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© Thomson Reuters 2022.U.S. says it is working on 'next steps' to secure release of Whelan from Russia
By Andrea Shalal and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
20 Comments
Strangerland
I'm surprised Biden would open up another attack vector on himself with this. It's scoring an own-goal, as bringing home captured prisoners is now an attack vector in American politics, rather than being something Americans want to happen for their people.
Biden is going to lose the presidency if he keeps scoring own goals by opening up attack vectors on himself through bringing home captured Americans...
Blacklabel
Glad you finally gaining some understanding that we don’t like one sided trades that only make sense if identity politics are considered.
makes targets of identity politics related travelers as better trades. So they are at more risk than even supposed spies like Whelan who was found not worthy of the trade.
painkiller
BlacklabelToday 02:53 pm JST
Exactly.
wallace
Putin wants a spy-for-a-spy swap. Can Biden persuade the Germans to release their Russian spy imprisoned for murder? ex-colonel, Vadim Krasikov.
Yrral
Why is this guy a priority,when an innocent American is in jail in America,maybe if innocent American that are in jail , should be America priority Google Julius Jones
Rodney
Julian Assange?
Yrral
Blacklabel , Whelan showed poor judgement by going to Russia,we should concentrate on innocent American,in America jail
Eastman
nothing hurry at all.
nobody is hurry abt Julian Assange for years so Whelan...will wait...
Blacklabel
Biden: “She represents the best America — the best about America — just across the board, everything about her.”
because she decided to transport illegal drugs, break international law and get caught by Russia. Causing Biden to “have to” trade an arms dealer to get her back. Now gets the hero treatment?
If my family is in jail for possession in the USA, Im asking for them to be immediately released too.
what does Pail Whelan “represent” about America that he had to stay there?
Local Gaijin
I strongly disagree with trading arms dealer for Griner. Also fail to see why the U.S. has sole responsibility for getting Whelan home.
Wiki: Paul Nicholas Whelan- Canadian-born former United States Marine [my note: former because he received a Bad Conduct Discharge] with U.S., British, Irish, and Canadian citizenship. …arrested in Russia 12/28/18, accused of spying. On 6/15/20 received a 16-year prison sentence.
1) News mentioning that he was a Marine without mentioning why he’s former is only intended to pull on patriotic heartstrings.
2) He holds citizenship in 4 countries. If he should be bargained for, all 4 share responsibility for it.
Sven Asai
Easy, because the Russians didn’t really want Bout first in exchange for Griner. They wanted someone else and that one can be offered now in exchange for Whelan in this second attempt
Nemo
Hang on a sec. Dotard just came out and admitted that he had a one for one offer Wheelan for Bout on the table and he turned it down.
But somehow, Biden is the bad guy for not getting Wheelan back?
Seems beyond hypocritical to me. Either:
A: It's Trump's fault for not taking a deal when he had the opportunity
B: Biden isn't the bad guy for not getting him out. Biden took what was available and got the person he could get.
The fact that Wheelan's own family says they support the deal and also noted that Trump posted more in a day than he did about Paul the entire time he was held under Dotard's "Administration" (Zero times) is all the proof one really should need about how disengenuous the attacks on the current administration are (as well as how this is really about who got released.)
wallace
Blacklabel
The decision to swap Whelan is Putin's to make, not Biden's. He wants ex-colonel, Vadim Krasikov.
Blacklabel
Ok then Biden has some work to do then, doesn’t he?
or he doesn’t care about Whelan as a white, ex military, straight, man? No value to getting him released too?
Blacklabel
If we don’t continue to push and shame Biden to finish the job then he will just casually move on to the next “identity” thing on the list.
wallace
Blacklabel
was Trump wrong not to bring Whelan home?
Blacklabel
Did he? He personally said so?
of course the family is criticing Trump, they know Biden loves that stuff. I don’t blame them at all.
makes Biden more likely to make another bad deal due to the flattery.
maybe Joe can send the smartest guy he knows to Germany to pull off another incredible deal for something he knows nothing about.
Kuku
About fifteen years - just right for Whelan
Local Gaijin
Blacklabel
Why is it Biden’s problem?
The guy has citizenship in 4 countries!
Trump didn’t care to get him released and he certainly had a better chance to than Biden considering his close relationship with Putin.
Note: I don’t get to emotionally worked up about anybody that gets convicted in a court marshal and booted from the military. He forfeited his right to respect as someone that served when he did that.
Fwiw, I don’t get worked up about people traveling with and getting caught with illegal substances. Not my problem. Not America’s problem either. And certainly not one that should get an arms dealer released in exchange for.
Blacklabel
He actually didn’t due to a bunch of idiots false screaming about “Russia collusion” and “Putin’s puppet” all day long for years.
any deal he made would have been criticized to the point of another no reason at all impeachment.
biden just made a deal with Putin, so they are homies now.