Who is Viktor Bout and Why should Africa care?...(Updates)

[Profesy]

THIS IS WHAT THEY PLAN TO CHARGE HIM WITH

 

[DoubleOSeven]

Who is Viktor Bout, and why should Africa care?​

This man is believed to be the biggest illegal arms dealer in history, and his largest market is Africa. Arrested and held in Thailand, will he spill the beans? ​

By NATION Reporter
Posted Thursday, November 4 2010 at 17:43


The “Merchant of Death” is just one of the labels given to Viktor Bout, the man on the left who is believed to be the biggest illegal arms dealer in history.

A dissident who has been second on the US intelligence agencies’ most-wanted list — after Osama Bin Laden — Bout had a weapons smuggling empire which lasted at least a decade and spanned three continents, including in Africa’s most murderous hot spots.

At only 43, he is believed to have provided weapons to every major armed conflict in the last decade, and even inspired the blockbuster movie Lord of War, starring Nicholas Cage (Bout was not too impressed).

Viktor has been in a Thai prison since 2008 and may be extradited to the United States for trial, something he has been doggedly appealing, and which some African politicians and generals have been equally hoping it doesn’t happen, given the information he has stockpiled on his dealings with them.

In the 1090s, regional and local conflict was rampant throughout many parts of western and central Africa. America’s National Security Council eventually decided to set-up electronic surveillance in war zones such as northeast Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone in 1999. A common factor kept cropping up: Viktor Bout.

He was allegedly capable of arranging deliveries of weapons to the guerrillas that enabled them to greatly enhance their military capabilities. In Angola’s case, he even supplied weapons to both sides. Many of Africa’s wars may not have been possible, let alone sustainable, without his help.

He was associated with three areas in particular; weapon shipments, airplanes and diamond transport. It was the last of these that contributed to his undoing. In 2002, Sanjivan Ruprah, a Kenyan diamond mine owner, offered details about business dealings between Al Qaeda and the arms trade run by Bout.

There has been a great deal of hesitancy by legitimate dealers to ‘do’ business with Africa. Most of this was born out of fear of loss of investment due to insecurity or bad infrastructure, not for Bout. He even earned himself the tag of ‘Sanctions Buster’ for violating UN arms embargoes in Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the DRC.

In the mid-’90s, the CIA circulated photographs showing Russian cargo aircraft, Antonovs and Ilyushins — which are built to land on almost any surface — and said these were part of Bout’s operation in Africa. He was criss-crossing the continent, transporting everything from frozen chicken to diamonds and helicopters.

Bout was doing deals whose existence was reliant on an unstable environment. And he was fortunate, in many ways, in his attempts to stay a step ahead of the authorities. International law does not target those who broker arms deals, and governments have had a hard time locating him, let alone building strong cases against him.

He was also fortunate to call many African leaders his ‘friends’. These included; Angolan rebel leader Jonas Malheiro Savimbi, Mobutu Sese Seko and Jean-Pierre Bemba who were respectively former president and vice-president to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Liberia’s notorious former president, Charles Taylor.

His explanations bordered on the ridiculous — he, for example, said of the photographs taken of him in Africa next to cargo planes being off-loaded by militia that they were simple shots of him taken after he accompanied one of his flower cargoes to the continent, and that he was simply admiring the landscape. Bout was born in 1967 to Russian parents in Tajikistan.

He has a strong military connection, having attended the Soviet Military Institute for Foreign Languages in Moscow and then going on to earn an economics degree from a Russian military college. He was also part of a military aviation regiment until 1991, spending two years in Mozambique during this time.

The most intriguing thing about this man was his ability to publicly live his life as one of the world’s most wanted. He claims to be someone who has found his success in the international transport business, as well as a father and husband. Bout began his career in air transport following the fall of the USSR, using abandoned military planes from the Soviet era.

His career, however, became difficult to maintain when, in 2002, Belgian authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. He subsequently went underground and hopped from capital to capital using aliases. In 2006, the US froze his assets but, interestingly, found that there was no law based on which he could be persecuted.

He was eventually caught in a ‘sting’ operation in Bangkok, Thailand, when he and US agents posing as Colombian rebels discussed shipments of arms to Colombia. Thai authorities took him in him shortly afterward. Even if Bout does fail the appeal, it will be a tricky process putting him on trial.

It may also bring more bad than good, considering the dossiers he has on not only many African governments, but also on western governments as well. If that doesn’t make it a diplomatically difficult paradigm, then fears that this case has the ability to unlock the secrets to many African wars — and, potentially, the ability to cause many more — certainly will.

What is certain is that Africa will be watching the unfolding developments raptly.


Daily Nation:*- DN2*|Who is Viktor Bout, and why should Africa care?

... as for Tanzania, the unfolding developments will have a common denominator in the name of a damning UN report and its implications in as far as who in Tanzania are (were) Bouts accomplices. Just as a hint, I recall that the then US Ambasssador cut short his tenure in Tanzania. It is alleged in Diplomatic circles that after briefing Mkapa (then President) about Mapanki and Arms it was mutually agreed that he packed and return to US. I have always wondered why!!!

 

[Manda]

Mara ya kwanza nilisoma stori yake kwenye gazeti la The EastAfrican, after kukamatwa Bangkok, it is very interesting kuwa the guy did some business as well with UN!, asa in this case pia unaona kuwa alikuwa ana deal na wamerekani on the other way round, mtu hawezi kukamata tenda za kusambaza vifaa kijeshi kwa UN bila ku link kwa namna moja au nyingine na US (CIA), naona yaleyale ya Osama, wakikuchoka wanakuita Gaidi!
Nevertheless, i read somewhere kuwa pia alishawai kuwauzia jeshi la Kenya choppers za kivita!..i remember keeping the article ya gazeti (hardcopy), kwa library yangu, i hope i have it, i don't think will get time to scan it, though it is very provoking.

 

[Profesy]

... as for Tanzania, the unfolding developments will have a common denominator in the name of a damning UN report and its implications in as far as who in Tanzania are (were) Bouts accomplices. Just as a hint, I recall that the then US Ambasssador cut short his tenure in Tanzania. It is alleged in Diplomatic circles that after briefing Mkapa (then President) about Mapanki and Arms it was mutually agreed that he packed and return to US. I have always wondered why!!!

So what do you think? I have heard the then Minister of Foreign Affairs - a certain Jakaya Kikwete was aware of this. Rumour has it his son may have stumbled on some of the cash in its entirety and may have even spent some of it.

This also shows that some Tanzanians are responsible for the deaths of other innocent Africans who were involved in this gun trade.

 

[mageuzi1992]

He is notorious illegal arms dealer.....

 

[Avocado]

If the guy will co operate,then the fall of the world well known leaders especially AFRICA is coming,but I hope he wont dare to open his big ,mouth rather than dying !

 

[DoubleOSeven]

So what do you think? I have heard the then Minister of Foreign Affairs - a certain Jakaya Kikwete was aware of this. Rumour has it his son may have stumbled on some of the cash in its entirety and may have even spent some of it.

This also shows that some Tanzanians are responsible for the deaths of other innocent Africans who were involved in this gun trade.

... god forbid!!! But then what conflict ensued to prompt the then US Ambassador (Royal, Steve) to leave before ending his tour.
Who are the gun runners in TZ? As I recall, the damning UN report was viciously opposed by the same MFAIC. Right??? Is it because of RizOne again??? Who???

 

[Profesy]

... god forbid!!! But then what conflict ensued to prompt the then US Ambassador (Royal, Steve) to leave before ending his tour.
Who are the gun runners in TZ? As I recall, the damning UN report was viciously opposed by the same MFAIC. Right??? Is it because of RizOne again??? Who???

It is more than likely or the other son along with a few more young turks from the governmental factions. As soon as I get more on this I will try and inform the masses.

In Darwin's Nightmare, there was mention of the arms going to Sierra Leone and this was at the peak of Taylors tyranny when the ambassador raised the alarm. Maybe the man realized his silence was causing instability that he was aware of... What you think?

 

[Percival]

Are times changing or just a conflict and missundestanding between 2 leading criminals in arms market ? ( Victor and US ) Suddenly US has Africa interest and security at heart and is chassing 'illegal' arms dealer around the world who supply arms to Africa. Are we going to see some people from CIA facing justice for supplying UNITA in Angola with weapons and mines which killed and maimed millions ? or those responsible for conflict in Congo in 60s.
US has no realy good intention for Africa it is just they have fallen apart with this guy for some other reasons apart from supplying weapons to Africa. If US interest are served by sinking Africa, US will not blink but sink Africa.

 

[Profesy]

Are times changing or just a conflict and missundestanding between 2 leading criminals in arms market ? ( Victor and US ) Suddenly US has Africa interest and security at heart and is chassing 'illegal' arms dealer around the world who supply arms to Africa. Are we going to see some people from CIA facing justice for supplying UNITA in Angola with weapons and mines which killed and maimed millions ? or those responsible for conflict in Congo in 60s.
US has no realy good intention for Africa it is just they have fallen apart with this guy for some other reasons apart from supplying weapons to Africa. If US interest are served by sinking Africa, US will not blink but sink Africa.

Listen to what this guy says.

 

[inols]

This guy is just an escape-goat of the real actors of all the civil wars so called state of unrest in Africa, some parts of east Europe and Asia so that they can get the market of their weapons as well as testing their new killing machines on African soil and other parts previously mentioned. The very moment they realized are going to be caught then they resolved into sacrificing the middle-man of their lucrative business so that they can save their neck. It's real sad but this is how people make a living this world, greediness, covetousness drive people to do absurd things that the mind can not comprehend.

 

[TUJITEGEMEE]

Urusi imelalamikia utaratibu uliomtia hatiani mfanyabihashara wa silaha na askari wa zamani wa UrusiViktor Bout aliyekamatwa Thailand na baadaye kupelekwa marekani.

Bout amehukumiwa miaka 25 jela kwa kosa la kuhatarisha usalama wa raia wa Marekani. Urusi imesema hukumu hiyo imechagizwa na masuala ya kisiasa na wala sio masuala ya kisheria.


Waziri wa mambo ya nje wa Urusi amesema watafanya kila linalowezekana kumurejesha Bout nyumbani


Russia will seek to bring Viktor Bout home - Telegraph

Russia condemns US sentence for arms dealer Viktor Bout | World news | guardian.co.uk

http://www.newser.com/article/d9tvl...rms-dealer-imprisoned-in-nyc-terror-case.html

LA KUJIULIZA

Urusi kama huko nyuma walijaribu kumuokoa Bout asifugwe kwa kufuata masuala ya kisheria, sasa je watatumia njia gani kumrejesha nyumbani Bout zaidi ya kutumia nguvu ya kijeshi ?

 

[Lokissa]

urusi hawaeleweki,kuna yule mfanyibiashara bilionea walimfunga ili asigombee urais na Putin kwa amri ya Putin
sasa iweje wamtetee huyu bwana wkt kwao hawathamini demokrasia ya kweli na hakuna haki?
tuone mwisho wake itakuwaje.

 

[i pad3]

w2arusi ni wajinga na maskini hedi wajinga sana hawa jamaa

 

[TUJITEGEMEE]

Lakini nadhani Warusi wanayo haki ya kumtetea na kumlinda raia mwenzao, kama wamarekani walivyofanya kwa yule askari wake aliyeua raia zaidi ya kumi wa Afghanstan.

Hivyo kama ni suala la demokrasia/haki kutendeka basi wangemuacha (wamarekani) askari muuaji ahukumiwe na mahakama za Afghanstan kuliko kumtorosha kama walivyofanya.

 

[Ab-Titchaz]

Lakini nadhani Warusi wanayo haki ya kumtetea na kumlinda raia mwenzao, kama wamarekani walivyofanya kwa yule askari wake aliyeua raia zaidi ya kumi wa Afghanstan.

Hivyo kama ni suala la demokrasia/haki kutendeka basi wangemuacha (wamarekani) askari muuaji ahukumiwe na mahakama za Afghanstan kuliko kumtorosha kama walivyofanya.

Mkuu,

katika hili swala la huyu bwana the picture is bigger that it looks.

...kwanza kabisa jamaa alikua military officer urusi na kwa hio Marekani wanajua wakikaa nae kwa m'da
flani watamtoa information kwa njia moja au nyengine.

...pili, tazama angle ya majasusi kati ya hizi nchi mbili. Its not a secret they spy on each other na Marekani
inamzuia jamaa just in case hapo mbeleni majasusi wao watasopolewa na itabidi mambo ya 'Prisoner swap'
in that case Viktor anakua a very powerful bargaining chip.

...welcome to the world of espionage and geo-politics.