Several are convinced he’ll soon reemerge as a player, helping Russia sell and acquire weapons in violation of international sanctions imposed in response to its invasion of Ukraine and earlier human rights violations.
“The Merchant of Death is back in action, with more hatred against America and with greater motivation to fuel conflicts and support Russia in its outrageous and disastrous war with Ukraine,” says Derek Maltz, who as head of the DEA Special Operations Division oversaw the undercover investigation of Bout.
What's more:
[Former DEA chief Mike] Braun disagrees with those who argue that Bout is a has-been, that his network has frayed and his business model collapsed. If anything, Braun says, Bout has probably made valuable contacts over the nearly dozen years he has spent in the U.S. prison system.
“Anyone who thinks he’s washed up and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is not going to push him back into service, it’s beyond me,” Braun said. “People who believe that don’t understand how the real underworld works.”
What's scary is that Bout returns now to a different world.
Ukraine is now an even bigger shambles than it was when the Soviet Union fell and arms are absolutely all over the place, ready for resale. Huge amounts of money and grift make it easier to get away with such deeds because a lot of people are doing it.
What's scarier still is that he still has ties to Afghanistan, where Joe Biden irresponsibly left an even bigger stash of weapons ... and based on U.S. and EU sanctions, the Taliban needs money.
Bout claims he had only sold arms to the Northern Alliance of Afghanistan which once fought the Taliban, but U.S. intelligence and others think he may have sold to al-Qaida and the Taliban and just not be saying. If it's true, than he likely still has some good business ties with that bunch and they've got some fresh merchandise for him to dispose of for them. Even if it's not true, he could likely make a deal with them.
Both war zones are absolutely tailor-made for Bout's "services" and now Joe Biden cannot stop him.
Maybe Joe doesn’t want to stop Bout. Maybe he can use Bout as an excuse to cover up and blame some of his own nefarious deeds with his admin and other countries profiting from never ending war.
He went into air to rightfully make fun of America for leaving a marine behind. However, 50 years ago Americans would have also brought the woman home fret. The marine would want that 50 ears ago.
I think this is a great time to point that out.