This is Chess not Checkers...And the USA are better Players.

"Don't hate the players, hate the game."

Until recently Thailand appeared to want to stay at arms length and separate itself from the decision, to be neutral and let the U.S. and Russia settle the case amongst themselves. However, as the extradition court date nears, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, according to the Associated Press, said weeks ago that “he will have the final say in the politically sensitive extradition of alleged Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout to the United States, noting that one side is bound to be disappointed.”

Abhisit also stated that, “Washington had expected a more rapid extradition but the case spurred a diplomatic tug-of-war with Moscow that led to long delay;Not pressure from the Rssian government.

The question was never about whether or not Viktor Bout would be extradited? It was more a question of when. Last week I read an interesting piece on Bout. It was a Fox News articled titled, ‘Merchant of Death’ Viktor Bout Will Never Be Extradited to U.S., Expert Says, written by Ed Barnes. A lawyer named Robert Amsterdam, who is deeply involved in both Russian and Thai politics, is the expert that Barnes refers to in the article. Amsterdam is quoted as stating that the extradition, “isn’t going to happen.” Well newsflash it happened....

He then refers to this case as “the last great spy battle of the Cold War, which pitted Russians looking to keep Bout’s secrets away from the Americans against the Americans who are seeking to shut down the vast illegal arms network he allegedly created and force him to reveal some of the Kremlin’s darkest secrets.”

Abound The Rumors

"It a deal...we look up that scumbag forever in the United States okay. Okay."

There have been numerous rumors and allegations floating around that Russia tried to bribe Thailand with cheap oil and fighter jets and the U.S. allegedly matched the arms offer and used political pressure to assure Bout’s extradition. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was quoted in The Nation in late August as saying, “Thailand is a major ally of the U.S. in Southeast Asia but also wants to maintain good relations with Russia for political and economic interests.”

Experts say Bout allegedly has knowledge of Russia’s military and intelligence operations and Moscow does not want him to go on trial in the United States. However, one investigative journalist, has said that Bout being directly involved in Russian intelligence agencies is simply not true.

Bout also denied having any classified information regarding the Russian state and its leaders, saying he had worked neither with Russian companies nor state agencies. Bout was quoted in Russia Today as stating, “I don’t know any secrets of the Russian state or its leaders… I have never even worked with Russian companies and state agencies.”

High Stakes

"Low stakes"

New developments, twist and turns and allegations to Bout’s ties to political leaders and intelligence agencies continue to develop. This has turned into an extremely important, high profile and high priority case for not only the U.S and Russia but also for Thailand as well. The outcome of Viktor Bout’s extradition case could have a major and long lasting impact on political, economic as well as trade relations between the three countries. There has been warnings and threats from Russian politicians that diplomatic relations between Russia and the U.S. could suffer if Bout is indeed extradited.

Just three months ago President Obama took Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to his favorite ‘burger joint’ in Arlington, Virgina for a lunch meting. More importantly Russian President Medvedev recently signed the nuclear non-proliferation New START treaty in Washington, D.C. Ties between the U.S. and Russia have been ‘reset’ and have become much more open and friendlier. Many feel that Bout’s extradition to the U.S. could sour these new friendlier ties between the two countries.

Vladimir Kozin, Russian deputy director of the ministry’s information and press department, wrote in an opinion article in the Moscow Times at the end of August, warning that “the ballyhoo created by Washington over him [Mr Bout] may inevitably affect Russian-US relations to the detriment of the US effort to “reset them”. In an effort to try and keep things balanced and counter criticisms from Russian diplomats, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva stressed that the case was not politically motivated.

At the end of August, as reported by the Bangkok Post, Prime Minister Abhisit was asked about concerns that ties between Thailand and Russia or between Thailand and the US could turn sour over the Bout case. Mr Abhisit said “the Foreign Ministry would explain the case to both countries and improve understanding. He admitted that this might take time."

Abhisit expressed his concerns about the outcome of this case last Thursday in the Moscow Times. When the Prime Minister was asked whether he was concerned about the outcome, he replied,

“Definitely.” He then added, “a decision for one side means the other party is bound to be dissatisfied, but we have to try to follow the rules and spend time making them understand and minimizing the impact.”

Highly Curious Case of Viktor Bout

After spending over two and a half years in Thai prisons, Viktor Bout’s fate was decided this Monday, October 4, 2010. It has certainly been a difficult and uncomfortable balancing act for Thailand thus far. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was quoted about a month ago in Russia Today as saying that, “Thailand is a third party in the case of Viktor Bout, the U.S. and Russia should resolve this issue.”

"This man is still not sexy."

I like it when people talk about the movie "Lord of War" without trying to make it "sexy." On the kitchen counter.

"There is nothing sexy about this man."

Viktor Bout, the arms dealer who inspired the movie "Lord of War," is finally where he belongs in a United States prison.

I've been following Bout's story for years. Mostly because I was married to a Russian and typically we would debate the shortcomings of Bout. In 2007, Laura Rozen related the real-life story of the former Soviet military officer who made millions selling weapons to anyone and everyone who could afford them. After the first reports of Bout's arrest in Thailand, Bruce Falconer reminded readers that the "Merchant of Death" had been among the first to bring supplies into Baghdad after the city fell to invading American armies in 2003. Later that month, Falconer told the full story of the DEA-led sting that captured Bout and brought us to where we are now. That piece was called "Viktor Bout's Last Deal." And this August, many worried that the US may have bungled the extradition process. It took a few months, but as we now see Thailand and the Obama administration worked things out.

The successful extradition is sure to anger Russia, which maintains Bout's innocence. The New York Times' Seth Mydans, who's on the scene in Bangkok, explains:
Russia quickly called the extradition illegal.
"From a legal perspective, what has occurred cannot have a rational explanation and justification," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "There is no doubt that the illegal extradition of Viktor Bout came about as a consequence of unprecedented political pressure exerted by the U.S. on the government and judicial authorities of Thailand. It is deeply regrettable that the Thai authorities succumbed to political pressure from outside and undertook the illegal extradition."

At first glance, this seems like a straight win for the White House. The Russians weren't even alerted that Bout was headed to the airport, and America clearly won the tug-of-war in Bangkok. But this is about more than just Bout and Thailand—it has to be understood in the broader context of President Obama's somewhat stalled efforts to strengthen relations with Moscow. The centerpiece of that effort, the New start nuclear arms treaty, is languishing in the Senate, and Russian hardliners have recently been emboldened by the victories of their Republican counterparts in the US. (The decision to extradict Bout—and upset the Russians—may suggest that the Obama administration is beginning to give up hope on New Start and moving to take victories where it can get them.) UPDATE: Okay, maybe that was going too far. Obviously, it seems hard to imagine that the Russians would fail to ratify New START just because of Bout. (The Senate still has to move before the Russians.) You can read a lot of different things in these tea leaves: maybe extraditing Bout suggests the administration thinks its relationship with Russia is strong enough to withstand the controversy over one arms dealer. Who knows.

The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan

This photo of a young Afgan dancing boy

Many boys feeling they have no choice or are poor will engage in this activity. If they have no father, this becomes the only source of income for the family. The bacha bazi dancers are often abused children whose families have rejected them. Their ‘owners’ or ‘masters’ can be single or married men, who keep them in a form of sexual slavery, as concubines. I read where one man is quoted as saying : "Some men enjoy playing with dogs, some with women. I enjoy playing with boys." One of the reasons why the practice had become more common, one of which was the growing influence of local strongmen, who regard bacha baazi as status symbols.  Militia commanders and other men of substance buy and sell good-looking boys, using the bacha baazi parties as marketplaces. which was the growing influence of local strongmen, who regard bacha baazi as status symbols. It used to be that only a few people had boys. Now everyone owns one and the authorities don’t care about it at all. It’s seen as a disgrace if you don’t have dancing boys at your wedding. Commanders and wealthy men arrange parties in order to select a bacha bereesh. Many of the men make their boys dance at these parties, and other men choose one and pay for him. By the end of the party, the boy has acquired a new owner. Commanders often take their boys to a market and buy them beautiful clothes, as a challenge to other commanders. Sometimes they even give them cars. That gives them a very big reputation. Bacha bazi has increased tremendously lately and is still on the rise. In the past, people were ashamed of it, and tried to hide it. Now nobody is shy about it, and they participate openly in these parties. This has led to a rise in immoral behaviour among boys, and if nothing is done about it, this trend will continue.

Images that changed the world

Some of this pictures are quite disturbing. It permeates the harsh realities of life. Emotionally disturbing. You have been warned.

Man walks on the Moon

In one of the most famous photographs of the 20th Century, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin walks on the surface of the moon near the leg of the lunar module Eagle. Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong took this photograph with a 70mm lunar surface camera. Armstrong and Aldrin explored the Sea of Tranquility for two and a half hours while crewmate Michael Collins orbited above in the command module Columbia. As the world remembers the thrilling Apollo 11 mission 35 years later, NASA’s newVision calls for a return to the moon, followed by journeys of discovery to Mars and beyond.

 

Police beating of Rodney King

Rodney King has been arrested for spousal abuse DUI, possession of the drug PCP, indecent exposure and speeding. Rodney might best be remembered by the riots in Los Angeles following his beating by several policemen. Rodney King has the unique planetary aspects common to those born in the 1965 era. It would seem logical for the astrology of this particular year in time to show anti social tendencies in ones personality. The sixties was all about rebellion and anti establishment behaviour. Perhaps the aspect Saturn opposite Uranus in that year combined with Mars Pluto as shown in Rodney King’s chart is representative of the ‘abused’ and the ‘perpetrator’ in his situation.

The lynching of young blacks

This is a famous picture, taken in 1930, showing the young black men accused of raping a Caucasian woman and killing her boyfriend, hanged by a mob of 10,000 white men. The mob took them by force from the county jail house. Another black man was left behind and ended up being saved from lynching. Even if lynching photos were designed to boost white supremacy, the tortured bodies and grotesquely happy crowds ended up revolting many.

Dying Soldier Clings to Priest

Puerto Cabello naval base, Venezuela, 4 June 1962. A soldier who has been mortally wounded by a sniper clings onto navy chaplain Luis Padillo. About the image Braving the streets amid sniper fire, to offer last rites to the dying, the priest encountered a wounded soldier, who pulled himself up by clinging to the priest’s cassock, as bullets chewed up the concrete around them. Rondón Lovera, who had to lie flat to avoid getting shot, later said that he was unsure how he managed to take this picture.

Execution of a Viet Cong

This picture was shot by Eddie Adams who won the Pulitzer prize with it. The picture shows Nguyen Ngoc Loan, South Vietnam’s national police chief executing a prisoner who was said to be a Viet Cong captain. Once again the public opinion was turned against the war.

Source: Associated Press

This is a picture of a truck driver who was taken out of his truck and assualted during the LA riots. The LA riots accured after four cops were found innocent after they were video-taped beating Rodney King.

   

Burial of an unknown child

Burial of an unknown child. This unknown child has become the icon of the world’s worst industrial disaster, caused by the US multinational chemical company, Union Carbide.

Man mutilated Rwanda

Rwanda, June 1994. Hutu man mutilated by the Hutu ‘Interahamwe’ militia, who suspected him of sympathizing with the Tutsi rebels. About the image Nachtwey says his specialty is dealing with ground level realities with a human dimension. He feels that people need photography to help them understand what’s going on in the world, and believes that pictures can have a great influence on shaping public opinion and mobilizing protest.

Last Jew of Vinnitsa

Picture from an Einsatzgruppen soldier’s personal album, labelled on the back as “Last Jew of Vinnitsa, it shows a member of Einsatzgruppe D is just about to shoot a Jewish man kneeling before a filled mass grave in Vinnitsa, Ukraine, in 1941. All 28,000 Jews from Vinnitsa and its surrounding areas were massacred at the time.

Kim Phuc, a nine-year old girl running naked and severely

 burned on her back by a napalm attack.

The United States was even more innocent of this tragedy. This young girl was burned after a bombing attack by a pilot of the Air Force of South Vietnam. Once again anti-war organizations used this photo to attack the United States and implied that it was an American pilot that dropped the napalm.

Sierra Leone elections

May: Sierra Leone held multi-party elections following the end of a brutal 10-year war. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was re-elected by a landslide. The rebel Revolutionary United Front turned itself into a political party but its candidate won less than 2% of the vote. RUF leader Foday Sankoh is in prison and is expected to be charged with war crimes by the UN-backed Special Court.

Policeman extinguishes man on fire

The aftermath: South Africa a policeman extinguishes the fire on a man who was set alight by a Reiger Park mob.

First Black Student

World Press Photo of the Year: 1957 Douglas Martin, USA, The Associated Press. Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, 4 September 1957. Dorothy Counts, one of the first black students to enter the newly desegregated Harry Harding High School. About the image Reporters and photographers bore witness and recorded the violence that erupted when Dorothy Counts showed up for her first day at an all-white school. People threw rocks and screamed “Go back where you came from”. They got their way – after a string of abuses, Dorothy’s family withdrew her from the school after only four days.

Kuwait oil field on fire

The Kuwaiti oil fires were a result of the scorched earth policy of Iraqi military forces retreating from Kuwait in 1991 after conquering the country but being driven out by Coalition military forces .

African violence spreads west to South America

Montevideo, Uruguay – 83 people have been killed and hundreds injured in the last wave of violence to hit the Uruguayan capital. Local media is reporting that the most recent outburst began in the low income neighbourhood of Malvin Norte in the South eastern part of the city, but quickly spread to outlying areas. Police and military personnel were quickly dispatched to bring rioters under control. This is the fourth major outbreak of violence Uruguay in the last two weeks.A Government official tied this latest outbreak of violence to the ongoing spread of violence from Western Africa, the effects of which have been seen in Brazil, Paraguay, and as far west as Ecuador. Government officials are putting the blame solely on the activities on the continent to the east.

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an African American civil rights activist whom the U.S. Congress later called the "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement." On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks, age 42, refused to obey bus driver James Blake's order that she give up her seat to make room for a white passenger. Her action was not the first of its kind: Irene Morgan, in 1946, and Sarah Louise Keys, in 1955, had won rulings before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Interstate Commerce Commission respectively in the area of interstate bus travel. Nine months before Parks refused to give up her seat, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to move from her seat on the same bus system. But unlike these previous individual actions of civil disobedience, Parks' action sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Robert F. Kennedy

The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, took place on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time (18:30 UTC) in Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was fatally shot while riding with his wife Jacqueline in a Presidential motorcade.

911

Need I say more