Writing over at Russia Profile, Roland Oliphant has some fascinating quotes from Roy Isbister of Safer World.  One of the reasons why I think any trial of Viktor Bout is unlikely to reveal any “blockbuster” exposures is that so many governments, including the U.S., were complicit at one level or another in his activities.

Isbister agreed with the idea that the weight of evidence against Bout’s claim that he was no more than an honest “taxi” driver is overwhelming. But working out who he was working for is much more difficult. “I haven’t seen any evidence to the effect that the Russians have been using him for the ‘plausible deniability’ defense,” said Isbister. “But it’s certainly possible in the world of arms trading, and it wouldn’t only be Russia that would be capable of that kind of behavior.”