Biden Admin Trades ‘Merchant Of Death’ Arms Dealer To Russia For WNBA Player Brittney Griner In 1-For-1 Deal
The Biden admin called the plan to bring Americans being held in Russia “Operation Relentless.” What an inappropriate name.
If this is an example of the Biden administration’s ability to negotiate, the United States is in very, very bad shape.
Brittney Griner, the two-time Gold medalist and WNBA star who has been held for months imprisoned in Russian on drug charges was released on Thursday after the Biden admin negotiated a 1-for-1 prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout, who has been called the “Merchant of Death” and was serving a 25-year sentence in a federal prison for conspiring to kill U.S. citizens.
CBS News was first to report the swap, which took place in the United Arab Emirates, after it was confirmed by a U.S. official. The one-for-one exchange agreement negotiated with Moscow in recent weeks was given final approval by Mr. Biden within just the last week, according to sources familiar with the deal.
Five former U.S. officials told CBS News the agreement had been reached as of last Thursday.
A White House official said the president spoke to Griner by phone from the Oval Office, where he was joined by Griner’s wife Cherelle, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Per standard procedure for freed U.S. prisoners, Griner was expected to quickly undergo a medical evaluation.
Source: CBS News
CBS News White House Correspondent Steve Portnoy posted a thread about the deal on Twitter.
MORE: To secure Griner’s return, Biden has freed arms dealer Viktor Bout. Bout gained infamy as the “Merchant of Death” & was found guilty for conspiring to sell AK-47’s that would’ve been used to kill DEA agents.
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) December 8, 2022
MORE: Multiple sources told @CBSNews of the emerging swap last week. CBS agreed to hold the reporting on the grave concerns expressed by US officials about the fragility of the deal and the Americans’ wellbeing.
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) December 8, 2022
MORE: Aides say President Biden will have remarks shortly from the White House.
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) December 8, 2022
SPECIAL REPORT: WNBA star Brittney Griner was released by Russia in a 1-for-1 prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a U.S. official. https://t.co/7Nn4j0ryxH
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 8, 2022
It’s remarkable that retired Marine Paul Whelan, who is about to hit the 4-year mark in a Russian prison for alleged espionage, was not included in the prisoner swap.
This is the second time an American has been released from a Russian prison and Whelan wasn’t included in the deal.
The lop-sided prisoner exchange is typical of this administration that can seemingly take any win and turn it into a loss with their utter incompetence.
The United States of America should be setting the terms, not caving to anyone else’s demands.
The President’s Twitter account was celebrating the news this morning.
Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner.
She is safe.
She is on a plane.
She is on her way home. pic.twitter.com/FmHgfzrcDT— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2022
The President spoke to the press about the Griner’s release.
Happening now: President Biden delivers an important announcement. https://t.co/nc14RhOs75
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 8, 2022
As wonderful as it is that an American that was being treated unjustly in a Russian prison has been released — there’s a lot of criticism of the deal the Biden admin agreed to.
They just released a notorious arms dealer for a WNBA player who brought (admittedly a tiny amount) of cannabis oil into Russia. There’s no way that that decision could bite the world in the ass, could it?
CBS’s 60 Minutes posted a 2010 clip of who Viktor Bout is.
In 2010, 60 Minutes reported on how DEA agents captured Viktor Bout, who's been called the "Merchant of Death." https://t.co/qPbk3fnN4Ppic.twitter.com/qaLUujbXws https://t.co/CjAavY1Wig
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) December 8, 2022
Welp. That looks like a problem.
Benny Johnson of Newsmax then explained who Paul Whelan, the retired Marine left behind by the Biden admin, is.
Paul Whelan served as a cop in Michigan for 15 years.
Paul Whelan enlisted in the Marines in 1994.
Paul Whelan deployed to Iraq in 2004.
Paul Whelan is an American hero.
On December 28, 2018, Paul was accused of “espionage” in Russia⁰Jail ever since
Biden did NOTHING to free him pic.twitter.com/1SUqnhN9QQ— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 8, 2022
Twitter users had a lot of thoughts…
If Paul Whelan was a basketball player he’d be free right now but he’s a former marine so it doesn’t matter that he’s been stuck in a Russian prison for years longer than Brittney Griner. Sad. The Biden admin should be ashamed leaving him.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) December 8, 2022
Logged on just now, saw the buzz on Twitter's sidebar, scroll down expecting complaining about Brittney Griner and thinking "Christ people don't be so petty about a prisoner swap we got our guys ba–ARE YOU KIDDING ME THEY LEFT WHELAN BEHIND??"
— Jeff Blehar is *BOX OFFICE POISON* (@EsotericCD) December 8, 2022
Leaving people behind? So on-brand for this administration.
This is great news till you Google who Victor Bout is and realize Biden just got taken to the woodshed on this deal. This has to go down as the most lopsided trade in the history of trades. What happened to Griner was beyond fucked but this feels like a short sighted PR stunt https://t.co/gS3wn5Me7O
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) December 8, 2022
As an American, I’m glad Britney Griner has been released, but a pot smoking, America-hating WNBA player… for Viktour Bout, an international arms dealer? Someone got smoked in the negotiations, and it wasn’t the Russians. pic.twitter.com/tlDvJMJQVp
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) December 8, 2022
https://twitter.com/bonchieredstate/status/1600846698804297728?s=20&t=xmkkMYMLvBwYnQQQe0LtFg
So about the Russian criminal Biden freed in exchange for Brittany Griner—this movie covers his career funneling weapons to terrorists & conspiring to kill Americans. Biden just created an incentive for foreign countries to arrest more Americans to get more sweet deals like this pic.twitter.com/vV4AgzddN7
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) December 8, 2022
The poor negotiation is so bad, it makes one wonder if it’s strictly incompetence or if it’s deliberate.
There was outrage earlier when this was considered for BOTH GRINER AND WHELAN.https://t.co/8JuoaysEIN
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) December 8, 2022
In fact, Biden is such an awful negotiator, he could've probably gotten them both out last summer…but failed to make the deal then.
So now he only got 1 out. https://t.co/56ylL95OYM
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) December 8, 2022
Paul Whelan’s brother, David, issued a statement indicating that he was happy for Griner and her family, but says it is a “catastrophe” that Paul wasn’t also released.
“I am so glad that Brittney Griner is on her way home,” said David Whelan adding,”The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen.”
David Whelan also appeared on CNN this morning:
The Biden admin is trying to insist that there was no choice to bring back Paul Whelan, but just four days ago, Secretary Blinken was on “Face The Nation” and told host Margaret Brennan that they were trying to bring both Americans home.
When Brennan pressed him on the reports in Russian media that the Russians wanted a 1-for-1 deal and naming Viktor Bout, Blinken dismissed her question with a chuckle saying, “Russian media reports a lot every day that I wouldn’t necessarily take at face value.”
Four days before WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from Russian custody, Sec. Blinken said the efforts of the Biden admin were "to bring both Paul and Brittney home."
"Russia wants a 1-for-1 swap," @margbrennan responded. "How do you decide which American gets left behind?" pic.twitter.com/FzsQhp182s
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 8, 2022
But it looks like Russian media was correct in this particular instance, doesn’t it?
The statement by David Whelan is heartbreaking — while he says that the family is happy for Griner and her family, Paul is still stuck in Russia indefinietly.
David Whelan, the brother of Marine Paul Whelan who remains in Russian custody, calls on Biden to get more "assertive."
David congratulates Griner, but writes, "our family is devastated." pic.twitter.com/Muw1W9Glod
— Anders Hagstrom (@Hagstrom_Anders) December 8, 2022
David Whelan, brother of imprisoned Paul Whelan: "How do you continue to survive,day after day,when you know that your government has failed twice to free you from a foreign prison? I can't imagine he retains any hope that a government will negotiate his freedom at this point…" https://t.co/Skq4hwHmnQ
— Margaret Brennan (@margbrennan) December 8, 2022
Unfortunately for Paul Whelan, he isn’t a black lesbian in a gay marriage who plays for a women’s professional sports league, he was just a boring ol’ Marine who served his country.
Just because Whelan has been in a Russian clink since 2018, and she’s only been there for 10 months… his release was not a priority for the Biden admin that prioritizes minority status above all else.
We’re being led by absolute incompetence.
Biden gave up a Russian arms dealer in exchange for an anti-American WNBA player, while leaving US Marine Paul Whelan to rot in a Russian prison. This is an abomination. Our country is run by incompetent scumbags.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) December 8, 2022
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