Viktor Bout, Russian arms dealer, found guilty on terrorism charges

[alp227]

Source: AP

A Russian arms dealer has been convicted of seeking to make millions of dollars by selling heavy weaponry to a terror group so it could attack what prosecutors said he told his customers was a common enemy — US forces helping the Colombian government.

A jury reached the verdict in the case against Viktor Bout after deliberating since Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan. He was convicted of conspiracy to kill Americans and US officials, deliver anti-aircraft missiles and aid a terrorist organization.

Bout, a former Soviet military officer once known in the international arms market as the Merchant of Death, was arrested overseas in an elaborate sting in 2008. He had been transferred to the United States to face the allegations he sought to supply weapons on the black market to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or the Farc.

In secret negotiations with Drug Enforcement Administration informants posing as Colombian operatives, Bout "did everything he could to show he could be the one-stop shop for Farc," assistant US attorney Brendan McGuire said in closing arguments.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/02/viktour-bout-convicted-arms-deal

[Rebubula]

1. LOLZ

When you are a Government selling arms to questionable groups - you are 'aiding freedom fighters'

Private citizen - you are a terrorist arms dealer.


I am not saying that I think that this guy should be free to do as he wishes (quite the opposite) - but I always find the delineation in terms amusing.

[harmonicon]

3. I agree

What he did was very very wrong, but not really any more wrong - ok, maybe less - than Iran/Contra or our arming of Bin Laden and his associates in the 80's.

Why there isn't a push (ok, I know that capitalism ruling everything is the why) there isn't a push to make all international arms dealing illegal. I think that if a country wants weapons, they should get to making some weapons. In no way should war be a profitable export.

[gratuitous]

2. "Arrested overseas in an elaborate sting"

We don't do that anymore, though. Judge, jury and executioner with the push of a remote control button. There's some change you can believe in!

[Tejas]

4. "Lord of War" - must see

Excellent drama about an arms dealer, stars Nicholas Cage. Some say the movie was patterned in part after Bout's enterprise.