone who opposes them are bad and evil.
The story of King Croesus is a good example of this type of hubris, when he ask the Delphic Oracle if he should he go to war with the Persians?
The Delphic Oracle replied as follows:
If Croesus goes to war, he will destroy a great empire.
He was so pleased with himself and his great wealth. It was inevitable, from the Greek point of view, that the gods would punish him for his hubris.
Yeah, obviously the proper swap would have been Bout for Whelan but unfortunately, Whelan was one of those toxic white males that no longer carry any gravitas in Biden’s circle of enlightenment.
You’re certainly right about Whelan being “one of those toxic white males.” Maybe we can add another “T” to LGBT. Or start a John Bolton Club, but with a real club.
That would make it a BLT with Chinese hot mustard, sort of a spiked club sandwich.
Still not exactly sure what all the letters stand for and please, don’t tell me. I’m fine as is.
Whelan is more complicated than meets the eye. He was court marshalled by the marine corps and kicked out for larceny theft bad checks he also hacked into a computer with a fake social security number and graded his own exams. Whelan was born in Canada to a UK and Irish couple he has all 4 nationalities and carries 4 passports. He is the type loser the FSB may have set up for a swap or he actually did something stupid.
https://apnews.com/article/moscow-north-america-international-news-mi-state-wire-crime-bb81d418fcb34fd096fe62dc7668024b
Probably building a plausible deniability cover. Spooks are a tricky bunch.
Have you noticed the elegant oppositional duality symmetry?
B Out.
Whale In.
And what is ‘dog’ spelled backwards? Gee how profound.
Too much mescalito, Pito!
This post clearly showed me the difference between regular / naive person ( me ) vs competent intelligence analyst / ops person
“….for a pot smoking, LGBTQ basketball player.”
….for a rabid anti-American pot smoking, LGBT basketball player.
Fixed/Corrected.
all for a Foto-Op for a doddering dementia case, probably the bluntest and most corrupt knife in the draw before he went doolally tap
Might want to layoff the “fixed it for you” thing. It’s gotten really boring. Just saying.
Oh, she’s anti-American because she protested the playing of the National Anthem.
This is the third verse of the National Anthem:
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Right there. The third verse of our national anthem is about hunting down and murdering runaway slaves. Francis Scott Key was a slave owner. He saw the threat of Britain’s offer to give freedom to slaves who fought on their side.
His land of the free and home of the brave did not include black people.
You should learn your history.
You took that to mean they wanted to hunt down all freed black slaves in order to force them into a life of eternal servitude? Perhaps, but you do realize there were more than just black slaves who were used as conscripts in the Royal Navy, right? Plenty of white criminals/foreigners/“privateers” were rounded up and used as forced labor/cannon fodder as well. It’s amazing just how myopic many in the mainstream American black culture have become. The manipulation of history as a way of guilting a truly uneducated general public would be shocking if it wasn’t so darn predictable.
Thank you for only coming this close to “Fixed It For You.” Most kind.
All I know is that ‘the fix was in’ and Merkel was the bookmaker.
Fixed Tit For You.
Sign in a Plastic Surgery practice window.
No one noticed that Britney Griner (grinner) is Ten feet tall and that there are some kinky folks in the Buyed-In & Hair-Risk administration?
Ten foot tall Cocoa Sappho who can shoot hoops.
————
Fixed Tit For Young Youth and Others.
Not fixed. She is the current epitome of Americanism. Apparently it’s a fluent concept, like gender.
Tall poppy syndrome.
America is going nuts. Looking out across the field they see is a giant red poppy, a Russian poppy, a Indian poppy, a Persian poppy. Coming soon an Arabian poppy. South America poppy’s with trumpets and symbols and the drum beat of African poppy’s.
Time will see all the poppy’s standing equal with a small, short group, in need of nourishment. GAS , OIL, 21st Century tech and 155 arty shells.
Actually, gas, oil, 21ST Century technology, and 155 artillery shells are all poppy’s to me. I would add minerals and rare earths, all Russia has in “shameful abundance.” No Bogarting the Poppy’s, Russia.
Yes, we really have to put that breaking up Russia thing of mine into overdrive, before we do it to ourselves.
It is amazing what pilots talk about after a few beers.
Especially in hotel bars.
So if you know the hang outs of the ex pats that say fly a DC-8 for a company you know does that African run once a Month!
I could see that working way back when.
Maybe still does.
RUSSIA should capture hundreds of LGBT people and make more deals like this…
If you saw Maria Zakharova rolling your eyes in her press briefing, you can bet the thought has already crossed Russia’s mind.
Why not just send them back as is, like those dissidents that have church chicken sex and nail their scrotums to bank doors. Quick way to test out chaos theory in the West.
To me the most amazing aspect of the sting on Thailand is that it was preemptively satirized, to wit, the satire of the sting (Jormungand Pulsar part one) was published about two years before the sting that it satirized, and satirized precisely on the point of intent/mens rea.
Viktor Bout’s actual crime was flying in the French peacekeepers of Operation Turquoise to Rwanda over the objections of Dallaire and Kagame, thereby saving 130,000 lives, and debunking the later “I tried to warn the world of impending genocide” bunkum of Dallaire.
Jormungand is principally a satire of the anti-Bout propaganda film Lord of War. The character that has Bout’s role is Koko Hekmatyar, based physically on Mika Brzeziński (of Morning Joe fame). The reference is to her father’s ties to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, of sulphuric acid in the faces of Afghan women who declined to wear Burqas fame.
Sarcastic reference is also made to the fact of Dallaire training Ugandan invader (against Rwanda) child soldiers, by having another main character (Jonah), who is a child soldier.
In Pulsar part one, Koko Hekmatyar is forced to accept a contract for an arms delivery, that does not interest her. She indicates to her employees, “we will pretend to take the order, and leave.” This mocks the DEA’s and USDA Preet Bharara’s conspiracy theory of intent on Bout’s part. Again, this was published two years before the sting that it mocks and satirizes.
Griner is no lesbian, “He” is the correct term, Adam apple and all. Sodom and Gomorrah is the current flavour for the Empire of Lies.
It has female chromosones and a vagina. It loves pussy. It is a lesbian.
Yes, but are you SURE?
You incels are so jealous…..
All I know is that, if any guy looking at the Grinder finds himself succumbing to lubricious thoughts, he must have the libido of a Viagra – riddled jackrabbit.
Men Griner’s height can do a windmill dunk. Griner can’t. I would agree with you except for that.
The Russians don’t play our stupid games – if it has female anatomy, it goes to women’s prison. Period.
Fascinating story. Thanks, Larry. Russia has long prioritized and mastered HUMINT, probably to a degree greater than any other modern state, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to find your theory confirmed in declassified files some years hence.
C’mon did anyone really think that Russia would go out of its way to obtain a prisoner exchange for a supposed “international arms dealer/smuggler”. Bout was way more than that and what Larry is asserting here is the hammer squarely hitting the nail on the head. Russia also has another US citizen, a Marine, held in captivity in a Russian jail for maybe a year or two. I’m not sure if he was accused of spying, but his gender status is much less in doubt than his “Griner” compatriot. Will he be released now too which brings me to my question: what would Russia want in return for his release? For the record, at least officially, I don’t think there are any more high-profile Russian citizens languishing in US jails.
Does anybody really think Griner was just some trendy woke victim type, playing all the right LGBT, drug addict cards? Hell, I was so confused I thought Griner was a either a woman playing a man, or a man who had undergone the operation (or not) to a man. And even when I looked it up, I wasn’t sure. Who can believe the propaganda (when it’s all propaganda) anymore. [heavy sarcasm BTW]
Note Griner had played on a Russian B-Ball team for a number of years – Griner knew the lay of the land when trying to bring in dope.
Imagine trying to bring some dope into LAX these days – getting caught would mean easy 10-20 years hard time.
Not if your name is Hunter.
Well…. Let’s wait and see how long he lasts. If he is truly a spy and important, then you are right. There were a lot of stealing of military arsenal in 1990s, which developed powerful oligarchy at that time. Putin destroyed them all over time, some escaped to the west. This exchange is strange: “Russian spy” for lesbian basketball player? . Putin kept US marine spy for probably for some he truly wants, but US is not ready to give up. I do not buy your or cable news narrative.
Lout will take his billions and either quietly disappear back into Russia or show up in some tony Brentwood neighborhood — back in the United States.
Fascinating story. For someone who has stopped believing years ago anything the US states officially this rings true even without proof, not only instinctively but because it makes sense. One aspect of it that I have not read any comments on anywhere is the fact that Bout, a RF citizen was kidnapped by the US in another country, which is vastly different from a US citizen being nabbed in Russia for any offense. Does anyone know of a case of Russia kidnapping a US citizen abroad and then “extraditing” him to Russia?
Great admiration for Larry’s smart choice of supporting bibliography: all wikipedia! To think I never imagined wiki could be used to glean the truth of anything… A neat way of saying ” Looking for bits of classified info in my revelations, dumshits? Eat my dust!”
Trading something for nothing, Lout for Griner, just proved to Russia, again, and to the rest of the world, that the United States is insane. “Rescuing Griner from the evil Russians,” is possibly one of the emptiest, stupidest, most meaningless PR moves in foreign relations’ history. Ever. Another reason for Russia to believe that doing business with the United States is impossible; like dealing with a hysterical schoolgirl. You can’t. You can’t trust them. You can’t believe them. The west is completely unreliable. A real, certifiable nut job.
“Trading something for nothing, Bout for Griner…”
There, fixed it for you. [Having read your earlier comment, I couldn’t resist. lol]
You left out “Enough said.” God, what a period of pseudo, pietistic, He-Man, chest-thumping that was. Annoying as Hell or what? Except it was followed almost immediately by “Fixed it for you.” What’s next? Can’t wait. [sarcasm]
‘There is more to this than meets the eye “.
There is of course the possibility that other exchanges took place which the parties do not want publicised.
A US General perhaps, captured in Ukraine?
We will never know.
The thing that really annoys me is that these fool idiots could play the whole story with complete transparency, and still keep all their secrets.
Something else is going on. Something(s) too big to either keep secret or stay secret for very long.
Thank you for placing Victor Bout’s activities into the larger geopolitical context. I believe this trade has been on the table for some time but the Biden administration, aware that it would be controversial, deliberately waited until after the midterms and a decent interval had passed.
Nonetheless the fact that Paul Whelan was left behind will reverberate throughout the US clandestine services for some time. That is, if as it appears, the Biden administration squandered trading capital for Griner while leaving an actual US intelligence asset behind. It does not matter here whether or not the Russians refused a one for one swap since there is always the possibility the US could have sweetened the deal for far less than it will now cost to get Whelan out in an entirely separate deal.
Political spin might not be persuasive to people on our own side in the intelligence business. It will be hard to convince them that Biden did not let the woke mindset compromise the US position in serious negotiation between rival intelligence services. This was no Gary Powers for Rudolph Abel exchange.
You have an interesting take on this. But by the same token we can assume that the US government, as incompetent as it currently seems, would probably not go out of its way to offer to exchange such a prized victim as Viktor Bout for “a Black, Lesbian basketball player, Brittney Griner”.
We should wonder if Brittney Griner is also not just a black gay basketball player, but an American asset. And whether her so-called anti-American stance were part of the game. You’re from the intelligence background you should know more about this kind of thing. Afterall subterfuge is part of the intelligence’s game if not the core of the game.
So I concur with your heading, there is more to this exchange than meets the eye. Both Bolton and Trump are grandstanding buffoons or simpletons.
“by the same token we can assume that the US government, as incompetent as it currently seems, would probably not go out of its way to offer to exchange such a prized victim as Viktor Bout for “a Black, Lesbian basketball player, Brittney Griner”.”
The mistake here is to overlook the true interests of the parties at play.
Griner is “nothing” for America, but very much not “nothing” for the Biden regime and the Democrat party. As far as Biden and the Democrat hierarchy are confirmed they got “something” – a nice PR boost targeted at their key demographics – in return for nothing – a presumed rival state agent whose supposed value as a prisoner was all to America, nothing to the Democrat party.
One of the correspondences between Afghanistan and Ukraine is their both allegedly being paradises for pot smokers. Hunter, Griner and Time magazine’s ‘person of the year’ are pot smokers. The US, especially when ruled by a Democrat party administration shows a special self-interest in countries where pot is produced in huge quantities. Soon the pot bonanza in Ukraine will end when the Russian army accomplishes a total defeat of the pot smoking, drugged army of Ukraine. So apart from the energy crisis perhaps there will emerge a more stinging crisis for the Western pot smoking elite. The hysterical outcries against Russia suggest that this pot smokers’ crisis is acute.
Dude, the Democratic Party elite hates weed. Joe Biden especially. The elite don’t smoke pot, they snort coke. Weed has always been a working class drug. For 20+ years it’s been uncontrollable in the US because it was mostly distributed production in basements, attics and spare rooms. Hard for the intelligence agencies to get their cut via the international drug trade. And Biden still won’t legalize it because he hates it. He fired everyone in his admin who admitted to using it, even though it’s legal in DC.
Zelensky is a coke head. If you’ve ever known cokeheads it’s obvious. Cokeheads will generally smoke weed a little bit the two don’t go together very often in the drug world. Cokeheads drink or take downers to take the edge of the coke. Weed isn’t strong enough for that, nor does what it does take the edge of a coke high.
Thank for the illumination. Sorry for having mixed up pot with coke.
I lived in Odessa from April to end of November 2021 and I can assure everyone here that anyone could get any kind of drugs they wanted any where in Ukraine.
They were selling it on the streets ever where.
Freddie
That is no different than any city in the US. In Washington DC you can have it delivered.
The important question is why Putin didn’t exchange some American or other for Bout before this. What was he waiting for?
Larry, your insight on this is brilliant.
In the spy world, it would seem “tran” is the daily operative. A spy who appears as an arms dealer, a transarmsdealer…such as a man appearing to be a woman. maybe now, Russian Asset Bout is now an American Asset.
Has anybody noticed that since EU reports it secured its energy needs for the winter, the price for domestic natural gas has dropped to a $6 handle? After 2 years of significant decline of investment in domestic carbon fuel production, and simultaneous massive investment in US LNG export plant contribution, the GrinerBout trade may actually be a disguise for a natural gas arbitrage…
Paul Whelan retains Canadian, British, Irish and US citizenship. Paul received a BAD Conduct discharge as documented in his WIKI(I know that could be manipulated, like his picture in E-2 USMC uniform- those INFO WARRIORS). Born in OTTAWA, I’d suggest Chrystia Freeland negotiate his release. John Kashvilli head of JCS,no? Georgia home of the DICK Lugar biolabs:)
Thanks for adding some details about Paul Whelan. Maybe we can trade this loser for Victoria Nuland. Maybe the Russians will take Brandon off our hands.
Hello larry; in my opinion and i could be wrong when you look at the facial bone structure, , shoulders way wider than the hips, low voice, huge neck and adams apple this 6 foot 9 tall griner person looks like it was born as a biological male like obamas wife michael. the picture below on the website cover sums it up.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/brittney-griner-donates-5-000-lgbtq-youth-center-set-fire-n788476
thanks – this would make this movie lord of war another disinformation op from hollywood.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399295/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_63_act
regards,
ralph
“From the Russian perspective, Russia was doing what the U.S. had been doing for years. Using military force to secure its borders.”
No…racking my brains here…When did the US use military force “to secure its borders”?
Panama, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Grenada. Though in the last thirty years the US has opted to use unjustified, illegal military force in Iraq, Syria and Libya. Next question.
Don’t forget the invasion of Somalia in May 2022; the Pentagon is calling it a “Special Operation”. Almost no news coverage.
The American-Mexican War of 1846.
“The 2008 Russo-Georgian War was seen by the West as an unwelcome Russian victory and set back for NATO expansion into Georgia. ”
The “start” and trajectories of lateral processes are often difficult for some to determine.
Perhaps the lateral trajectories of a purpose from the Meeting of the Imperial General Staff with “observers” in London during March 1943, through a conditional surrender on or about 4th May 1945 signed by Mr. Wolff and Mr. Dulles facilitating “NATO” and other manifestations to date including the CIA, would illustrate that the “Second World War” never ended, but became a manege a deux self-obfuscated by illusions of a “special relationship”, instead of a perceived manege a trois, with one of the former “dance partners” being preffered in facilitation of a continuing purpose, and illuminate further the context of Mr. Bout and “The war in Ukraine” (and elsewhere)?
Only the US and Israel can invade other countries to advance their own goals.
Didn’t you know that?
How much you want to bet that for recognizing the Golan Heights, Trump got some major NYC real estate debt cancelled.
And the final summation? No government ever, at any time, has considered their citizens as anything but pawns. And in a shorter context, understand that relates to your personal relationships. If you want a friend, get a GSD or a Belgian Malinois. Learn to walk alone and walk carefully with your eyes open. No one owes you anything. No one will go out of their way for you. And in a very micro context? Don’ sneak weed into Russia
man,you people have gone way out on the “fringe theory limb”.i believe Griner is exactly what he,she appears.Whelen is also the same(i trust Russian intel more than US intel).the trade was meant for domestic consumption in the US.The hoi-poloi in the US would have been asking”Who the hell is this Whelen guy?on the other hand Bout admitted he refused all plea deals he was offered(which was the reason he was rendered from Thailand in the first place).think back and recall the press coverage of Griner and compare it to that of Whelen.There was only Whelens parents pleading for his release while the”Sports World”was outraged over Griner.
“Smart man, making millions playing basketball against women, pretending he is a woman, while the whole time enjoying being married to a woman as a man”
see twitter post for a picture… MonkeyDeePureblood
Actually, Brittney Griner’s net worth is listed as $5-million. Still millions of dollars, but not even a season for most pro-ball players here in the USA. Most of Griner’s cash came from playing in Russia. Nothing like shitting where you eat.
Thank you, Larry. This is important context that I wasn’t aware of and makes sense. As for the democratic propaganda value of Griner, I think it’s very limited. I’m sure the democratic faithful love it because it ticks boxes. I can’t speak for the gay community but I do know that weed world isn’t impressed. They pointed out from the initial arrest and Biden making it an issue that plenty of people in the US are still being arrested or serving time for the same thing. They pointed out that someone caught entering the US would with weed would be arrested just like the Russians did. They’ve mostly taken the event as evidence of Biden’s hypocrisy rather than seeing Biden as defending a weed user.
But it should be remembered that most of weed world lived through being equivalent to moonshiners. As a group, it’s pretty anti-government.
Thanks, Larry. This article was very illuminating.
LOL This is one of your top 10 of all time Larry! Great piece!
FARC does not means Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, it is a lie. Not a surprise to see this in Wiki and all our media. “C” means Communist, not Colombia.
Whatever you say, all-mighty-all-knowing.
On second thought, what else could Griner be but a spy?
My interest in this is the way “conservative” talk show hosts went on, decrying this trade with the “merchant of death” and letting a “marine combat vet stay in jail.”
These guys simply don’t deviate from the script, all of them and their wonderful sources. I think Whelan, not even being a US citizen, was suspect, and as Larry points out, Bout isn’t exactly the bwahaha-ha-ha merchant of death; it leads me to think “our” arms and bullets are virtuous while “theirs” are evil.
Much like a local show has as its guest a Jay Carafano, a spokesman for Heritage Foundation, always in east Europe “promoting” democracy. He went on and on about Ukraine being a center of freedom, that “Ukraine needs no American troops”, just arms. “Ukraine can field a million men, and they’ll roll into Russia.” This is the kind of “authoritative” guests these shows have.
Anyway, isn’t Heritage Foundation a CIA front? Please advise.
As for trading Griner for Bout, Griner could be an intel asset, but also the administration got into power because of blacks (the S. Carolina primary got Biden revved up), so they’re giving them everything. Politics in the west are that short-sighted and narrow. Czarist Russia had Rasputin…who do we have? Big question: who is Biden’s Rasputin? Is there a committee of them?
Also, I recall the “Felfe” scandal in 1961 where a valuable CIA/Nachrichtdienst (West German intel) agent blew the cover on dozens of western undercover agents in E. Germany because he was a double agent, and escaped. Others like him were traded off for western agents. The Russians showed especial interest in getting their people back. Even then, it was felt the Russians showed more concern than the US, who happily flushed their double agents away when convenient.
You did NOT mention the SAUDI angle to all of this or the timing to completely fill the media to completely distract and divide the conversation.
This theatre has layer upon layer of plot lines. From the MBS immunity, to oil supply, to USD reserve status, to Ukraine, to charge dropping for Huawei ( Meng Wanzhou), to other slights-of-hand yet to be revealed.
The Merchant of War angle was a GOOD ONE!!!!!!
Viktor could only dream about delivering as many weapons without any accountability as the USA has pumped in the Ukraine, not to mention, freely left in Afghanistan, delivered Syrian rebels of one color or another, Libya, etc, etc!!!!! These weapons will be circulating and blowing back on the USA for decades to come. Who is responsible???????
The CHEEK, of USA painting Viktor as a Merchant of Death (War)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like a good prostitute, Viktor need not have consented to the myriad of ways he has been useful to the many actors involved!
Bout no doubt ‘was’ something, and may have, at this late date, some valuable information lingering in his brain, but in terms of his current utility to Russian security services, it’s mostly in the ‘no man left behind’ message his recovering sends. The Biden regime is sending the same kind of message to its base by trading Griner for Bout, a message strengthened by the American individuals in Russian jails whom the Bidenites did NOT make any attempt to free.
With calls for swapping ex-marine Whelan growing, I see that in the near future. But who would Russia ask for?
Joe, of course……….and that would be a ‘no-brainer’ trade!!!!!!!!!!!
“Griner has played in Russia during the WNBA off-season for several years, where she earns a salary of more than a $1 million (£755,000/€955,000), nearly five times what she can earn in the US.”
To add more alternative perspective and/or shade, rhetorical question: Would anyone trade NBA greatest of all time Bill Russell for Viktor Bout? Russell, part of a team, Boston Celtics, that won 11 NBA titles in span of 13 years, through 1969, when he retired as the player-coach of that greatest dynasty in United States professional sports.
Why did Brittney Griner, USA’s greatest woman basketball player, play in the Russian Women’s Premier Basketball League?
Don’t have definitive answer — nor are any of big media or big politicians or big basketball folks here really ever talking about what seem to me a most relevant dimension to this spectacle.
Absence of this pertinent information contribute in making this a spectacle: how many of American public have any idea of above, this answer viz. Griner? I’d guess closer to zero than anything else.
Russia Today, in August, provided a possible clue: “She had been traveling to Russia on a lucrative deal to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason, something she has done since 2015.”
https://www.rt.com/sport/560244-brittney-griner-sentenced-nine-years-russia/?ysclid=lbi1c53hvo546085955
Griner was arrested [on illegal drug possession charges] in Russia on her way [via airplane from New York City] to her UMMC Ekaterinburg, Russia, team. This, apparently in early to mid February 2022 — contemporaneous when Ukraine began its sharp increase shelling Donbass, the final straw, as it were, leading to Russian Federation 21 Feb. to recognize Donbass independence, followed three days later with SMO.
What became UMMC Ekaterinburg was founded in 1938.
Information on UMMC Ekaterinburg with Griner can be found at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Women%27s_Basketball_Premier_League
https://www.fiba.basketball/euroleaguewomen/22-23/history
Wikipedia reports that: “BC UMMC Ekaterinburg is a Russian women’s basketball team based in Yekaterinburg competing in the Russian Premier League, and until February 2022 in FIBA Europe’s EuroLeague Women. In reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022 EuroLeague Women suspended the club.”
And
“After the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, American-Hungarians Courtney Vandersloot (who led the team in assists) and Allie Quigley (who was second on the team in points), Bahamian-Bosnian Jonquel Jones (who led the team in points and rebounds), and Spanish player Alba Torrens left the team. Seven days earlier, on February 17, American two-time Olympic champion Brittney Griner was arrested on drug charges in Russia by the Russian Federal Security Service.”
This Wikipedia report includes the fanciful claim, that upon her being sentenced August 4, 2022 to nine years in prison, “there was concern that Russia would hold her hostage as a response to the Western sanctions imposed against Russia in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMMC_Ekaterinburg
These women, who apparently made good money in Russia doing what they loved, playing ball, like most of us, are collateral damage to the US/NATO ‘policy’ viz. Russia.
Would the Griner matter have become what it became, this total spectacle, had US/NATO engaged in rational foreign policy? And instead of pushing terror and war, engaged as human being as all of us as children of god?
I’m certain outcome would have been different. Griner was a basketball hero in Russia as a member of that country’s greatest women’s basketball team.
The news of her being taken into custody was not reported in the west until March of this year, by the way. Thus it is at least reasonable to infer attempts had been made to resolve this. . . yet as the recent and grotesque Merkel/Minsk Spectacle demonstrate, Europeans continue living under US-implemented Stockholm Syndrome. That is to say, in addition: US/NATO wanted, as it were, the unconditional surrender by Russia of Griner into US custody.
The fact of the matter is we’re being held hostage by our own government’s maniacal actions. Griner spectacle, just one more teeny weeny example of this crime still in progress, in all its aspects: psychological, moral, social, economic, military, political, educational, religious, familial, legal, etc.
30-
PS
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-soccer-hockey-tennis-ff8cf895c02339901db7de084759da3f
PPS
“The 6ft 9in Griner is a seven-time all-star centre for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).”
“Griner has played in Russia during the WNBA off-season for several years, where she earns a salary of more than a $1 million (£755,000/€955,000), nearly five times what she can earn in the US.”
“Griner has represented UMMC Ekaterinburg since 2014 with team-mates Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart.”
“UMMC Ekaterinburg are Russia’s dominant team, having won the national championship for 13 consecutive years since 2009.”
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1120148/us-olympic-gold-medallist-drugs-moscow
+++++++
Grinner is an important operator/agent inside the globalist gangstalker system of terror and reprisal/surveillance. In that light it would not be unreasonable to say the Russians nabbed a high value operative equal to or of higher importance to the criminal cabal which runs DC as leverage to spring and return Bout.
When you look at the state of events from a persepective of a vast criminal underground controlled by western elites it is apparant say in Bouts case, what Bout represents is a threat to this mafia cabal’s bottom line, profits from arms trafficking and the manipulation of various state and non state entities groups etc that is employed to keep the trafficking of arms, and all of the trafficking conduits from children and other human trafficking to drugs, adrenal chrome supply, antiquities, rare natural resources etc, trafficking of laundered filthy lucre from raping and pillaging the wealth of western humanity, because trafficking conduits this cabal of elite criminals is their pet private underground cash cow system, its how they operate below the radar, its something goes back centuries, back to the roots a a particular set of Mongol clans, aka the name stealers, and the Russian’s where most likely sniffing around the perifery of this trafficking conduit system gathering vital intell to understand better and map their system.
Always follow the money applies in spades in all cases with this global cabal and its overlords and their criminal system which is a shadow state that has usurped and displanted just about all western hemisphere sovereign nation states, thus full control of these countries, whilst wearing a skin suit of legit government.
Its similar to say Mexico, which is a cored out hollow nation state which in actuality is run by criminal elements subservient to this global cabal and does their bidding. How else is these rampant drug cartels to operate so well and lucratively? Because they are part of something vast almost incomprehensible to us thats why.
And by the way, when they thought She who could not lose was installed as POTUS, She would be the key piece in a three layer sandwich of tyranny, America, sandwiched between Castro’s and Shwab’s little bastard commie tyrant north of the border, and a marxist president client regime south of the border, with all the cross border authority needed, to create every sort of mayhem and turmoil they needed, to really take out “the right wing conspiracy” in America She who could not lose and her crazed horde of barren virginia’s have this monomaniacal hate for: The American Patriarchy and Matriarchy, which is you guessed it, all of us Time Honored Tradition White Christian American good folks. And who are we number one threat to? Yeah…thats who, we who are all that stands in the way of “them.” Tea Party. MAGA. The amazing network of autistics and Anons on reddit. White Terrorists We Are to this thing this it this conspiracy of globalist elites, and what is behind even them.
A hundred million armed to the fucking teeth law abiding honest down to earth patriotic every day good folks. It is not only White Christian Americans either, its good folks of every kind, people who only ask to just be left alone, to have a decent job and provide for famiky, and enjoy the fruits of our humble labors is who. The idea is to make us fight each-other. You need lots of gangstalkers to accomplish this, a completely complicit media complex, and a “government” of corrupt crooked treasonous glowies to facilitate it all, like the pieces of human garbage inside the FBI the CIA and DOJ and a swamp of globalist LARPs and method actors, gangstalkers like AOC and the four woman of the apocolypse she rides with, the shimers and pelosi’s and mc connel’s and romney’s, you need an Elon Musk to facilitate the public image of a philanthropist mad but good genious to build a space launch complex that has a false front as a civilian company to put into orbit a global network of hi tech surviellance and intell and control sats to give these global cabal mad men a power of technology unsurpassed or even like it, beyond the interweb digital domain, you need advanced DEW technology in orbit to use on the population both for surveillance and interdiction, to “punish” all who defy them, and you need to set set up in outerspace before the birth of civilian space flight and space technology/manufacturing, or the Chinese and Russians and their growing BRICs alliance gets a foothold, because if trying to hold absolute power on planet earth is a task, wait till peole start to expand out into the last frontier. You can not control the solar system unless you get there first with the most, then you have gate keeping resources and you control access to the last great new world, control the border between your global power and ultimate freedom and unlimited free for the taking resources in space. Riches beyond imagination once the tech and processe hurdles are established. The asteroid belt is said to contain everything humans require to live in space, and contain riches beyond imagination in metals and rare elements, entire asteroids of water ice, to supply oxegyn and hudrogen and water itself, the three key things, then living soace, safe from radiations, creating habitats inside whole asteroids. And once that happens once it gets a start a fiot hold, it can not be ruled or controlled like people can be on earth. And space is inevitable where humanity goes if we are not destroyed diwn to swuatting in the mud with a spear, protecting your meat your woman every day every hour every minute, if, you sre in the first place deemed worthy of living on earth by this henious insidious thing behind everything foul and vile and depraved happening. For all that is on purpose and The Russians and now friends and alliances are together naking war upon this cabal and its works.
But first you get there by taking America, your people their network installed thru a nation wide system of vote rigging on one level and a vast nation wide network of gangstalkers to do the gruge and dirty ground work, watch people, set ip noeghborhood intell/surveillance, build jackets in everyine, have your kids spy on their classmates, the entire gamet of Getman Stazi system of covert state spanning surveillance of every man woman and child. Particularly in “The Unsecured Spaces of rutal and small town USA because it is imposdible to set up pole tech and run vehicle coverage in these sleepy and clannish parts of low population America. You need a ground game to have coverage on everyone. To watch for resistance, for say vitizen mikitias, or a loval church pastor working with folks help them better understand the truths long kept from them, so folks do not have community faith and solidarity, so you infiltrate, set up rural acclimation cells, bring in say your most white American looking, or black American looking for that matter, same thing, everyone is a potential enemy of this cabal, and have them become accustomed and more or less accepted presense in these rural small town America. Then you begin low inyensity terror and reprisal operatiins using your rural gangstalker cells. You begin low intensity operations, say cattle rustling, bring in drugs, set forrest fires, shoot remote electric grid substation transformers, home invasions, B&E’s, thats all low intensity warfare Op’s, aka insurgency warfare/4th Generation Warfare, which your gangstaljer network knows well as its the same MOA used to start regime change operations. And Genocide/Ethnic Cleansing operations. Remember these people belong to something which is evil incarnate. They serve something truly nasty and vile, truly a network and once inside you can never go back outside of it, it is something which operates along the fringes of the shadows. I think there are many good decent folks, many from .gov carreers, who have an inkling and some insights or suspisions there is something that is almost inconcievable to them, to all of us, and their amygdale knows its realky evil even if they do not consciously think much about it, but they do know, and many a “conspiracy theorist” know, something really bad and its vast, is at work.
Then there are the standard gangstalker operations of straight up surveillance and coverage watching what everyone is doing.
It is the only reasonable conclusion looking at the history of trafficking across the US southern border, which could be shut down in a day by a legitimate US government which is beholden and thus works for the interests of we the people.
I believe President Trump acted as he did with regards to the southern border for an array if real politick reasons, probably foremost is if he ordered the border closed shut in an immediate act of executive order it would have percipitated an all hands on deck war with this cabal which utterly hates and fears Trump and MAGA, actually any organic grass roots resistance to them. I think Trump was trying to play both ends of the candle per say, cause awareness of the truth and reality of the terrible things this trafficking conduit system but doing so by politicizing it in positive effect ways while trying to avoid an open conflict of terrible violence this cabal no doubt would unleash. If you question that, turn around and look easteard to Ukraine and the borderlands which are a wasteland now, along the western forward edge of battle if the Donbas Arc; 1200 K’s of utter demolition and genocide of all living things and the physical makings of civilization. This potentially could be what these elite demons would attempt yo unleash in some fashion along our southern border.
They protect their trafficking conduits and associated conduits at all codts because these are literally the arteries of their whole underworld organization. Bout was never an arms dealer or anything of the sort, Bout is kind of like Julian Assange, he knows too much, and became an object of, a target of these elite maniacs. Once your on their radar your on their target list for what is in their lexicon termed “punishment”. This goes back to Grinner actually because he is a prime high level gangstalker first, sports ball and the tranny thing is only a skin suit. They sent Grinner to Russia to hook up person to oerson with what exists of their gangstalker cadre who have survived Putin and his people’s purge of the gangstalker operations set up with the fall of the central Siviet in the 90’s.
Russian intelligence knows what Grinner is and why he was sent to get into Russia and facilitate some kind of gangstalking rekated stuff.
And it is why the false US government wanted him back enough to give up Bout, aside from the stupid fake optics which has a million purepises to blind and manipulate Americans from the truth. Essentially just part and parcel of a massive ongoing psy-op to control us, surveil all of us and maintain power over all of us.
But the thing is gangstalkers and the whole gangstalking system is critical infrastructure of these cabal elites, gangstaljers are essential to their operations and overall power structure wherever they hold power or attempt to usurp power.
Where else does all these LARPs they have instalked who are devients and criminal actors that saturate our system of government come from and why it us so effective, because it is part of a vast almost incomprehensible, to us good folks specifically, surveillance and intelligence apparatus. How else are they able to pull off the massive vote fraud, bote rigging and gerrymandering? Crap, the US Post office is been turned into a gangstalker cover operation. What perfect intel-surveillance cover than this? Think about the perfect cover that provides and the surveillance they can perform and nobody knows its right there operating unfettered right out in the open. On our dime to boot. Why do you think it is always in the red budget wise? Why it demands this inordinate budget of hundreds of billions, to deliver envolopes to Americans? You believe that right?
Once you see this gangstalker network you not only can not unsee it you start to grasp not only this elite mafia cabal and its ways how it has usurped our entire government our education system our judicial system the whole sphere of politics news infrastructure etc.
Who do you think a guy like Elon Musk actually is, how he became this incredible successful character? He was built, an entire cover, created, he is a fantastically successful LARP, a very valuable gangstalker of the highest order. Everything about him is false, its how it works, its so audacious so anazing a LARP everyone falls for it and takes it on face value the guy is thus super genious. Musk is Shwab’s masterpiece. Yeah he is real smart, but he is a part of an entire system of lies and misdirections. Why do you think he suddenly became owner of twitter? Basically to control the growing awareness of millions, not from the truth, cant stop that, but to divert evryone, manipulate people and preference cascades, just enough to keep us from rusing up and throwing these bums out and taking back our country from them. Where do you think all the antifa came from? And where did they all suddenly go to, they aint been seen inabout a year now, not in organized large numbers. Some where directed to working the vote rigging system, some went back to Ukraine, because tgey needed everyone there to fight the Russian’s, because there was a shortage of gangstalkers in Anerica, too many good folks who are incorruptible, too many Americans who would never become the kind of operatives that soon this cabal needs, inhuman people who will commit inhuman crimes against their fellow Americans, terror and reprisal/cleansing crimes, because thats next for us, to tie us good folks up in an instigated civil war amongst ourselves, remember divide and conquer is timeless strat-tac of all tyrants, cause us to go at eachothers throats thus we fail to go after our true enemy, remember, its a serious threat, one hundred million armed to the fucking teeth Americans, with common cause to use our Rifles against this thing, this sick foul depraved criminal underground tyranny, that was once our government, so because Ukraine was now part of this cabal of genocidal elite criminal maniacs, which they turned into their very own private nation state with their own pet private military they could use against enemies, because most Ukrainians look like us in America, White, Christian, cosmopilitan and rural alike, they made superb gangstalkers, particularly the ukronazi variety, the ideological bent neo-nazi Ukrainians, make perfect terror & reprisal/cleansing operatives, got zero care about things like the constitution, the idea of republican form of government of we the governed, of constitutional rights and rule of natural God given law and Liberty, but they fit in real good after going thru rural and metro acclimation cell training. Why do you think we where being coerced into wearing stupid face diapers? Yeah, aside from a zillion useful purposes involving forms of control over us, it was the perfect conditions for wearing face cover to asist in disguising ones self, ie, antifa and other operative gangstalkers get the benefit of using masks to hide their identity.
Do you begin to get the picture? So whats the favorite tactic and strategy of the glowies in the FBI and other branches of this cabal’s skin suit federal government? Aah, you guessed it, false flag operations, and what is the favored actor in these fakse flag Op’s? White Men, particularly White Christian Men of The West looking false flag operators/gangstalkers. Right? The whole purepose front and center is to incriminate all us men who are Patriots who have the potential to begin an armed uprising against this tyrant criminal organization that rules our country, rules the west. What do you think the Russians are really waging war on in Ukraine? What is in power in America is what Vlad Putin and his warriors are fighting. Uts not a war per say, there is war, warfare on large scale, one of the central objectives is to destroy thus cabal’s army it created in Ukraine, aka Putin’s meat-grinder, it is to destroy this elite cabal’s terror and reprisal/genocide nachine, the cluent regime military machine in fake Ukraine. False Ukraine. An entire nation state in name only of gangstalkers. They wanted a regiment factory, to produce whole regiments of neo-nazi brain washed terror-reprisal-cleansing soldiers/operatives, to destory Russia rebirn into a White Christian culture and civilization of Time. Honored. Traditions. people free of, and safe and armed and prepared against this global demon elite’s hegemon.
These elitist maniacal moral monsters can not tolerate anyone or any state which resists and defies them, any freedom or liberty or unfettered economic activity. Now even the tiniest. You know what they are doing with the IRS right? Its to squeeze the last seed corn out if us, get at or humble rat holes and stashes of just in case and just for cash and other physical wealths, while setting up a way to openly terrorize and get reprisal on all they deem an enemy. They need 80,000 new gangstalkers, they call “IRS” agent hires. But, they need team leaders, the non-coms if the gangstalker network, the kind of cadre who train and lead and control these new gangstalkers, because without them the gangstalker network wont work. Aside, now too many gangstalkers are sleeping with the worms courtesy of Putins meat-grinder. Veteran gangstalkers and glowies just as in most militaristic organizations need sergeants and other non com skilled experienced leadership. Grinnel is a valuable cabal asset, he was not captain of the basketball team for only the optics of sexual depravity, he was there for something particular and the Russians are very keen guys who know real well what this shit is about. Remember all the so called desserters who fled Russia because they ckaimed they are conscientious objectors to Putin’s terrible tyranny and invasion of Ukraine? Yeah, those guys, Russian and foriegn gangstalkers getting out of dodge, because dollars to donuts Putin used the call up as another method of quietly rounding up gangstalkers. They ran away from the Russian dragnet. These are the last holdouts, the last agent provocateur cabal gangstalkers. Boogied out pronto!
“They” have created this almost inconceivable organization to rule earth. And the Russian Alliance is waging war of annihilation against these monsters. That is as it should be. As it must be. It is a matter of survival. If nobody does this, destroys this cabal pretty soon, or at least chop it down to size, no one will be able to. And its key resource is gangstalkers, and Grinnel is a gangstalker whom they, this network, values enough to make such a trade for.
You lost me after the first 5000 words
I would like to offer a supportive reply. Thank you for the comment.
This could use some editing, but overall a good effort. A very important topic, which even the alternative press is loathe to discuss at this point in time. We do have a Stasi in America (the entire West really), they do operate a “gang-stalking” network. …Targets suffer mental degradation typically — psycho-social torture and according to some there is also an element of DEW application.
Paul Whelan…the US Marine Corps Veteran being held in a Russian prison on espionage charges made one error when it came to the Bout-Griner prisoner exchange…Whelan should have claimed that he was transgender…that would have put the Biden administration in a real predicament.
Viktor Bout has already appeared in an exclusive interview with Russian RT https://russian.rt.com/russia/article/1084605-viktor-but-intervyu-rt
https://vk.com/video-40316705_456384920
“What is happening in the West is the suicide of civilization”: Viktor Bout – in an exclusive interview with RT
Russian businessman Viktor Bout gave his first big interview after returning to his homeland from the United States, where he was sentenced to 25 years, but all this time he insisted on his innocence. In an exclusive interview with RT, he told Maria Butina about his experiences, about the American prison and about current events in the world.
*****
Already from this introductory words one can judge for certain that Viktor Bout is not a ‘normal’ arms dealer.
Talking about arms dealings, Russian RT features a big story about the leakage of American arms supplied to Ukraine that are ending up on the black market.
https://russian.rt.com/world/article/1084593-ssha-ukraina-oruzhie-utechka
From this article:
“Sign in their own inefficiency”: how the US is trying to deny the leakage of American weapons from Ukraine
Washington does not have credible evidence that American weapons supplied to Ukraine fall into the wrong hands, said US Deputy Representative to the UN Richard Mills. Moreover, according to him, Russia is allegedly guilty of the fact that Western weapons are on the black market. In turn, the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, warned of the leakage of foreign weapons from Ukraine and noted that the United States is resisting an audit of military supplies to Kyiv. Experts emphasize that Washington, seeking to inflict a strategic defeat on Moscow, is ready to sacrifice world security and turn a blind eye to arms smuggling. (…)
Source: https://www.rt.com/russia/568022-viktor-bout-rt-interview/
‘Nazi’-inspired US prison guards, American ‘revolution’ and Ukraine conflict: Highlights from Viktor Bout’s RT interview
The Russian businessman described “inhuman” conditions in US jails and ridiculed claims that he armed the Taliban
In his first big interview since release, Viktor Bout, a man the US claimed was a major arms dealer, spoke to RT on Saturday. Bout was returned to Russia on Thursday in a high-profile prisoner swap for basketball player Brittney Griner. During the conversation, the businessman revealed his ways to stay sane while behind bars, spoke about the conflict in Ukraine and on whether he believed the US might be on the verge of an uprising.
Arming the Taliban
Bout served 12 years in American prisons on arms-trafficking charges that he denies. Despite evading Taliban captivity in the mid-1990s, several American media outlets reported this week that he supplied up to 200 Soviet T-90 tanks to the Afghan Islamists. This claim apparently originated in an anonymously-sourced report by Germany’s Der Spiegel in 2002.
“No, I did not have any relations with the Taliban,” he told RT. “The Taliban put a bounty on my head. How can anyone say I worked with the Taliban?”
Regarding the supposed delivery of tanks to the militants, Bout asked how he could have possibly pulled off “200 flights to Afghanistan” and hammered the US media for not providing any evidence to back up this claim.
“Even Soviet propaganda understood that there are some limits,” he said. “You had to at least say some truths.”
The plea deal
While Bout maintains his innocence, he said that he accepted a plea deal to serve 25 years because “what was one supposed to do?” However, he said that his attempts to switch lawyers before signing the deal were thwarted by his public defender, who misled him into sticking with her and admitting guilt.
“How can you trust this system when it works against you?” he argued.
Prison conditions
Bout said that guards would withhold food from troublesome inmates and leave harsh cell lighting on overnight, all in what he called a Nazi-inspired bid to “break a person’s will.” He described the quality of food served to prisoners as “inhuman” and said that he “lost a lot of weight” while incarcerated in the US.
However, the “biggest challenge” he faced behind bars was being granted only a single phone call to his family every month.
The prison population
Bout spent much of his time at United States Penitentiary, Marion in Illinois in solitary confinement, before he was housed with the general population of the facility from 2016 onwards.
The majority of inmates were African-American and Hispanic, Bout told RT. He added that “mostly my fellow inmates were sympathetic towards Russia. Or at least if they knew nothing about it, they would ask me questions.”
Bout passed the time by reading and learning several foreign languages, but recalled that drug use was rife among his fellow prisoners. “If it happens in a prison, just imagine what is happening out there on the street,” he said.
On Ukraine
Bout told RT that he sees the sanctions placed against him by the US as an “experiment,” and a warning to his fellow Russians. As such he was not surprised when the West responded to Russia’s military operation in Ukraine with economic penalties.
“I fully support the special military operation,” he stated, arguing that Russia should have sent its troops into Donbass in 2014.
“If I could, I would share the skills I have and I would readily volunteer,” he declared.
Meeting Griner
When Bout learned of Griner’s arrest on television, he recalled that an inmate approached him and told him “this is your ticket back home.” While the businessman said that he didn’t get his hopes up, the two would meet on the tarmac in Abu Dhabi on Thursday during the exchange.
“She wanted to shake my hand,” Bout said of Griner. “You could feel that she was really positive.”
An American revolution?
Asked whether he’d prefer to see Joe Biden or Donald Trump in the White House, Bout compared the two to “Coke Zero and Diet Pepsi,” adding that Russians “pay too much attention to US politics.”
“I don’t believe they’ll have a revolution in the United States,” he said, referring to political division in the country. Bout elaborated, arguing that excessive drug use is making young Americans too passive “to do anything,” while Washington ruthlessly punishes dissent, as it did when it jailed the Trump supporters who protested against Biden’s electoral victory on Capitol Hill last January.
Thanks for summarizing the main points of Bout´s interview.
I saw the RT-Spanish version, as the only one avaialble in this country due to the haersh censure by EU Ministry of Truth, but i must say that simultaneous translation by the interpreter was horrible, leaving Bout´s answers as if he was really incapable of properly elaborating his thoughts.
Still I could understand that he was served the same kind of “meal” Maria Butina was…He talked about some kind of soy composed meal unable for human consume, plus some day big bad smelling chicken thighs you could not but refuse eating becuase of their semlling…
That sounds like an intend of assassination on the part of the US prison system to me…
I am not fond of chicken at all, but a well past date chicken is one of the most vomiting things i think of to lose apetite completely for a while….
His elaborations on the generalized drug consum in the US prison system and its wider extension through US streets seemed to me a well reasoned impossibility for a revolution in the US.
To that you add the crippling vaccines which were adminsitered in mass just before the coming plunder which will tale place once the CBDCs established…
Spain was also flooded with hard drugs during the las years of Franco´s dictatorship and following agreed with the US “peaceful transition to democracy”, espcially the North of Spain …that was seasoned also with a bit of terrorism which shitted the younghood of some generations which did not know but violence and death….
I watched the English translation of the RT Bout interview. He came across as a very thoughtful person who apparently got along well with his fellow inmates. I am glad that both he and Ms. Griner are no longer in prison. Larry has insights into what is really going on. He is much appreciated.
If Paul Whelan really is a US asset, it’s a real spit in the face to anyone thinking about working for the US.
Putin said (while smiling), he is open to negotiating more prisoner swaps. He says he has 17 other Americans in custody. The pressure will be on Biden to pay up to get those folks out. Who are we holding ? Maybe Putin will ask for Assange ? Wouldn’t that be funny.
Putting on my red tinted glasses, that I cannot see through; Grinner, was/is a black ‘female, lesbian’ basketball player. Victor Bout, though this is first time I’ve heard his name, was an international arms dealer; big arms dealers do not, ever, operate without the blessing of some government(s).
That’s what’s going on, it’s obvious; White product has ‘a black, lesbian’ basketball player to show off. Black product is doing hard core intelligence!
Damn! Which team do you want to play on?
I hadn’t realized the Brittney was not Trans.
So she’s lower on the intersectional woke totem pole than I thought.
From the get go, the solicitousness for her case was obviously woke virtual signaling.
After all, she confessed, nobody disputes the crime, and there is absolutely no argument for any “wrongful” detainment, except that Russia is not willing to overlook crimes committed by high-status Democratic LGBTQIA+ saints.
Extra-territorial jurisdiction.
This illegal US practice has not yet been mentioned on this thread.
This applies to the Assange case as well, Meng Wangzhou, as well as a whole slew of European Corporate CEOs.
Bout did not actually sell any arms, as the judge noted.
He was sentenced for talking to DEA agents who claimed conspiracy to sell weapons after entrapping him into discussions. None of this is a crime on American soil or against American persons. It is the American justice system here that is the one carrying out political (in)justice.
Brilliant, insightful article. Probably would not have had a ghost of a chance getting this from any other source, let alone from a the liberal (I.e., insane) mainstream news media. The sad thing is, my sense is President Trump, at the start of his presidency, wanted to develop good relations with Vladimir Putin and Russia. But then the demons in the “Democrat” Party and CNN threw a wrench into the works. That having been said, I think it was a mistake on the part of President Trump to have sent weapons to Ukraine. Perhaps it was the phony scandal of “Russian Collusion” that prompted him to do so.
Trump tried to clean up the Ukraine mess but was impeached just for making a perfectly legal phone call to another head of state: Zelensky. It doesn’t get much more insane than that.
Apparently his company was flying missions for US in Iraq and other areas according to the mainstream media in times past…
https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4400141&page=1
Of course, they must have forgot to erase that one from the internet. Supplying arms for the company? Who is really the merchant of death? The contractor, the client, or both?
Your analysis may be correct, however , very thin evidence. There were a lot of players involved in the 2008 Georgia debacle, Victor would have just been one of many assets.
Secondly, his deeds were hardly that prolific out side of the need for a USA PR campaign to extradite. The FSB may have had their eye on Bout, but doubt he was very central to anything. As for Grinier, she served a much better purpose for Biden administration, she’ll be on the circuit for months. Biden has no use for the back stabbing, turn-coat, dual-citizen, CIA ‘s Paul Whelan, back free on USA soil. He’ll just be a pain and cause Biden administration problems.
I agree with the Duran that the main “lesson”, was “extradition” and beefing up phony charges. Simply grabbing Russia citizens, spies or otherwise, in other countries and locking them up. The trade looks to me like they both got what they wanted.
I do have a question about this that you wrote:
…”From the Russian perspective, Russia was doing what the U.S. had been doing for years. Using military force to secure its borders.”…..
How was Afghanistan, Libya, Syria as referenced, in any way, part of USA “borders”? even near it?? Russia wasn’t looking to “mimic” USA. South Osetia, like Ukraine has Soviet/Russian citizens, still loyal to Russian culture and in need of protecting. Nothing like “what the USA ” does anywhere.
I’ve always enjoy and respected many of your articles.
But on this one, you just jumped on the “Grinier”Bad Trade (?) MSN celebrity train, dishing the same thoughtless, and worthless analysis post that doesn’t glean any verifiable facts whatsoever.
Your work was always better than this dribble.
Dude,
The word is “drivel” not “dribble.” I received a note today from the guy who was the CIA Chief of State in Colombia in 2008. His words, not mine, were “SPOT ON.” You are entitled to your opinion.
biz rep of GRU biz arm. there’s no undercover anymore, one can rightfully assume either GRU or FSB. RU is a monopolistic mega corp, which owns the country as a whole, where enforcers also conduct biz.
I`d laugh my head off, it “it” turned out to be a huge Kanye fan. I`d laugh and laugh…
“Your work was always better than this dribble.”
This last sentence you had to include was that really necessary?
Yes, that was a poor way to communicate. Obviously, Larry Johnson is a credible source of analysis and information about the Bout story. Maybe the anger is really about the way Griner was characterized. I think she is a decent, taxpaying citizen. I’m sure her experience has taught her that she is a stronger person than she ever imagined.
There is also still a sense that it is right to get women out before men, regardless of her sexually orientation. After all she is just a pawn in a man’s game.
Decent citizens don’t beat their spouses or flout other nations’ drug laws. Griner is woke, politically pampered scum. Period.
The Griner exchange was a play to the democrats support base. Nothing more.
One thing that comes across is how much the Biden admin still view Russia as a joke they can defeat at their pleasure. With the exception of Miley and Austin they really don’t take Russia seriously. To them it’s a political game of zero consequences to them. That is worrying on many levels.
Too many indicators of US nuclear first strike growing.
Russia looks to win the ground war. But I can’t see how they can counter all the combined shit America is gearing up to throw at them. If they can, hats off.
One thing to note Russian money is not accepted in many countries including those that oppose sanctions and have not expressly sanctioned them. Eg excluding Tanzania, S Africa and other African countries, major African economies like Kenya, Egypt etc are closing Russian bank accounts and businesses. And the trend is widening.
Brazil and India are also conflicted BRICS partners. Its hard to see the BRICS getting their act together fast enough to skip the financial traps the West is busy tying them in.
Ofcourse Russia can survive in itself. But poorer and shut off which is on no civilised person’s interest.
It’s all about timing now. Whichever side times it’s big blows right will get ahead. But if the reports on US first nuke strike are sane and correct it’s game over and chaos.
Managed no rules chaos of US versus patient careful Stepwise approach of Russia.
Let’s see.
“But I can’t see how they can counter all the combined shit America is gearing up to throw at them.”
America has NOTHING to throw at Russia. What on earth have you been smoking? I’ll have some, please!
I see no evidence at all of any US nuclear first strike in the making. The Biden Admin is afraid of Russia and quite content to let Ukraine be ground up into sausage for the sake of widespread Biden Admin personal corruption along with the camaraderie created by (1) the vast MIC profiteering off of Ukraine being ground into sausage; and (2) corporate gouging of the EU on hydrocarbon energy prices.
USA is currently EU’s worst enemy. The EU is totally unaware of that fact.
Does anyone know WHY the State Department considered her WRONGFULLY detained?
Just what was wrong about her detention?
I have seen no assertion that the vape cartridges were planted on her.
So what did Russia do that was wrong?
https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/33846524/us-reclassifies-wnba-star-brittney-griner-wrongfully-detained-russia-sources-say
It’s really very simple:
If you want to travel to, or work in, Russia, you have to follow and obey Russian laws.
If you don’t want to, or can’t, do that, just don’t go.
Nobody forced Griner to go to Russia.
It was her choice.
Having made that choice, it was up to her to follow the relevant laws.
And it was up to the WNBA to let her know what those laws were.
She can’t be expected to be an expert on Russian law.
I can’t believe the WNBA does not give a thorough briefing to its athletes who visit Russia
on what the Russian laws are that may affect them.
If it did not do that for Griner, then I would say the problem, the wrongful action (actually, lack of action) is with them, the WNBA.
The Russians certainly didn’t want her to breed and lower the gene pool IQ.
Best get rid of her and her produce some feeders for the USA welfare system to tend to. Russia smiles at all the babies being born to poorly educated new arrivals to America and the forever dumb that commit most of the crime.
The irony of America grossly overstating the contributions of the forever dumb through American style Pravda is perfect for Russians to laugh at. “The forever dumb invented baseball you know.”
Remember, these are the same people (State Dept.) who allowed the Secretary of State to have an unsecured web server in her home shitter with 30,000+ classified items on it.
Obviously, since they have no idea whatsoever of the difference between right and wrong, they also have no idea whatsoever of the difference between truth and falsehood.
As clearly fake news, can you not just cross espn off of your viewing list?
“….for a pot smoking, LGBTQ basketball player.”
….for a rabid anti-American pot smoking, LGBT basketball player.
Fixed/Corrected”
In that respect isn’t sending Griner home of the same order as sending the totally insane Nadiya Savchenko back to Ukraine?
I mean she got shipped home and what did she plan? A coup against her own country?
“a rabid anti-American pot smoking, LGBT basketball player.”
Neither rabid nor anti-American. But even if true, being so still beats shelling civilians in Donbas. Or a billion other evils.
Victor Gout whilst being a wanted man by U.S authorities was flying in weapons to Iraq under pentagon contracts…. approximately 1000 logged flights.
I have posted my comment on Ian Kummer’s blog. I might just as well post it here. The problem touches on another major problem–the war on drugs, a problem that has bothered me for decades.
I must say I am appalled by Russia’s harsh punishment of those who break Russia’s draconian marihuana/hemp laws. Of course, in this way Russia may be playing an effective political game by forcing the US to release valuable Russian citizens from prison for whatever offenses in exchange for, for example, somebody as harmless as Griner. Still, as a matter of principle, it is outrageous to send somebody, anybody, to jail and prison for “possession of hemp oil.”
Hemp oil!
The US, regardless of its imperial, disastrous international policy, has recently begun to use common sense and to decriminalize domestic marijuana use. Where I live, medical marijuana was legalized in 2007 (thank you, Sen. Bill Richardson!), while a year ago recreational marijuana also became legal.
I am not saying that legalizing marihuana doesn’t involve certain risks and dangers. But what I am saying is that the decision to use a drug (which is less dangerous than alcohol) should be regulated by the medical, not political, establishment. People should be helped, not punished. Even a recreational user needs, if anything, non-threatening, medical support, never a jail sentence or any punishment.
Gore Vidal, one of my unforgettable intellectual heroes, once wrote a superb editorial about the horror of the war on drugs. It’s simply called “Drugs” and it was published, if you believe it, in the NYT.
I imagine Griner is on par intellectually with people working high up in Biden administration.Box checker. She certainly will be a weekend guest at the Obama family plantation.
My father recently asked me what I thought about this subject. Reminded him who the biggest arms dealer on the planet is. That would be the US and if memory is right the RF being the second by quite a ways. Anyway hard to take people seriously calling him the “merchant of death” when the US has exported more arms to more countries than 1,000 Bouts put together.
Thanks Larry for this useful and informative piece.
Upon reflection, the machine in DC had to get rid of Trump to wage War against Russia via Ukraine. It’s not even DOD, who are hapless pawns. We’ve been marching against Russia since the Balkans intervention in 1995, we just didn’t know.
On Paul Whelan: Leaving a Marine is shameful; if he was / is also an intel operative, it looks crazy.
I agree with what you are saying, but pls try and understand that the people in power look at ANYONE who serves for them as brainless pawns. My father served in Vietnam, which he is proud of bc he made it back alive as did most of his troops(Marines). But he did come back with questions, major depression and life long anger problems wondering why in the world they were sent there in the first place? He didn’t want to shoot people in war, but when someone starts shooting at you and your men no matter why you’re there, that question becomes irrelevant. Get your men and yourself home becomes the goal.
Anyway my point is the people running the show think anyone who serves for their interests is stupid enough to deserve death. I don’t believe this myself, but have come to the conclusion that is how these people think.
“have come to the conclusion that is how these people think.”
The notion that “these people think” differently has always been used as a reason underpinning their deserving of the designation “elites” interceding on behalf of believers against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.
From inception of “The United States of America”, “citizens” have been food sources and human shields of the “designated” elites/ideological fanatics, obfuscated by various attempts and means of control of minds and balls including, but not being restricted to, tempo and vectors as deemed necessary to sustain the coercive social relations self-misrepresented as “The United States of America”, which was never united nor encompassed all of the Americas (plural) despite their various efforts, and hence was never hegemonic even in “its own back-yard”, and always dependent on a degree of immersion in fantasies by others.
Within these fantasies is that nation states exist as a function of the individualism of all being in this together and that competition is the only viable economic form of interaction – both oxymorons- in hope of obfuscating that individualism is a synonym of alienation facilitated by and a pre-requisite of competition.
Another of the fantasies has a continuing half-life as illustrated by Mr. Johnson namely:
“Though two and a half centuries have passed since my great grandfathers and grandmothers took up arms, the principles they fought for remain valid and relevant to the 21st Century. ”
an illusion probably initially shared by your father, and why the half-life of this illusion is diminished in combat and motivations metamorphised into attempts at ensuring the continued well-being of local colleagues who are all in this together as a function of coercive social relations – an example of co-operation by coercion with the complicity of those being coerced, thereby facilitating their roles of food sources and human shields for “their elites”- yet another oxymoron.
The present “war” not restricted to things that go bang, is the ongoing lateral process of transcending the coercive social relations, not restricted nor synonymous to/with a temporary geo-political entity with Canada to the north, Mexico to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, by co-operative relations for mutual benefit to attain through lateral processes including time, the transcendence of coercive social relations which cannot be achieved by “sustainable winning” – another oxymoron -, since such attempts are in emulation of coercive social relations within which competition is inherent, facilitating their continued existence through emulation by the “losers” and “continual war”, whether you believe this or not, since phenomena do not require to be perceived to exist – another component of why “AMERICA’S DIPLOMATS (and those immersed in the coercive social relations self-misrepresented as “The United States of America”) ARE NOT AS SMART AS THEY BELIEVE THEY ARE.
I find numerous agreements in what you are saying. Some of it I couldn’t quite understand, but most likely from my lack of understanding not yours. In the US a lot of us grew up under privilege we didn’t earn. Many have earned what they have, not discounting that, but many here in the US got to start 2 laps ahead in a 1 mile race. Even people brought up under horrible conditions here never had to deal with lions/tigers other predators challenging their food source(other than the vampires in charge). No t to mention all the other things people here were protected from. Perfect land to fatten people up.
The universe always balances itself out and that in my opinion is what we are currently witnessing.
Have been reminded recently to freshen up on info contained in Soylent Green. Still have hope something can be done though however naive that may seem to others. I have hope in the human condition. Bc we are f’d as much as we are beautiful:)
Hi Mr. Johnson and commenters,
I am reading at TASS that Víctor Bout has joined the Liberal Party of late V.Zyrinovsky….
As Russian entrepeneur sounds reasonable, but it does not fit with what he told in the interview on his highly appreciation of V.V.Putin…
Also it seems to me that it is a custom in the Russian Federation to compensate people who have passed great penuries, like unjust jail time in the US, or are acreditted with heroic deeds, with a seat at the Duma….
This is fascinating comparison that has been essentially ignored by the MSM:
Fox News: Was American teacher left behind in Russian prison camp because he wasn’t woke enough for Team Biden?.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/was-american-teacher-left-behind-russian-prison-camp-because-he-wasnt-woke-enough-team-biden
“[Marc] Fogel is a Pittsburgh-area history teacher who lived and worked just outside the congressional district I represent in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In August 2021, he was detained at the Sheremetyevo Airport with a small amount of medical marijuana prescribed for his chronic back pain – similar to Griner’s situation. Less than a year later, Fogel was sentenced to 14 years of hard labor in a Russian prison, a sentence usually reserved for large-scale drug smugglers. He has been in custody ever since.
…
In Griner’s situation, the United States designated her as “wrongfully detained” less than three months after her arrest.
For Fogel?
He has never been classified as such – despite meeting at least six of the 11 established criteria to be designated as “wrongfully detained” under federal law.
…
When Griner’s situation rose to prominence, Biden spoke with her family in the Oval Office.
Conversely, Fogel’s family has struggled even to get a call back from the State Department regarding his arrest and campaign for his release.”
The Russian are laughing. Simonyan on Soloviev’s show said Whelan had 3 problems, 1) he was white, 2) he was a man, 3) he was heterosexual. The host pointed out that Griner had none of these problems.
I read somewhere that Bout’s background is a black hole, like he never existed. This person assumed he was GRU, as Larry seems to think as well.