State Dept, 6 in Congress express concern at potential freedom for reputed arms merchant Bout

Viktor Bout case: US concern over possible freedom

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration and a half-dozen members of Congress are expressing concern over the potential release of reputed international arms merchant Viktor Bout by the government of Thailand.

On Thursday, the State Department said that sending Bout to the United States to face criminal charges is a high priority for the U.S.

The State Department said it is closely monitoring developments and working with the Justice Department to ensure that Thai authorities have all of the support and information required to pursue the case to a successful conclusion within the Thai legal system.

In a letter Wednesday to Thailand’s ambassador in Washington, three Democrats and three Republicans in Congress said that if Bout is freed, he would provide arms to groups that target U.S. and Thai interests around the globe.

Bout is the subject of a diplomatic tug-of-war. Russia does not want him going on trial in the United States.

The U.S. and Russia are awaiting a court ruling Friday in Thailand on the matter.

“We find the potential release of a man responsible for countless deaths of innocents in Africa and elsewhere simply astounding,” the lawmakers wrote.

The six lawmakers are Reps. Howard Berman, D-Calif., and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the chairman and ranking Republican, respectively, on the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Reps. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., and Ed Royce, R-Calif., the chairman and ranking Republican, respectively, on the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade; Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on African Affairs; and Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science.