 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Bangkok (AFP) Dec 2, 2010 Russian associates of alleged arms dealer Viktor Bout tried to block his extradition to America by bribing a key witness in the case, US diplomats warned in secret cables released Thursday. Two documents published on the WikiLeaks website detailed US frustrations during its attempts to gain custody of the former Russian military officer, who was arrested in Bangkok in March 2008 accused of terrorism. A cable sent in August 2009, soon after a Thai court refused the US extradition request, said there had been "significant indications that the Russians were trying to use bribes to influence the outcome of the case". This had prompted ambassador Eric John to gain assurances from the Thai prime minister earlier in the year to ensure the case was "free of inappropriate influence". A previous message, dated February last year, said the ambassador had told Abhisit of "growing concern" about the case. He laid out "evidence showing that the extradition proceedings against Bout have become tainted as a result of the efforts by Bout's associates to bribe Thai officials", it added. The ambassador detailed "false testimony" from an official -- whose name has been redacted -- who claimed Bout had been in Thailand to conduct "official business with the Thai government relating to a submarine project". The US Embassy in Bangkok believed that if the witness statement had not been proven false, the extradition could have been denied based on an "erroneous conclusion" that Thailand had official dealings with Bout. Other attempts to derail the process included a scheme to "arrest and thereby embarrass" two US diplomats -- both assigned to the investigation -- on allegations that they took illegal recordings of Bout on the day of his arrest. Bout, 43, a whose story inspired the 2005 Nicolas Cage film "Lord of War", was finally extradited to New York in November to face terrorism charges in a case that has strained US-Russian ties. In a career spanning two decades, the burly Russian allegedly stoked violence from Sierra Leone to Afghanistan by bartering deals for planes and guns.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links The Military Industrial Complex at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
In US talks, Russian military still guarded: WikiLeaksWashington (AFP) Dec 2, 2010 Russian military leaders remain guarded in talks with their US counterparts and defense cooperation has not progressed much since the end of the Cold War, according to a US document posted by WikiLeaks. In a leaked diplomatic cable written last year from the US embassy in Moscow, defense ties between the two countries are described as useful but hampered by a "lack of Russian transparency an ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook
