We want him back because he’s an American. If he was a spy he would not be in the predicament he’s in.
Maria Butina is in no hurry to go to Russia. She undoubtedly knows Putin will “serve” her polonium tea.”
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He seems to have no qualms (no awareness) that everyone already knows where his interests lie. His imbecile followers don’t know or care. He’ll swap her in a nanosecond if he thinks it can help him.
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No deal we keep Butina, at least she is pretty.
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We want her back because she’s American.
Not necessarily. The US didn’t seem to care much about Layla Shweikani and she died in a Syrian prison recently. I don’t recall even hearing about her until she died.
Depending on who he is spying for and how competent he is, he might not be in the predicament he’s in.
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One Butina is worth a dozen Whelans unless Paul Whelan knows the whereabouts of the P-Tape…
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I doubt he’s spying on anyone. That’s Moscow talking and those guys are full of shit. He went to Russia with a US passport but could have used an Irish one. But he did not. He did not travel in circles that would lead to anything a spy was interested in. he just got in country. He’s not a spy. He’s an American and Russians being the punks they are thought they could pry Butina out with him. Trump would like to see her gone as well. Layla Shweikani was in Assad’s custody. There was an effort to get her out. She was not abandoned there to die. We have limited diplomatic relations with Syria and a “no go” policy with Assad. There’s a travel warning out for all America’s on Syria. The situations are not similar at all.
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The other three consulates inquiring and requesting to interview Whelan must feel like such fools.
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Yes, really fine assets.
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Yes, there was nothing to be gained by Trump if we got Shweikani back. Trump’s diplomacy with Putin is far better than his diplomacy with Assad. It could be a benefit to Trump if he could get Butina out of the US soon. Although, I imagine she’s given Mueller everything she knows by now.
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I suspect the main and only benefit / goal in all of this is getting Butina out of the USA before Mueller pries the real goody out of her. That’s why not a peep from Trump. It’s a Putin / Trump project.
Butina’s not worth shit if she doen’t cough up a Rubles to Trump scheme. It’s near certain that she was in the USA to facilitate such a thing. Oligarch cash to the NRA then to Trump. That’s why she had phony “gun rights” credentials. She came here a supposed nobody but soon was wining and dining with GOP big wigs and given a press slot to directly ask Trump set up questions. That’s not a nobody. If Mueller has not pried the money angle out of her that’s why they want her out of the USA. If that money trail is exposed the NRA ceases to exist, the GOP has mud on it’s patriotic faces and Trump’s in the shitter. Desperate times call up desperate acts. Like grabbing an innocent American in Moscow.
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Yes, except we don’t really know when she died. I suspect it was in September, 2016.
Confirmation of her death came about a month ago. Neither the White House nor the State Department has said a word since then.
The Obama Administration did not come out of this smelling like roses; and neither does Trump.
As noted, I think she was dead before Trump took office.
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That was a murky mess all around and, overall, meant about as much to the US as when the American girl was run over by an Israeli bull dozer a couple years ago. I have no idea of when Shweikani might have died.
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Rachel Corrie.
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LOLZ - yes, exactly!
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Yep, the NRA/Russia connection should devastate the GOP the need the exchange.
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Can’t comment usefully about Whelan in particular, but someone in his current position — or rather, someone in the position he appears to be in — could be someone’s asset.
According to his family he arrived in Russia just before Christmas.
As an asset he could be on a mission to do something, or he could be on a mission to be something.
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Maybe not innocent.
My guess is he works for Erik Prince and he was assigned this task.
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In other Russian news, I’ve seen other articles saying similar things that US intel and FBI would probably have to investigate where Donlad got these ideas from.Big issue being what Donald says sounds like it’s coming from Putin.
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One would think that a bad-conduct discharge makes Whelan ineligible for full-time employment by any of the US intelligence agencies, and/or ineligible for security clearance.
But, IANAS (I Am Not A Spy), so I don’t know that for sure. There might be some commenters here with security clearance who could knowledgeably weigh in on that though.
In any event, I suppose he could still be asked to keep an eye out when he’s travelling, and answer questions on his return. In other words, Whelan could be an informal asset, but that’s not enough to charge anyone with spying, as far as I know.
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