Brittney freed for a major Russian arms dealer. I can sleep now

[Laelkhunter]

Bruh I don’t think anyone is in a labor camp for a little pot…. even if they were, I’d rather be in an American labor camp than a Russian one… call me racist I guess… I don’t think it’s a fair trade off, but let’s not act like she was in the same boat as ANY American in prison, and for a LITTLE VILE of hash DISTILLATE. Not even pure ass hash.. i can go smoke that same vape pen on the street here and it’s a $50 fine IF they even Really wanted to. Let’s get serious..

Problem is... she wouldn't even make the news if she did that here, BUT it is illegal in Russia. She thought she could get away with it, so she flaunted their laws and got caught. I read about the "labor camp" she was in. She was forced to cook, clean, sew, and the prisoners were forced to watch the guards "burn live kittens" (No B.S. That was in the article). The article stated that they were warned that if they "sewed badly, the guards would burn the kittens" and the prisoners would have to watch. WOW

 

[JohnCushman]

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes

 

[Cattleman]

Just a way our demented president is trying to buy votes from our women, black & LGBTQIA+ community.

 

[brymoore]

I’d prefer the marine be out first too. However, maybe Russia won’t negotiate for him or the price asked is too high. There are two sides to each negotiation.

I could care less about the WNBA woman but if she can be freed for some other guy I don’t care about (and who doesn’t concern me), why should I be mad?

Good for her. Enjoy your life woman.

 

[QuazyQuinton]

I’d prefer the marine be out first too. However, maybe Russia won’t negotiate for him or the price asked is too high. There are two sides to each negotiation.

I could care less about the WNBA woman but if she can be freed for some other guy I don’t care about (and who doesn’t concern me), why should I be mad?

Good for her. Enjoy your life woman.

If you don't care about someone trafficking arms to kill American soldiers, why would you prefer the Marine be released first? Interesting juxtaposition of takes.

QQ

 

[morley.tyler]

I just think we gave up the Lord of Death for a minuscule amount of vape and left a Marine in a Gulag.

I'm glad she's home, she's an American. But I think we should have gotten a gift w/ purchase and brought the Marine home too.

 

[Irrelevant]

I’d prefer the marine be out first too. However, maybe Russia won’t negotiate for him or the price asked is too high. There are two sides to each negotiation.

If they want the merchant of death for a WNBA player imagine what they're asking for for a marine. Complete denuclearization? Maybe they want AK back?

 

[brymoore]

If you don't care about someone trafficking arms to kill American soldiers, why would you prefer the Marine be released first? Interesting juxtaposition of takes.

QQ

Go read about the guy. He moved arms for the US for a while. He was our guy then until he wasn’t. He sold arms, didn’t target US soldiers.

 

[Beignet]

I’ve got to clarify some stuff:

Whelen received a Bad Conduct Discharge from the USMC, he’s no longer considered a veteran by the US Government per the terms of such a discharge.

The previous administration had a golden opportunity to swap Whelen for Maria Butina (the Russian spy who infiltrated the NRA, amongst other groups). It was often speculated that Whelen’s arrest was made primarily to gain leverage for Butina’s release. Why this deal never happened is anyone’s guess. Butina is chilling at home right now.

Bout was prosecuted for attempting to traffic arms to FARC in Colombia under the pretense that they could’ve possibly been used against US DEA agents, who set up the sale as a sting. There was never any “targeting of US soldiers.”

 

[Irrelevant]

I’ve got to clarify some stuff:

Whelen received a Bad Conduct Discharge from the USMC, he’s no longer considered a veteran by the US Government per the terms of such a discharge.

The previous administration had a golden opportunity to swap Whelen for Maria Butina (the Russian spy who infiltrated the NRA, amongst other groups). It was often speculated that Whelen’s arrest was made primarily to gain leverage for Butina’s release. Why this deal never happened is anyone’s guess. Butina is chilling at home right now.

Bout was prosecuted for attempting to traffic arms to FARC in Colombia under the pretense that they could’ve possibly been used against US DEA agents, who set up the sale as a sting. There was never any “targeting of US soldiers.”

get those facts outta here

 

[FI460]

If they want the merchant of death for a WNBA player imagine what they're asking for for a marine. Complete denuclearization? Maybe they want AK back?

Paul Whelan 'greatly disappointed' Biden administration has not done more to free him

The detained American told CNN he is happy that the White House was able to secure Brittney Griner’s release from Russia in a prisoner swap but is "greatly disappointed" that it hasn't been able to secure his.

www.yahoo.com

“We did not forget about Brittney, and we have not forgotten about Paul,” Biden said. “This was not a choice of which American to bring home.”

“We brought home Trevor Reed when we had a chance earlier this year,” the president continued. “Sadly, for illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s. And while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up.”

 

[Nick87]

I’ve got to clarify some stuff:

Whelen received a Bad Conduct Discharge from the USMC, he’s no longer considered a veteran by the US Government per the terms of such a discharge.

The previous administration had a golden opportunity to swap Whelen for Maria Butina (the Russian spy who infiltrated the NRA, amongst other groups). It was often speculated that Whelen’s arrest was made primarily to gain leverage for Butina’s release. Why this deal never happened is anyone’s guess. Butina is chilling at home right now.

Bout was prosecuted for attempting to traffic arms to FARC in Colombia under the pretense that they could’ve possibly been used against US DEA agents, who set up the sale as a sting. There was never any “targeting of US soldiers.”

So it's ok to leave him but not her still right.

 

[CorkyM]

I never lost any sleep over her. But I thought it was wrong that she got that kind of sentence and that they were just waiting for an excuse for an exchange of prisoners like took place. I never followed women’s basketball either or what her political stance was or how she operated off the court. But I am glad she is going home. I just wish our other prisoner there could be released also.

 

[TOGIE]

yeah i tend to agree with others here. if anyone of us were privy to the terms of the negotiations for each release we might not find it so odd that brittney is coming home and whelen isn't.

we'll never know russia was asking for in those negotiations for whelen. if we did, i wouldn't be surprised if we all were pretty happy biden didn't agree to them.

 

[millerkiller77]

yeah i tend to agree with others here. if anyone of us were privy to the terms of the negotiations for each release we might not find it so odd that brittney is coming home and whelen isn't.

we'll never know russia was asking for in those negotiations for whelen. if we did, i wouldn't be surprised if we all were pretty happy biden didn't agree to them.

Biden's senile ass probably thought they were trading Pokémon cards

 

[Deleted member 28227]

get those facts outta here

Kinda surprises me anyone could read an article about the Whelan case and not think;

1. Huh... seems like there is something going on here...

Bad Conduct Discharge for Larceny
Has been going to Russia off and on for a long time
Holds 4 passports?
Actually caught with classified documents on a zip drive

Could be totally innocent, but that is just an odd situation in my book Maybe I read too many spy novels.

2. Regardless waaay different than Griner situation

 

[Beignet]

So it's ok to leave him but not her still right.

I don't recall typing that. But it seems like some folks are framing the whole thing as though the USG left some golden patriot over there and instead swapped some dope fiend in exchange for some guy who has been selling weapons of mass destruction solely with the intent of massacring members of the US armed forces. That's really a gross oversimplification of what happened.

As I type this I see TOGIE wrote "if anyone of us were privy to the terms of the negotiations for each release we might not find it so odd that brittney is coming home and whelen isn't." International diplomacy is a delicate issue, and no one on this hunting forum can claim to be privy to what informs these exchanges.

I also see that Wllm left another pertinent comment: who knows what all Whelen was up to? His background certainly doesn't fit the profile of a US intelligence officer operating under non-official cover (without a diplomatic passport). If he were, I'm sure the USG would be pushing much harder for his release than what they have been. If he was freelance spying for whomever in that very murky world there would certainly be less incentive for the last two administrations to advocate seriously for his release (BOTH Trump AND Biden administrations, if I need to spell this out). Then again, I can't claim to know the details behind what he was actually up to on his adventures abroad.

 

[np307]

A Rorschach test:

 

[noharleyyet]

A Rorschach test:View attachment 254347

I see clouds shaped like freaking kolaches doc...

 

[FairWeather]

A good reminder to always be very mindful of what you’re packing when you travel. Not the first person to find themselves in a bad spot because they forgot something was in their bag.