Stonekettle
@Stonekettle

Republicans literally mad this morning because an American citizen has
been released from a Russian gulag and returned safely home.

Literally mad. Seething.

Their ideology has become so completely morally bankrupt that they
literally are outraged over the return of an American.

"trotsky" wrote:

> Stonekettle @Stonekettle
>
> Republicans literally mad this morning because an American citizen
> has been released from a Russian gulag and returned safely home.
>
> Literally mad. Seething.
>
> Their ideology has become so completely morally bankrupt that they
> literally are outraged over the return of an American.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
slammed President Joe Biden Thursday for releasing notorious terrorist Viktor
Bout in exchange for Brittney Griner.

Griner, who has a criminal record in the U.S. stemming from a domestic
violence incident several years ago, was arrested in Russia back in February
on drug charges, charges to which she pled guilty.

In exchange for Griner, Biden released Bout, a Russian weapons trafficker who
was convicted on terrorism charges back in 2011 for trying to sell tens of
millions of dollars worth of missiles to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC) for the purpose of shooting down U.S. Military helicopters.

�This should be a moment of deep reflection for the United States government
to recognize we have a serious problem with hostage-taking of Americans,�
Menendez said in a statement. �The Russians and other regimes that take
American citizens hostage cannot pretend that there is equivalence between
the Brittney Griners of the world and people like Viktor Bout, the so-called
�Merchant of Death.� Nothing could be further from the truth, and we cannot
ignore that releasing Bout back into the world is a deeply disturbing
decision.�

�We must stop inviting dictatorial and rogue regimes to use Americans
overseas as bargaining chips, and we must try to do better at encouraging
American citizens against traveling to places like Russia where they are
primary targets for this type of unlawful detention,� he continued.

Menendez�s statement mentioned U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, who was not
rescued by the Biden administration from his jail cell in Russia.

�My heart also goes out to the families of other American citizens in Russian
prisons and labor camps, including Paul Whelan,� the statement concluded.
�They have my renewed commitment and determination to use the power of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee to secure Mr. Whelan�s safe return and to
continue fighting for the release of all Russian political prisoners, like
Vladimir Kara Murza, and all other unjustly detained Americans.�

Whelan slammed the Biden administration during a CNN interview after the
announcement was made that Griner was the one who was going to be freed.

�I am greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release,
especially as the four-year anniversary of my arrest is coming up. I was
arrested for a crime that never occurred,� Whelan said. �I don�t understand
why I�m still sitting here.�

--
Let's go Brandon!

"trotsky" wrote:

> Stonekettle @Stonekettle
>
> Republicans literally mad this morning because an American citizen
> has been released from a Russian gulag and returned safely home.
>
> Literally mad. Seething.
>
> Their ideology has become so completely morally bankrupt that they
> literally are outraged over the return of an American.

U.S. officials are reportedly concerned that the Russian terrorist that
President Joe Biden freed Thursday in exchange for Brittney Griner could go
right back to trafficking weapons across the world.

Griner, who has a criminal record in the U.S. stemming from a domestic
violence incident several years ago, was arrested in Russia back in February
on drug charges and sentenced to 9 years in prison.

In exchange for Griner, Biden released Viktor Bout, a Russian weapons
trafficker who was convicted on terrorism charges back in 2011 for trying to
sell tens of millions of dollars worth of missiles and guns to the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for the purpose of shooting
down U.S.military helicopters and killing DEA agents.

�I think there is a concern that [he] would return to doing the same kind of
work that he�s done in the past,� a senior Defense Department official, who
spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, told Politico
following Bout�s release.

�Every Africanist who has been working on this for years and years probably
will have a little piece of flutter of disappointment inside� that Bout was
released, official said. �If his network � were to come to fruition, then we
would definitely share the challenges of what illicit weapons or illegal
weapons could mean for their prosperity.�

The report noted that British officials began warning about Bout over 20
years ago because their military forces were facing increasingly advanced
weaponry in Africa.

Derek Maltz, a former DEA special agent in charge, responded to the news by
calling it a �blow to the rule of law.�

�Americans should be very careful traveling around the world,� he said. �This
decision has put Americans at a huge risk.�

Michael Braun, a former chief of operations at the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration with over 30 years of experience in federal law enforcement,
wrote in an op-ed back in August that if Bout was released from prison he
could pose a serious threat to the U.S.

�I had ultimate oversight over the operation that led to Bout�s arrest and
incarceration,� he wrote. �Trading Bout away wouldn�t just be a slap in the
face of the law enforcement officers and operatives who labored to bring Bout
down, many of them risking their lives in the process. It would also pose a
grave threat to the national security of the United States and its allies.�

--
Let's go Brandon!

On 12/9/2022 6:51 AM, trotsky wrote:
> Stonekettle
> @Stonekettle
>
> Republicans literally mad this morning because an American citizen has
> been released from a Russian gulag and returned safely home.
>
> Literally mad. Seething.
>
> Their ideology has become so completely morally bankrupt that they
> literally are outraged over the return of an American.

Be fair, now. They'd be equally mad were she still captive.

On 12/9/22 10:10 AM, moviePig wrote:
> On 12/9/2022 6:51 AM, trotsky wrote:
>> Stonekettle
>> @Stonekettle
>>
>> Republicans literally mad this morning because an American citizen has
>> been released from a Russian gulag and returned safely home.
>>
>> Literally mad. Seething.
>>
>> Their ideology has become so completely morally bankrupt that they
>> literally are outraged over the return of an American.
>
> Be fair, now.  They'd be equally mad were she still captive.
>
>

Yes, mad as in insane. In the membrane.