Grigory Pasko: Viktor Bout Conspiracy Theories
Philip Crowley, a representative of the U.S. State Department, has assured observers that the case of Viktor Bout will not impact in a negative manner the development of bilateral relations with Russia. Naturally, it’s Mr. Crowley’s duty to make sure declarations. However, in actuality, and this is obvious even to the average person, the case of Bout is already having a very big impact indeed. Even now in the official speeches of Russian diplomats there sounds a note of unconcealed displeasure that the US has managed to achieve a decision on the extradition of Bout to the US. Если Вы хотите прочитать оригинал данной статьи на русском языке, нажмите сюда. And also the average Russian has grasped the basic facts: Bout is obviously mixed up in something bad, if the Russian power is so actively defending him. The power of the times of Putin so actively defends only those it loves and holds dear and who were acting beyond the border at its, the power’s instruction. That’s how it was with the Russian pilots arrested many tears ago in India; that’s how it was with the murderers of Yandarbiyev; that’s how it was with the underachieving failed Russian spies in the US…
In so doing many in Russia are not even trying to find out just what exactly it is that the same Bout is being accused of and just what this person is all about.In the meantime from the internet network one can draw the following information: A charge of four counts has been laid against Victor Bout by the Federal District Procuracy of New York. In particular, being imputed to him is participation in a criminal conspiracy with the objective of delivering arms to the fighters of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (RVSK) [FARC–Trans.] “with the understanding that they would be used for killing citizens and official persons of the USA”.The somewhat informed citizen can immediately connect the dots between several universally known facts. Fact one: Russia in recent years has demonstratively, actively and even aggressively befriended the regime of Hugo Chavez, delivering him armaments and entering into solid contracts with him specifically in the realm of armaments. Fact two: Hugo Chavez has spoken out positively many a time about the Colombian fighters. Fact three: Hugo Chavez has spoken out negatively many a time specifically in relation to the US. Fact four: the current Russian leadership, to put it mildly, doesn’t like the leadership of the US.Against the background of all this there is an under-the-carpet spying and diplomatic war going on, unseen by the world. Russia is using every means not to allow Bout’s flight to the US.Just what is the Russian leadership so afraid of?The answer to this question, in part, can be found in the notes of the Russian journalist Latynina. Here’s what she writes. Victor Bout was arrested on the charge that he was about to sell 100 Russian PZRKs [man-portable air-defense systems–Trans.] to Colombian «narcoinsurgents» from FARC. The «narcoinsurgents» were FBI agents, and all the negotiations of the political prisoner Bout were recorded from start to finish.In order to assess this number — 100 PZRKs, I will give you another one: the CIA delivered around 500 «Stingers» to the Afghan mujahideen at a price of 183 thsd. dol. each. They bought back around 300 units. That is 200 PZRKs changed the course of the war in Afghanistan and destroyed Soviet domination in the air.To put it another way, the delivery of 100 Russian PZRKs – this is a state programme. And there is no way one can speak about how they implemented such a delivery without the blessing of the very top. According to the data of the American analytical center Stratfor, the person together with whom the military translator Victor Bout served in Mozambique in the 1980s was called Igor Sechin.Nor did Latynina forget to mention the dry-cargo vessel under the name of Arctic Sea. In the journalist’s opinion, the arrested Bout has as a minimum an indirect relation to the story with this dry-cargo vessel.Yet another story: on 12 December 2009 an Il-76 was arrested in Bangkok with 35 tons of weaponry on board: including, by the way, all those same «surface-to-air» missiles.Earlier this airplane had belonged to Bout – to firms under his control.One way or another, the journalist concludes, all the threads lead to Lubyanka Square in Moscow. I shall remind: that’s where the headquarters of the Russian FSB is found. If one puts together in all the facts cited above, then it is not hard to come to the conclusion that behind bout stands not only the FSB, but the entire power apex of Russia as well. And it needs Bout in Russia, not in a jail of Thailand. And all the more so – not in an American jail and not in front of an American court.
