dirtpusher Loc: tulsa oklahoma

The arms dealer was about to be released anyway

DennyT Loc: Central Missouri woods

Not according to mueller report

“””Russia engaged in extensive attacks on the U.S. election system in 2016”””

https://www.acslaw.org/projects/the-presidential-investigation-education-project/other-resources/key-findings-of-the-mueller-report/


“”””

And the Republican led senate intelligence committee

“””””The Committee found that the Russian government engaged in an aggressive, multi-faceted effort to influence, or attempt to influence, the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
“”””

https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/press/rubio-statement-senate-intel-release-volume-5-bipartisan-russia-report

Tex-s

I like making predictions, sometimes. I’ll bet Griner pays lip service to Biden/ administration initially, but goes into radio silence for a year or so as it pertains to politics. Only then will she again start complaining about the issue of the day. I bet also She will NOT contradict or retract anything she said or did in the past. Too much pride and too much invested in the narratives.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Yes, if you mean by Commander-in-Stupidity Biden. The Kremlin wins another one against the stupid US govt.

According to John Bolton, a prisoner swap of Bout for Whelan was turned down by the Trump administration as not a good deal.

FrumCA

You are probably correct. She certainly has the incentive to promote the administration but the question as to going into radio silence is still open IMO. It depends on how much pressure Biden puts on her to speak out. I think she will get a lot of pressure to speak on this.

National Park

During the negotiations, Russia consistently refused to make Whelan part of the deal unless the deal also included the release of a Russian assassin currently in prison in Germany for shooting a Chechnyan freedom fighter in broad daylight in a German park. Although the US has no jurisdiction over the assassin's imprisonment, the US did check with Germany which, not surprisingly, said they wouldn't release the assassin. So, Biden had to make a tough decision--bring home one American, or none. I'm not crazy about the exchange--an arms dealer for a basketball player (although another way to look at it is one American for one Russian)--but am glad that at least one American has come home. Even Whelan's brother has stated he understands why Biden approved the deal without his brother being part of it.

Not surprisingly, former President Trump has criticized Biden for not making Whelan part of the deal. Fair enough, but in making such a criticism Trump should explain why his administration had no interest in an offer from Russia to trade the arms dealer for Whelan, one for one. Trump should also explain what he would have done when Russia demanded the release of the assassin in German prison that Germany wouldn't release. There is no indication that Trump ever even discussed the matter of Whelan's imprisonment with Putin, even though Whelan was imprisoned during the Trump administration. Criticism is cheap.

And Biden continues to search for a way to bring Whelan home, just as he would for imprisoned Americans in Russia of any political or sexual persuasion. Let us pray that a deal can be made, and quickly.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Yeah well that was a long time ago and slavery was un-explicably accepted at the time, just ask the Dutch, responsible for the large majority of slavery in the New World, or maybe you can ask the Chinese who still practice slavery today. That verse has been all but forgotten until some malcontents dug it up, our National Anthem when sung certainly does not stand for or does it's celebration in any manner condone slavery. It celebrates the founding and the bravery and peril of witnessed during the founding of this nation.

Properframe Loc: US Virginia

If Russia wanted a pro athlete couldn't we have traded them Kaepernick?

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Personally I would suspect that she may feel a bit differently about this country now.

National Park

It is so un-American when someone who has different life experiences from mine exercises their freedom of speech and expresses an opinion that is different from mine. I think that yes, laws, regulations and even constitutional provisions that allow this should be terminated.

DennyT Loc: Central Missouri woods

So how do you think she felt ?

FrumCA

I've read a lot of media reports about Trump turning down a Whelan trade for Bout, but I can't find anything that explains why. The only thing I've seen is a statement from John Bolton: "The possibility of a Bout-for-Whelan trade existed back then,” said Bolton, “and it wasn’t made, for very good reasons having to deal with Viktor Bout.” Has anyone seen or heard what the "good reasons" were? I wonder if it had anything to do with Whelan being a disgraced Marine.

mwalsh Loc: Houston

Whelan does not rate any higher on my scale than the tall woman.

He served, but was discharged on a BCD due to conviction for crimes perpetrated while serving.

He does not rate being called a Former Marine...he is a disgraced and discharged character.

He does not represent the great patriot that some claim him to be. He is a criminal according to the USA and Russia. Griner was only a criminal in Russia.

Still seems like a lopsided trade...but don't we generally settle for lopsided trades on prisoner exchanges?

FrumCA

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

Be careful what you say in this place. The giddy ones take this stuff onboard as more ways to own the Libs.