Today brings the news that famed Russian arms merchant Viktor Bout has been arrested in Thailand. Curiously, it appears that Bout was arrested on an American warrant emanating out of alleged involvement in the Columbian/Venezuelan/FARC mess that the US appears to be ginning up.
However, as Emptywheel points out, Bout has also been the friend of the US recently.
Now, Viktor Bout seems to be back at work in Iraq. According to several sources, his planes, flying under the name of an airline company, British Gulf, likely to disappear as fast as it was created, are assuring "transport of materiel" for the American army. The company's advantage, one specialist in arms trafficking reveals, relates to the nature of the Russian merchant's crews and planes: "They're accustomed to land in any kind of war zone without having a fit. And if one of their planes is shot down, there's no risk of American pilots' bodies being dragged through the streets."I guess there are always people willing to make a buck (if they are smart, they will demand Euros); but after a while you wonder who is going to do business with this country when we really do need them. We partnered heavily with Sadaam in the 80s to suit our convenience to curb Iran, and when he indicated he wanted to reclaim what he considered to be Iraqi territory, i.e. Kuwait, we effectively told him there was no objection from the US. Then we took him out for doing so and so stigmatized him that it led to the next Bush in line invading and killing him. Now we walk hand in hand with Bout because we are too chicken to fly our own planes in Iraq, and then turn around and give Bout the boot. Pretty soon, thanks to the Bush neocons, we will be bankrupt, broke and no longer have the dollars(Euros) to buy people, and will have no friends because we are so two faced. Who will work with the US then?
