The Biden Administration is offering to trade Viktor Bout with Brittney Griner and Paul N. Whelan, who are currently in Russian custody. However, the crimes that these people committed are not quite equal. Viktor Bout, also known as the “Merchant of Death”, is one of the world’s most notorious arms dealers. He sold weapons to terrorists, rebels, and militants around the world.
In comparison, Brittney Griner is a WNBA basketball player who was convicted by a Russian court for carrying hashish oil, a cannabis product, while Paul N. Whelan is a former marine convicted by a Russia court of espionage. When comparing the crimes of these prisoners, almost every court would rule that the American citizens have committed less severe crimes compared to Viktor Bout.
Some people support the prisoner exchange. They believe that this latest offer proves that the United States is doing everything they can for their citizens. Jeremy Bash, who was chief of staff at the C.I.A. when the United States made a high-profile spy swap with Russia in 2010, is one of the high-profile politicians that applaud this decision.
“The fact that Bout is a big fish isn’t really part of the calculus,” he said. “We value our own citizens a thousand times more than we value the foreign criminal. Israel takes the same approach. They’d trade a thousand Hamas fighters for one I.D.F. soldier. We in the U.S. take the same attitude. We will do almost anything to save an American life.”
Others disagree. They think that trading prisoners who committed major war crimes for American citizens who committed minor infractions will encourage other countries to take Americans prisoner for leverage against the United States. While the government’s heart is in the right place, rescuing a few American citizens might put many more at risk.
“I take a pretty hard line on it,” said John R. Bolton, a former U.N. ambassador and national security adviser. “It’s one thing to exchange prisoners of war. It’s one thing to exchange spies when you know that’s going on. But negotiations and exchanges with terrorists or with authoritarian governments become dangerous because then you’re just putting a price on the next American hostage.
It is unusual that this offer is being made public, as most prisoner swaps are private until they are agreed upon and the people are traded. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken revealed the trade offer to the public to reassure the families of Brittney Griner and Paul N. Whelan.
However, neither American nor Russian officials have confirmed whether this prisoner swap will go through.
Source: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1659263427193x621719543737524700/Why%20the%20U.S.%20Offered%20to%20Swap%20Griner%20for%20Bout%2C%20a%20Russian%20Arms%20Dealer%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
In comparison, Brittney Griner is a WNBA basketball player who was convicted by a Russian court for carrying hashish oil, a cannabis product, while Paul N. Whelan is a former marine convicted by a Russia court of espionage. When comparing the crimes of these prisoners, almost every court would rule that the American citizens have committed less severe crimes compared to Viktor Bout.
Some people support the prisoner exchange. They believe that this latest offer proves that the United States is doing everything they can for their citizens. Jeremy Bash, who was chief of staff at the C.I.A. when the United States made a high-profile spy swap with Russia in 2010, is one of the high-profile politicians that applaud this decision.
“The fact that Bout is a big fish isn’t really part of the calculus,” he said. “We value our own citizens a thousand times more than we value the foreign criminal. Israel takes the same approach. They’d trade a thousand Hamas fighters for one I.D.F. soldier. We in the U.S. take the same attitude. We will do almost anything to save an American life.”
Others disagree. They think that trading prisoners who committed major war crimes for American citizens who committed minor infractions will encourage other countries to take Americans prisoner for leverage against the United States. While the government’s heart is in the right place, rescuing a few American citizens might put many more at risk.
“I take a pretty hard line on it,” said John R. Bolton, a former U.N. ambassador and national security adviser. “It’s one thing to exchange prisoners of war. It’s one thing to exchange spies when you know that’s going on. But negotiations and exchanges with terrorists or with authoritarian governments become dangerous because then you’re just putting a price on the next American hostage.
It is unusual that this offer is being made public, as most prisoner swaps are private until they are agreed upon and the people are traded. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken revealed the trade offer to the public to reassure the families of Brittney Griner and Paul N. Whelan.
However, neither American nor Russian officials have confirmed whether this prisoner swap will go through.
Source: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1659263427193x621719543737524700/Why%20the%20U.S.%20Offered%20to%20Swap%20Griner%20for%20Bout%2C%20a%20Russian%20Arms%20Dealer%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
