President Biden speaks on Britney Griner’s release: “ …Moments ago, I spoke with Britney Griner. She’s safe; she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home after months being unjustly detained in Russia…” He didn’t get Paul Whelan freed, did free the “most dangerous man on the face of the planet”, and did it with Saudi Arabias help, after which the US dropped the Prince Salman-Khashoggi lawsuit.
They forgot Paul Whelan.
“We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan, who’s been unjustly detained in Russia for years. This was not a choice of which American to bring home… sadly for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently… and while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up ….”
The prisoner swap leaves retired U.S. Marine Paul Whelan imprisoned in Russia. Whelan was arrested in Russia after attending a friend’s wedding and has been jailed for 4 years on espionage charges the US claims are illegitimate. Whelan is serving a 16-year sentence.
The Saudi Prince got Griner freed.
The landmark prison swap that freed WNBA star Brittney Griner from a Russian gulag Thursday was brokered by none other than the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who Democrats despise. Will Democrats be happy about this?
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) negotiated the deal. Yesterday, in federal court, the U.S. dropped a lawsuit against MbS for the Khashoggi killing. The case was dismissed.
The typical political statement:
“The success of the mediation efforts was a reflection of the mutual and solid friendship between their two countries and the United States of America and the Russian Federation,” the two countries wrote.
The swap also “highlighted the important role played by the leaderships of the two brotherly countries in promoting dialogue between all parties,” the statement continued.
Monster Viktor Bout, a prolific killer, is known as The Merchant of Death. He was released so a BLM, America hating athlete was freed. We are glad Ms. Griner is free. It is a high price.
Rarely does the U.S. government want anyone more than it wanted Viktor Bout. He was known as the “Merchant of Death.” U.S. government officials say Bout became the world’s most notorious arms dealer. He fueled civil wars around the world. Drug lords and dictators courted him. The U.S. saw him as a threat because of his ability to arm terrorists targeting the United States. He did his best to kill American soldiers.
People risked their lives to capture him. The plan was very complex.
“Viktor Bout, in my eyes, is one of the most dangerous men on the face of the Earth,” Michael Braun, the former chief of operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, told correspondent Armen Keteyian.
Bout first “exploded” on the scene in war-torn West Africa in the late 1980s. He elevated bloody conflicts from machetes and single-shot rifles to military-grade assault rifles.
“AK-47s not by the thousands but by the tens of thousands,” Braun explained.
“So he weaponizes civil war in Africa,” Keteyian remarked.
“He transformed these young adolescent warriors into insidious, mindless, maniacally driven killing machines that operated with assembly line efficiencies,” Braun said.
REPORTER: “How does this deal not send a message to Russia and to other governments that if they wrongfully detain [Americans], that they will have some of their most dangerous criminals, in this case the ‘Merchant of Death,’ released?”
KJP: “I cannot speak for other countries.” pic.twitter.com/8NcqX5pV4P
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 8, 2022
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