The Firearm Blog

The BBC reports that the “Lord of War’s” extradition hearing in Bangkok’s Criminal Court has begun.

Some interesting details have surfaced. Apparently he was attempting to sell US agents, posing as members of FARC, 700 surface to air missiles and aircraft outfitted with missiles! That is some pretty heavy stuff. Selling AKs by the ton is one thing, surface to air missiles is another story!

The Russian parliament supports Bout and has inferred that there exists a US led conspiracy to damage Russia’s reputation.

The State Duma - the lower house of Russia’s parliament - on Friday adopted a statement in support of Mr Bout, Itar-Tass reports.

“Political motives, attempts to link this issue with the fight against international terrorism and thus damage the interests and reputation of Russia, are present in Bout’s case”, claimed the parliamentarians in the statement.

“It is necessary to intensity efforts aimed at securing the rights of Russian citizen Viktor Bout, prevention of his illegal prosecution and return to his home country, as well as at curbing attempts to use this case against Russia,” the lawmakers said, according to Itar-Tass.

I can’t wait to hear to details that come out of a US trial if he is extradited!

Alleged Russian arms dealer, Viktor Anatoljevich Bout, 41(C), is escorted by Thai commandos as he arrives Thai Royal Police headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, 07 March 2008. Viktor Bout, dubbed the ‘Merchant of Death‘ one of the world’s most notorious weapons traffickers arrested in Bangkok on 06 March 2008 with arms dealing in Thailand.

The charges Bout faces in the US stem from a sting operation in which he and an accomplice agreed to sell weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which is designated a terrorist organisation in the United States, police said

The Yuri Orlov the arms dealer in the movie Lord of War was loosely based on Viktor Bout.

Hat Tip: MP.net