![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
. | ![]() |
. |
![]()
Washington (AFP) Nov 16, 2010 The US State Department said Tuesday that Thailand's extradition of suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to the United States would not damage ties between Moscow and Washington. "We understand that on a number of issues... we agree to disagree sometimes. We have tensions that crop up periodically. And we work to manage those," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters. "I don't expect that this will have any impact on our relationship with Russia," Crowley added. Bout, dubbed the "Merchant of Death," was flown out of Thailand Tuesday to face trial in the United States following a long legal battle. His sudden departure came shortly after the Thai cabinet approved his handover in a move that prompted fresh fury from Moscow, which had vowed to do all it could to bring Bout home. Russia said his extradition was "illegal" and prompted by unprecedented US pressure. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would support Bout "by all means" and denounced what he described as an "extreme injustice", adding to speculation that Bout may have knowledge of sensitive information. The 43-year-old former Soviet air force pilot has been fighting extradition on terrorism charges since his March 2008 arrest after a sting operation in Bangkok involving undercover US agents posing as Colombian FARC rebels. He was flown out on a US government plane accompanied by officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), said Colonel Supisarn Bhakdinarunart, commander of Thailand's Crime Suppression Division.
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
![]() ![]() Moscow (AFP) Nov 16, 2010 Russia will offer Lebanon six combat helicopters, 31 tanks and 36 artillery pieces complete with ammunition and shells, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced late Monday from Moscow. "After the end of discussions between the Lebanese and Russian sides, Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced that Russia had decided to offer free aid to the Lebanese army," said a statement from Hariri's ... 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 |