Pelosi defends releasing arms dealer to bring Brittney Griner home: ‘He has served most of time’

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has defended the Biden administration for trading notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout for WNBA star Brittney Griner in a Saudi-brokered deal that left Navy veteran Paul Whelan languishing. in a Russian jail.

In one of her last press conferences as House speaker, Pelosi suggested the White House had no choice as the administration faces criticism for trading the WNBA star for the former KGB agent who tried to arm the Taliban and al Qaeda.

Griner has been detained by Moscow since February on marijuana-related drug charges, and was recently sentenced to nine years of grueling labor in a Russian penal colony.

Bout, 55, was caught by the DEA in a fiendishly complicated sting operation in 2008 in which it thought he was selling weapons to the FARC, Colombian rebels, to shoot down American passenger planes. He was the inspiration for the main character played by Nicholas Cage in Lord of War.

The Biden administration had been under intense public pressure to remove the famous basketball player, against the backdrop of the worst diplomatic relations between the White House and the Kremlin since the Cold War.

Pelosi suggested in her weekly press conference that Bout, once dubbed the “merchant of death,” was the government’s only “lever” to free her.

Biden has come under scrutiny for failing to secure the release of Whelan and other Americans, including Marc Fogel.

The criticism was compounded by anger over Bout’s return to the Moscow authorities. Republicans have attacked Biden for what they call a one-sided deal that has the potential to embolden Vladimir Putin.

When asked about criticism of the Republican Party at her weekly news conference on Thursday, Pelosi admitted to Bout’s hostile reputation but claimed that his US prison sentence was almost up.

“Well, from what I understand, he’s served most of his term, most of his term,” Pelosi said.

“I agree with his characterization of who he is, he’s a bad guy. But the fact is that we wanted to release Brittney Griner and that’s the leverage we had to do just that.

Bout was convicted on terrorism-related charges, including conspiracy to kill Americans, in November 2011. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison the following April.

The arms dealer’s release date was not due to come until August 2029, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

As for Whelan, Pelosi said his continued detention was “of equal concern” to the United States, but she defended the president by pointing to statements by the former Marine’s family that the administration made “the right decision.”

“Everyone is fully committed” to securing Whelan’s release, the House speaker said.

A composite image shows US basketball player Brittney Griner (L) being escorted into a courtroom for a hearing, at the Khimki City Court, Russia, on July 7, 2022; and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout (R) handcuffed and escorted by Thai special forces to board his extradition plane to the US at Don Mueang airport in Bangkok, Thailand on November 16, 2010; aired on December 8, 2022. US and Russian government officials confirmed on December 8, 2022 that Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout were exchanged in a prisoner exchange

Brittney [Griner] being a basketball star, and that his name was more famous to ordinary Americans, but Paul Whelan is of at least the same concern to us: having his freedom.’

He added that Whelan is now an “even higher priority.”

Biden confirmed Griner’s release via social media early Thursday morning, sharing photos of the basketball player’s wife, Cherelle, inside the Oval Office.

The president said at the time that he had spoken to Griner on the phone and that she was on a plane back to the US.

Griner, 32, was flown from Moscow to Abu Dhabi, where she and Bout literally bumped into each other on an airport tarmac to meet their respective delegations.

A senior administration official said Griner was “all smiles” when he arrived at the Americans.

Whelan’s family said shortly before Biden made comments about the prisoner swap that they are “glad” about Griner’s freedom, but that his continued detention is a “catastrophe.”

Indirectly addressing their concern, the president said from the podium: “This was not a choice of which American to bring home.”

“We have not forgotten about Paul Whelan, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for years,” Biden said. “Unfortunately, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s.”

And while we still haven’t managed to secure Paul’s release, we’re not giving up. We never give up.’

Biden said the White House remains “in close contact” with the Whelan family and commiserated with their “mixed emotions” over Griner’s homecoming.

We will continue to negotiate in good faith for Paul’s release, I guarantee it. I tell the family. I guarantee it,’ said the president.