Sat May 14, 2022, 12:26 AM

Yahoo Sports Reports: Russia wants 'Merchant of Death' in exchange for Brittney Griner

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by JudyM (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Yahoo Sports

For the first time since Brittney Griner’s arrest almost three months ago, Russia appears to have publicly signaled its asking price for her safe return, if multiple reports by Russian state media are to be believed.

Russia is looking to exchange the WNBA star in a prisoner swap for notorious convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout, several state-owned Russian news outlets reported Friday, citing unnamed government sources.

Bout, whose exploits earned him the nickname the “Merchant of Death,” flooded fierce conflicts in Africa and the Middle East with weapons, U.S. authorities say. He was arrested during a sting operation in Thailand in 2008, extradited to the U.S. and sentenced to 25 years for conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens, delivery of anti-aircraft missiles and providing aid to a terrorist organization.

After Bout’s arrest, the U.S. alleged that his Russian allies tried to block his extradition from Thailand to America by bribing key witnesses to give false testimony. Since his 2012 conviction, Bout has been at the top of Russia’s prisoner exchange wish list and has been linked repeatedly in the Russian state media with potential swaps involving jailed Americans that haven’t come to fruition.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/sports/russias-asking-price-for-brittney-griner-may-be-notorious-arms-trafficker-004449470.html

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20 replies	Author	Time	Post
Yahoo Sports Reports: Russia wants 'Merchant of Death' in exchange for Brittney Griner (Original post)	Carlitos Brigante	May 14	OP
It is known US policy not to bargain with terrorists. And seeing, now, that Griner is being held as	AZLD4Candidate	May 14	#1
So in other words - leave Griner to rot. n/t	PoliticAverse	May 14	#2
I for one want her released ASAP. But, I also want to know the truth. What, if anything	hlthe2b	May 14	#10
Exchange her for someone responsible for thousands of deaths and will be at it again?	Lucky Luciano	May 14	#15
Iran is listed by the State Department as a State sponsor of terrorism.	former9thward	May 14	#16
Oh, FCOL	EndlessWire	May 14	#3
I agree. But it must the 2-fer deal	blue-wave	May 14	#6
Sure, hand him over	Grokenstein	May 14	#4
He's been imprisoned for 10 years and in custody for another 4. I say make the swap.	LonePirate	May 14	#5
The state of mind of the arms dealer isn't mentioned.	Tetrachloride	May 14	#7
Russia sounds desperate.	C Moon	May 14	#8
Troll Hype not worthy of comment.	Ford_Prefect	May 14	#9
Arrest Trump and then offer to exchange him for Brittney.	3Hotdogs	May 14	#11
Sorry but no.	oldsoftie	May 14	#12
Not sorry, and yes, yes, yes.	Magoo48	May 14	#14
We want Griner AND Snowden for Bout.	Mawspam2	May 14	#13
Since when is Snowden a prisoner?	Tarheel_Dem	May 14	#19
Putin wants Bout to do arms deals FOR HIM	amb123	May 14	#17
No deal.	roamer65	May 14	#18
Locking	JudyM	May 14	#20

Response to Carlitos Brigante (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 12:37 AM

AZLD4Candidate (3,309 posts)

1. It is known US policy not to bargain with terrorists. And seeing, now, that Griner is being held as

a political prisoner, that should open the door to more aid to Ukraine to smash Russia.

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Response to AZLD4Candidate (Reply #1)

Sat May 14, 2022, 01:17 AM

PoliticAverse (26,007 posts)

2. So in other words - leave Griner to rot. n/t

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Response to PoliticAverse (Reply #2)

Sat May 14, 2022, 06:51 AM

hlthe2b (91,620 posts)

10. I for one want her released ASAP. But, I also want to know the truth. What, if anything

was she carrying and even if it was CBD and not active cannabis-containing compounds, was she warned against taking anything that could be misconstrued? I traveled to authoritarian areas of the world when my parents temporarily were stationed overseas and when I was more than a decade younger than she was I knew without being told that anything and everything could be misconstrued. Was she really so oblivious? Did the WNBA not counsel their members? Or was this a total set-up? None of this suggests we should not get her released without delay, but it has everything to do with not allowing clueless Americans to put themselves at risk while simultaneously putting our security and foreign policy in jeopardy.

I hope she is well and will be returned home safely and soon. I also hope that if she was reckless that she will speak to this openly and without excuses to try to deter others.

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Response to PoliticAverse (Reply #2)

Sat May 14, 2022, 11:51 AM

Lucky Luciano (10,716 posts)

15. Exchange her for someone responsible for thousands of deaths and will be at it again?

Very lopsided exchange.

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Response to AZLD4Candidate (Reply #1)

Sat May 14, 2022, 12:35 PM

former9thward (26,235 posts)

16. Iran is listed by the State Department as a State sponsor of terrorism.

And we negotiate with them. What we say and what we do are two different things.

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Response to Carlitos Brigante (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 01:27 AM

EndlessWire (3,946 posts)

3. Oh, FCOL

Do it! We have let go worse than that creep. We want Griner back (throw in that other American guy) and you can have your arms dealer.

Anything could happen to the arms dealer, but we know that Griner is suffering and won't make ten years. Do it before her trial starts in June.

This would be a morale booster for the US. I have no idea really what she is like, but she has a family, and that's good publicity. I think we can get more out of this than the Russians can.

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Response to EndlessWire (Reply #3)

Sat May 14, 2022, 02:02 AM

blue-wave (3,159 posts)

6. I agree. But it must the 2-fer deal

And with the caveat that if we ever catch their rat arms dealer dealing munitions again, he will be executed.

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Response to Carlitos Brigante (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 01:34 AM

Grokenstein (4,991 posts)

4. Sure, hand him over

...in the same condition Russia's been releasing Ukrainians.

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Response to Carlitos Brigante (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 01:47 AM

LonePirate (12,268 posts)

5. He's been imprisoned for 10 years and in custody for another 4. I say make the swap.

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Response to Carlitos Brigante (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 02:54 AM

Tetrachloride (2,334 posts)

7. The state of mind of the arms dealer isn't mentioned.

I am inclined to not agree to his release at this time while Putin is in power OR while we don’t know the state of mind of the prisoners.

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Response to Carlitos Brigante (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 03:45 AM

C Moon (10,786 posts)

8. Russia sounds desperate.

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Response to Carlitos Brigante (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 04:01 AM

Ford_Prefect (5,888 posts)

9. Troll Hype not worthy of comment.

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Response to Carlitos Brigante (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 08:05 AM

3Hotdogs (7,937 posts)

11. Arrest Trump and then offer to exchange him for Brittney.

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Response to Carlitos Brigante (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 08:30 AM

oldsoftie (8,781 posts)

12. Sorry but no.

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Response to oldsoftie (Reply #12)

Sat May 14, 2022, 10:03 AM

Magoo48 (2,955 posts)

14. Not sorry, and yes, yes, yes.

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Response to Carlitos Brigante (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 09:33 AM

Mawspam2 (335 posts)

13. We want Griner AND Snowden for Bout.

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Response to Mawspam2 (Reply #13)

Sat May 14, 2022, 05:22 PM

Tarheel_Dem (30,989 posts)

19. Since when is Snowden a prisoner?

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Response to Carlitos Brigante (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 01:38 PM

amb123 (1,510 posts)

17. Putin wants Bout to do arms deals FOR HIM

and thus prolonging Putin's wars now AND in the future. That's why.

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Response to Carlitos Brigante (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 03:42 PM

roamer65 (31,322 posts)

18. No deal.

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Response to Carlitos Brigante (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 05:39 PM

JudyM (24,037 posts)

20. Locking

The forum hosts’ consensus is that the truth of this is not well-enough established for posting as “important news of national interest” especially since the article, itself, raises the issue: “if multiple reports by Russian state media are to be believed.” Please post in GD instead, where speculative reports are okay. Feel free to repost there, if you’d like.

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