When I talk to someone like Stephen Braun, National Correspondent for the L.A. Times, I realize how far removed I am in South Georgia from the realities of a world I know nothing about and can scarce contemplate its existence: illegal arms trading. Guys like Viktor Bout, the Merchant of Death, just don’t do much business at our local Lowes. I even understand Bout was the inspiration for Nicholas Cage’s character in Lord of War
Former Russian GRU or KGB agent turned international arms trader, owner of a fleet of planes, boss to hundreds of employees, and protected by the Russian government, Viktor Bout, is the Sam Walton of arms deals. According to Braun, Viktor didn’t just sell arms to the Taliban and African dictators, after his fleet of planes delivered the goods, they were loaded with whatever products were available for transport to make the return trip profitable as well.
This guy has been banned from international travel by the UN, and yet, that doesn’t stop him from his base of operations somewhere in Russia. Within a maze of corporate names and documentary subterfuge, Viktor has even done business with the US in Iraq, being paid $60M to fly supplies.
Even though he has most certainly provided arms to Al Qaeda, the Taliban and other bad, bad people, he apparently has value to the US in Iraq. The US is supposedly working to keep him off the list of mercenaries whose assets are frozen for supplying arms to Liberian dictator, Charles Taylor. Bout has served so many governments and conflicting interests that apparently there is always someone wanting to protect him.
It just bothers me that we pay people like this to do things for us. I just can’t appreciate this fake morality of the Bush administration that condemns people for wanting to dispense condoms, but has no problem paying killers that want to dispense people. It makes me wonder if Viktor has stock in Halliburton.
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