Thailand extradited Viktor Bout, an accused Russian arms trafficker, to the United States on Tuesday, drawing Russia's anger after the government here abandoned the diplomatic balancing act it had conducted for more than two years between Washington and Moscow.
Two motorcades -- one apparently a decoy -- made the trip to the airport and shortly afterward an airport official confirmed that Mr. Bout had left on a chartered American aircraft. The Bangkok Post reported that about 50 police officers, including snipers, were at Don Muang airport to protect Mr. Bout. The 20-seat aircraft also carried two pilots and six officials from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
Mr. Bout's arrest in March 2008 spurred a tug-of-war between Washington and Moscow, which does not want him to go on trial in the United States. Douglas Farah, a co-author of a book about Mr. Bout, has said that Mr. Bout "knows a lot about Russian intelligence as it has been restructured" in the last decade or more.
Russia quickly called the extradition illegal.
"From a legal perspective, what has occurred cannot have a rational explanation and justification," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "There is no doubt that the illegal extradition of Viktor Bout came about as a consequence of unprecedented political pressure exerted by the U.S. on the government and judicial authorities of Thailand. It is deeply regrettable that the Thai authorities succumbed to political pressure from outside and undertook the illegal extradition."
| Nah, it wasn't that hard. You see, you Russians, the Thais like us ... |
American officials accuse Mr. Bout of running an arms trafficking network that encompassed Africa, Afghanistan and South America. He faces charges in a 2008 indictment of selling arms to a terrorist group and conspiring to kill American citizens.
Mr. Bout was expected to arrive in New York on Tuesday evening and be arraigned in United States District Court in Manhattan on Wednesday. A spokeswoman for the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York declined comment. |