On Thursday, President Joe Biden released Viktor Bout, a dangerous Russian weapons trafficker convicted on terrorism charges in 2011, in exchange for Brittney Griner, an American citizen who is serving a nine-year sentence in Russia on drug charges.
This dangerous prisoner swap has U.S. officials concerned that Bout will go right back to trafficking weapons across the world and potentially put American lives at risk.
It's no secret that President Biden has had a shaky start to his presidency. His first major scandal was the botched response to the COVID-19 pandemic and now he's embroiled in yet another controversy related to his decision to release a convicted terrorist in exchange for an American citizen who has a criminal record stemming from a domestic violence incident several years ago.
The potential consequences of this decision are immense and could have disastrous implications for U.S.-Russia relations as well as global security. The fact that Biden decided to make such a risky exchange without consulting any of his advisors or national security experts is concerning, especially since there are reports that Bout was planning to use the weapons he was trying to sell to shoot down U.S. military helicopters and kill DEA agents!
What makes this situation even more alarming is that it doesn't appear as though Biden has any plan for preventing Bout from going back into the arms trade after being released from prison. Without proper oversight and monitoring, it would be all too easy for him to resume his illegal activities with impunity.
“I think there is a concern that [he] would return to doing the same kind of work that he’s done in the past,” a senior Defense Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, told Politico following Bout’s release.
And if he does manage to get away with it, then the consequences could be catastrophic—not only for America but also for countries around the world who rely on American aid and protection against terrorists like Bout!
TL;DR
President Joe Biden’s decision to release Viktor Bout—a dangerous Russian weapons trafficker convicted on terrorism charges—in exchange for Brittney Griner is deeply concerning and could have dire consequences not only here in America but all over the world if Bout goes back into the arms trade unchecked.
It's imperative that Biden take immediate action by putting measures in place that ensure Bout does not return to trafficking weapons or putting innocent lives at risk ever again. Anything less is unacceptable and puts us all at risk!
