The Bangkok Post interviewed the man of whom only a few years ago precious little was known. Emphasis mine.

Bout becomes incensed at the suggestion he supplied weapons to Farc or other terrorist organisations.

”No, I didn’t. Never! This is all bullshit,” he says. ”Everything is in the Americans’ minds. They don’t know what to do anymore in the world. During the past eight years the Western media didn’t want even to talk to me because they knew that they would have problems.”

Bout is particularly angry about the 2005 film Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, which is allegedly based on his life story and details the gruesome trade of weapons-trafficking in Africa.

”The movie is pure fiction, fantasy and fabrication which has nothing to do with me or my previous business. The movie didn’t make much money either. I used to admire actor Cage, but not anymore.”

However, when asked if his air-freight company shipped arms before it went out of business, he replied: ”Some cargo shipped by my air-freight company included weapons, but it doesn’t mean that I am an arms dealer.”

When asked if he was involved in air freighting goods for America’s war in Iraq after 2003, he said ”I can categorically state that I have never shipped anything to Iraq as reported by the BBC and other news organisations, nor did anything for the Americans there whatsoever.”

He added: ”I must condemn reputable news organisations such as the British Broadcasting Commission, the Cable News Network and other Western media for totally distorting the facts about my past activities. I would describe most of what they say about me as lies and fabrications.”

My understand is that nobody ever talked to him because they could not find him. If you consider how much an interview with him would have been worth for the Times or Post, it seems unlikely that they did not try. My understanding is that even photos of him were scarce.

My theory is that Bout will be delivered to whoever is more embarrassed by what he knows. While he disputes it, it is generally accepted that the US made use of him to transport weapons in the Middle East. I am sure the Russians also used his services.

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