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Viktor Bout

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Template:Eastern Slavic name

Виктор Анатольевич Бут
Viktor Anatolyevich Bout
Viktor Bout in the custody of DEA agents on November 16, 2010 after being extradited to the United States
Born (1967-01-13) 13 January 1967 (age 57)
Dushanbe, Tajik SSR, Soviet Union
Other namesVictor Bout, Viktor Butt, Viktor Budd, Victor But, Boris, Vadim Markovich Aminov, Viktor Bulakin
Known forSuspected of arms trafficking

Viktor Anatolyevich Bout (Template:Lang-ru) (born 13 January 1967, near Dushanbe, Tajik SSR, Soviet Union) is a Russian businessman who established a number of air cargo companies. Widely seen in the Western media as a weapons merchant, he is currently detained by the United States federal government facing trial on charges that stem from his alleged agreement to arm a terrorist group.[1][2][3]

A former Soviet military translator,[4] Bout had reportedly made a significant amount of money through his multiple air transport companies[5] shipping cargo mostly in Africa and the Middle East during the 1990s and early 2000s.[6] Just as willing to work for Charles Taylor in Liberia as he was for the United Nations in Sudan and the United States in Iraq,[5][7] Bout may have facilitated huge arms shipments into various civil wars in Africa with his private air cargo fleets during the 1990s.[8]

While claiming to have done little more than provide logistics, he has been called a "sanctions buster"[5] by former British Foreign Office minister Peter Hain who described Bout as "the principal conduit for planes and supply routes that take arms... from east Europe, principally Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine, to Liberia and Angola".[9]

In cooperation with American authorities,[7] Royal Thai Police arrested Bout in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2008.[10] The United States demanded his extradition, which was eventually mandated by the Thai High Court in August 2010.[3] Before his extradition to the United States in November 2010, he expressed confidence that this US trial would eventually lead to his acquittal.[11][12] Bout is currently incarcerated in the Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York City.[13]

Personal history

UN documents and Bout himself both state his birthplace as Dushanbe, USSR, (now the capital of Tajikistan)[14][15][16][17] possibly on 13 January 1967.[14][17][18] But a few other birthplaces have been suggested;[15][19] a 2001 South African intelligence file listed him as Ukrainian in origin.[20][21]

Soviet military service

There is confusion regarding Bout's military career although it is clear that he served in the Soviet Armed Forces. Having graduated from the Military Institute of Foreign Languages,[17][22][23] he is said to be fluent in six languages.[24] Bout's personal website states that he served in the Soviet Army as a translator, holding the rank of Lieutenant.[4]

Bout is thought to have been discharged in 1991 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.[18] But other sources state he rose to the rank of Major in the GRU[5] (an arm of the Soviet military that combines intelligence services and special forces),[5] that he was an officer in the Soviet Air Forces,[7] that he graduated from a Soviet military intelligence training program,[18] or that he was a KGB operative.[14]

He worked in Soviet military operations in Angola in the late 1980s.[22][17][22][25] He has said he was in Angola for only a few weeks.[14] The chief of Russian submarine base in Angola has been described as his personal friend.[26] Bout's website states that he began an air freight business in Africa around the time of the collapse of the USSR.[16]

1990s

Bout's nickname, "Sanctions Buster", is due to his implication in facilitating the violation of UN arms embargoes in Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo during the 1990s.[27]

As well as some more-controversial customers such as Charles G. Taylor, his air freight companies have provided service to the French government,[14] the UN[21][28] and the US.[21][29][28] Bout has reportedly shipped flowers,[23] frozen chicken,[5][23] UN peacekeepers,[23] French soldiers and African heads of state.[14]

Afghanistan

"In 1993 Bout began collaborating with Syrian-born Richard Chichakli. In 1995, Sharjah International Airport hired Chichakli to be the commercial manager of a new free trade zone heavily used by Bout. Chichakli has been described as Bout's financial manager.[30][31][32]"

Bout says he has been to Afghanistan many times in the mid-1990s,[15][33] but he denies any dealings with al Qaeda or the Taliban.[34] He may have sold planes to the Taliban, however.[35]

Starting in 1994[34] he made shipments for the pre-Taliban government, which later became the Northern Alliance, and knew Ahmed Shah Massoud, an Afghan Northern Alliance commander.[14] In 1995 he was involved in the negotiations to free Russian hostages during the 1995 Airstan incident.[36]

In 1996 Taliban captured Kabul. In the same year Taliban assumed control of Ariana Afghan Airlines. According to officials interviewed by the Los Angeles Times, Bout's companies helped Taliban to run the airline.[37] Michael Scheuer, head of the CIA's bin Laden unit, concluded that Ariana was being used as a "terrorist taxi service".[38] According to a former Taliban military intelligence official interviewed by the Los Angeles Times, Bout's planes transported Taliban recruits, shuttling "back and forth several times a night, he said, ferrying as many as 800 to 1,000 recruits to Kabul and Kandahar."[39] CIA's informants described how Bout-owned planes brought small arms and ammunition to Afghanistan.[40] In June 2001, three months before the September 11 attacks, an intercepted fax message instructed arms, listed as "fish from Tanzania", to be routed either overland via Turkmenistan, or by air to Uzbekistan or Turkmenistan. The airplanes, flown by reliable Armenian pilots, would then fake emergency landings in Afghanistan.[41]

Africa

A 2000 United Nations report stated that, "...Bulgarian arms manufacturing companies had exported large quantities of different types of weapons between 1996 and 1998 on the basis of (forged)[17] end-user certificates from Togo,"[42] and that, "...with only one exception, the company Air Cess, owned by Victor Bout, was the main transporter of these weapons from Burgas airport in Bulgaria".[42] This was the first time Bout was mentioned in connection with arms trading,[43] and the weapons may have been destined for use by União Nacional para a Independencia Total de Angola (UNITA),[42] one faction in Angola's 1975–2002 civil war.

Another suspected arms dealer, Imad Kebir, is said to have employed Bout's aircraft during the mid-1990s to transport weapons to Africa from Eastern European states.[44] The cargo supposedly had Zairean end user certificates, but the true end-user was UNITA.[44] From 1993, UNITA was under a United Nations Security Council embargo prohibiting the importation of arms, established in Resolution 864.[45]

Sierra Leone

Bout is suspected of supplying Charles Taylor with arms for use in the Sierra Leone Civil War. Eyewitnesses describe personal meetings between the two.[46]

Sri Lanka

Members of the Sri Lankan rebel group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) operated a cargo company called "Otharad Cargo" in the United Arab Emirates. There are reports that the LTTE met Taliban members and discussed Bout's Sharjah network, which existed in the Sharjah emirate of the United Arab Emirates. The Sharjah network was used by Victor Bout to provide Taliban with weapons deliveries and other flights between Sharjah and Kandahar. Otharad Cargo reportedly received several consignments of military hardware from the Sharjah network.[47][48]

UAE

In 1993 Bout started collaborating with Syrian-born Richard Chichakli. In 1995, Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates hired Chichakli to be the commercial manager of a new free trade zone heavily used by Bout. Chichakli has been described as Bout's financial manager.[49][50][51]

2000s

After the September 11 attacks Vladimir Putin's administration assured that Bout was not in Russia. Yet during the same month Bout appeared publicly in Moscow and claimed innocence.[52] Bout claimed that while his aircraft made regular flights to the country he had never made contact with al Qaeda or the Taliban--instead supplying the rebel Northern Alliance.[53]

Afghanistan

Soon after the beginning of the 2001–present war in Afghanistan, al Qaeda is said to have moved gold and cash out of the country; reports state that some of the planes used to do this were linked to Bout.[44]

In July 2003 the New York Times succeeded to interview Bout. Bout stated that "I woke up after Sept. 11 and found I was second only to Osama.... My clients, the governments... I keep my mouth shut." He pointed to his forehead and said “If I told you everything I’d get the red hole right here". When the journalist asked about Russian intelligence services, Bout replied "Until now you’ve been digging in a big lake with small spoons. There are huge forces..." and then stayed quiet.[54]

Congo

Bout is suspected of supplying weapons to numerous armed groups in the early 2000s Second Congo War and may have employed an estimated 300 people and operated 40-60 aircraft to do so.[19]

Tanzania

Bout's network allegedly delivered surface-to-air missiles that were used to attack an Israeli airliner during takeoff in Tanzania in 2002.[55]

Lebanon

Bout was reportedly seen meeting with Hezbollah officials in Lebanon during the run-up to the 2006 Lebanon War. Some state he was actually in Russia when the meeting took place.[56] Israel later found out that Hezbollah had Russian-made RPG-29 Vampir and 9K129 Kornet anti-tank weaponry.[57][58] Bout reportedly worked with an arms dealer named Imad Kabir during this time.[59]

Places of residence

Bout has lived in a number of countries, including Belgium,[60] Lebanon,[56] Rwanda,[19] Russia,[60] South Africa,[61] Syria[29] and the United Arab Emirates.[29]

Alleged Russian government and intelligence ties

It is thought that Bout was of help to Russia's intelligence agencies,[3] and he is alleged to have connections to ranking Russian officials, including Igor Sechin.[62]

The Military Institute of Foreign Languages which Bout attended was closely aligned with the Soviet military intelligence agency GRU.[19][60][63] Bout is thought to have worked alongside GRU-affiliated, and current Russian deputy prime minister, Igor Sechin in Africa in the 1980s,[23][64] although both men deny this allegation.[23] And according to a 2002 United Nations report, Bout's father-in-law Zuiguin "at one point held a high position in the KGB, perhaps even as high as a deputy chairman".[19]

Orders and warrants regarding Bout

Bout's strategy of constantly moving location, owning numerous companies, and frequently re-registering aircraft[5][42] made it hard for authorities to make a case against him. He has never been charged for the alleged African arms deals to which he owes his notoriety.[65]

Interpol

The Belgians requested that Interpol issue a notice for Bout on charges of money laundering, and in 2002 an Interpol red notice on Bout was issued.[28]

Bout's website states that because he failed to appear in court a Belgian warrant (not the Interpol notice) for his arrest was issued but later cancelled.[4] The site has a document in Dutch to support the claim that the Belgian case against him was dismissed due to his lack of a fixed residence and because the case could not be prosecuted in a timely fashion.[66]

The day of his Bangkok arrest, an Interpol red notice was requested by the United States against Bout. The alleged crime was conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.[10] His wanted poster can be viewed here.

Executive Order 13348

Bout's US assets were among those frozen in July 2004 under Executive Order 13348. The Order describes him as a "businessman, dealer and transporter of weapons and minerals" and cites his close association with Charles Taylor.[67]

CAR trial

Charged in 2000 with forging documents in the Central African Republic, Bout was convicted in absentia and the charges were later dropped.[22]

Thai arrest and extradition

Bout was arrested in Thailand on an Interpol red notice and on 16 November 2010, Bout was extradited amid protests by the Russian Government.[3]

Arrest

Royal Thai Police arrested Bout in Bangkok on 6 March 2008[10] the culmination of a sting operation set up by Drug Enforcement Administration agents.[7] Bout allegedly offered to supply weapons to people he thought were representatives of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels.[5][7]

Extradition hearing

After months of delay, the Criminal Court in Bangkok began an extradition hearing for Bout on 22 September 2008.[68]

In February 2009, members of the United States Congress signed a letter to Attorney General Holder and Secretary of State (i.e. Foreign Secretary) Clinton, expressing their wish that the Bout extradition "remain a top priority".[69]

On 11 August 2009, the Criminal Court ruled in his favor, denying the United States' request for extradition and citing the political, not criminal, nature of the case.[70] The United States appealed that judgement, and on 20 August 2010 a higher Thai court ruled that Bout could, in fact, be extradited to the United States.[71][72][73]

Extradition

On 16 November 2010 at 1:30pm, Bout was extradited to the United States;[1] the Russian government called the extradition illegal.[74][75]

Russia's protests and other actions

Russia did not want Bout to face trial and called the Thai court decision in 2010 politically motivated.[76][77] Its Foreign Ministry took steps to prevent his extradition to the US;[23] Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that Bout was innocent.[23]

On 18 November 2010, shortly after Bout's extradition to the US, Russian President Medvedev's aide Sergei Eduardovich Prikhodko claimed that Russia had "nothing to hide" in Bout's criminal case stating, "it is in our interest that the investigation... be brought to completion, and [Bout] should answer all the questions the American justice system has."[78][79]

Charges in the United States

The day after his Bangkok arrest, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Bout with conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization,[80] conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill American officers or employees, and conspiring to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile.[68]

Additional charges against him were filed in February 2010.[81] These include illegal purchase of aircraft, wire fraud, and money laundering.[2]

In the media

The 2005 film Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage, is thought to be based, in part, on stories of his alleged gun-running.[5][23][82]

In 2007 Stephen Braun and Douglas Farah published a book about Bout entitled Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible.[83]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Viktor Bout Extradited to the United States to Stand Trial on Terrorism Charges United States Department of Justice release, November 17, 2010.
  2. ^ a b U.S. ANNOUNCES NEW INDICTMENT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL ARMS DEALER VIKTOR BOUT AND AMERICAN CO-CONSPIRATOR FOR MONEY LAUNDERING, WIRE FRAUD, AND CONSPIRACY US Indictment released Feb 17, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d Appeal Court verdict on the extradition of Bout The Nation, Sept 1, 2010. Cite error: The named reference "extradition" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Victor Bout's Personal Website, FAQ
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Flying Anything to Anybody The Economist, Dec 18th 2008
  6. ^ Бут, Виктор
  7. ^ a b c d e Revealed: trap that lured the merchant of death 'The Observer', Sunday 9 March 2008
  8. ^ 'Lord of war' arms trafficker arrested, The Guardian, 7 March 2008.
  9. ^ BBC Profile, Viktor Bout
  10. ^ a b c INTERPOL media release, 07 March 2008
  11. ^ "Arms Suspect Vows to Win Case in U.S. After Extradition Order" nytimes.com, 21 August 2010
  12. ^ Россия хочет заполучить "оружейного барона" Бута, которого отправляют на суд в США NEWSru, 20 August 2010.
  13. ^ "Inmate Locator". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g Arms and the Man New York Times, Aug. 17, 2003
  15. ^ a b c Meeting Viktor Bout, the ‘Merchant of Death’ BBC Channel 4 Snowblog, 16/03/09
  16. ^ a b Victor Bout's Personal Website
  17. ^ a b c d e Addendum to the final report of the Monitoring Mechanism on Sanctions against UNITA S/2001/363
  18. ^ a b c Trapping the Lord of War, The Rise and Fall of Viktor Bout Part 2: Secretive about His Past. spiegel.de, 10/06/2010
  19. ^ a b c d e "The deadly convenience of Victor Bout". ETH Zurich. 2008-06-24.
  20. ^ Foreign Policy: The Merchant of Death
  21. ^ a b c Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun: "The Merchant of Death"
  22. ^ a b c d Who is Victor Bout? The Christian Science Monitor's Global News Blog, Elizabeth Ryan | 10.22.09
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i Trapping the Lord of War, The Rise and Fall of Viktor Bout Part 1. spiegel.de, 10/06/2010
  24. ^ Viktor Bout arrested The Economist, March 13, 2008
  25. ^ Farah, Douglas; Braun, Stephen (2007). Merchant of death: money, guns, planes, and the man who makes war possible (2007 ed.). John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-04866-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) - Total pages: 308
  26. ^ Farah, Douglas; Braun, Stephen (2007). Merchant of death: money, guns, planes, and the man who makes war possible (2007 ed.). John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-04866-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) - Total pages: 308
  27. ^ Stop Ruthless Arms Brokers that Fuel Deadly Conflicts Amnesty International USA
  28. ^ a b c "Meet Viktor Bout, the Real-Life 'Lord of War'" MotherJones, 13 September 2007
  29. ^ a b c [1] ETH Zurich. 2008-06-24.
  30. ^ Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible (2007), pp. 53-56
  31. ^ Viktor Bout – elusive entrepreneur. Financial Times. 6 March 2008
  32. ^ Profile of Bout from The New York Times Magazine, Aug. 17, 2003
  33. ^ "Viktor Bout: five passports, half a dozen languages and alleged friend to all sides"
  34. ^ a b Transcript of American Morning with Paula Zahn Aired March 4, 2002 - 04:13 ET
  35. ^ On the Trail of a Man Behind Taliban's Air Fleet. The Los Angeles Times. 19 May 2002
  36. ^ Pg60-65Farah, Douglas; Braun, Stephen (2007). Merchant of death: money, guns, planes, and the man who makes war possible (2007 ed.). John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-04866-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) - Total pages: 308
  37. ^ On the Trail of a Man Behind Taliban's Air Fleet. The Los Angeles Times. May 19, 2002
  38. ^ Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible (2007), pp. 138–140
  39. ^ On the Trail of a Man Behind Taliban's Air Fleet. The Los Angeles Times. May 19, 2002
  40. ^ Farah, Douglas; Braun, Stephen (2007). Merchant of death: money, guns, planes, and the man who makes war possible (2007 ed.). John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-04866-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help) - Total pages: 308
  41. ^ "Russian mafia selling arms to Taliban". The Washington Times. November 11, 2001., All roads lead to the Third Rome? Antero Leitzinger. The Eurasian Politician - Issue 5 (April 2002).
  42. ^ a b c d Copy of the text of S/2000/1225 Final report of the Monitoring Mechanism on Angola Sanctions, UN Security Council, 21 Dec 2000
  43. ^ Trapping the Lord of War, The Rise and Fall of Viktor Bout Part 3: The Respected 'Mister Vik'. spiegel.de, 10/06/2010
  44. ^ a b c For A Few Dollars More Global Witness, April 2003
  45. ^ UN Security Council Resolution 864, 1993
  46. ^ Merchant of death: money, guns, planes, and the man who makes war possible. Douglas Farah, Stephen Braun. p. 164
  47. ^ LTTE : The Jihadi Connection. Jeremie Lanche. IPCS.
  48. ^ Tamil Tiger Links with Islamist Terrorist Groups. Shanaka Jayasekara. 02/03/2008
  49. ^ Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible (2007), pp. 53-56
  50. ^ Viktor Bout – elusive entrepreneur. Financial Times. 6 March 2008
  51. ^ Profile of Bout from The New York Times Magazine, Aug. 17, 2003
  52. ^ "A NATION CHALLENGED: A SUSPECT; Russian Goes on the Air To Deny Al Qaeda Ties". The New York Times. 2002-03-01.
  53. ^ Wines, Michael (2002-03-01). "A NATION CHALLENGED: A SUSPECT; Russian Goes on the Air To Deny Al Qaeda Ties". The New York Times.
  54. ^ "Arms and the Man". The New York Times. August 7, 2003.
  55. ^ Moi Son’s Link to Arms Dealer in UN Ban. Africa News. November 23, 2004.
  56. ^ a b Trapping the Lord of War, The Rise and Fall of Viktor Bout Part 4: Hired to Supply US Forces in Iraq. spiegel.de, 10/06/2010
  57. ^ Prothero, Mitchell (2008-03-09). "Revealed: trap that lured the merchant of death". London: The Guardian.
  58. ^ Part II: The deadly convenience of Victor Bout Zurich. 2008-06-24.
  59. ^ "Dangerous liaisons: covert love affair" between Russia and Hezbollah". Axis Globe. 30 May 2005.
  60. ^ a b c "Taking Down Arms Dealer Viktor Bout".
  61. ^ André Verlöy. "The Merchant of Death".
  62. ^ Matthews, Owen (2 September 2010). "What Is the Kremlin Hiding?". Newsweek. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  63. ^ Farah, Douglas; Braun, Stephen (2007). Merchant of death: money, guns, planes, and the man who makes war possible (2007 ed.). John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-04866-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  64. ^ Sidorov, Dmitry (2008-08-15). "Nothing To Worry A Bout?". Forbes. According to a report by Stratfor, an American analytic outfit, Bout served with Igor Sechin in Mozambique in the 1980s.
  65. ^ Arms suspect faces charges in US BBC, Friday, 7 March 2008, 13:36 GMT
  66. ^ A Legal Document in Dutch Victor Bout's Personal Website
  67. ^ United States Executive Order 13348 Blocking Property of Certain Persons and Prohibiting the Importation of Certain Goods from Liberia, July 27, 2004
  68. ^ a b Russian 'arms dealer' trial opens BBC, Monday, 22 September 2008, 09:20 GMT
  69. ^ A letter to Secretary of State Mrs. Clinton regarding Bout extradition Victor Bout's Personal Website
  70. ^ "Thailand rejects Bout extradition". BBC News. 11 August 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  71. ^ Hookway, James (August 21, 2010). "Thailand Says It Will Extradite Russia's 'Merchant of Death'". Wall Street Journal.
  72. ^ Pomfret, John (August 20, 2010). "Suspected Russian arms dealer Bout to be extradited to U.S., Thai court rules". Washington Post.
  73. ^ "Russia and US go to war over 'Merchant of Death': Fury in Moscow after Washington wins battle to put suspected arms dealer Viktor Bout on trial". Independent. London. August 21, 2010.
  74. ^ "Extradition of 'arms dealer' Viktor Bout goes ahead". BBC News. November 16, 2010.
  75. ^ "Thailand extradites accused international arms dealer". CNN. November 16, 2010.
  76. ^ "PM defends Bout court decision - Russia summons Thai ambassador"
  77. ^ "Russia condemns Thai decision on Bouts extradition"
  78. ^ Dyomkin, Denis (November 18, 2010). "Russia says 'nothing to hide' in arms suspect case". Reuters. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  79. ^ "Россия окончательно "сдала" Виктора Бута американцам: хочет полного следствия по всем обвинениям" (in Russian). NEWSru. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2010-11-29. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  80. ^ International Arms Dealer Charged in U.S. with Conspiracy to Provide Surface-to-Air Missiles and other Weapons to a Foreign Terrorist Organization United States Department of Justice
  81. ^ US files new charges against arms dealer Viktor Bout cnn.com, 02/17/2010
  82. ^ Thailand holds 'top arms dealer' BBC, Thursday, 6 March 2008, 14:40 GMT
  83. ^ Merchant of Death - book's official website ISBN 978-0-470-04866-5

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