MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court on Monday sentenced an American security executive to 16 years in prison on spying charges, a verdict that drew an angry response from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who denounced the man’s treatment by Russian authorities as “appalling.”
Well, this is right up Trump’s alley. He’s good friends with Putin. He talks to him on the phone at least once a week. All he’ll have to do is say, “look, it’s one guy. He didn’t mean it. Can you do this one favor for me?”
And Putin will.
Right?
A Russian court on Monday sentenced an American security executive to 16 years in prison on spying charges
At least they didn’t sentence him to a window.
Awaiting the harsh and pointed reaction from the White House. Expect an unambiguous Twitter attack on Vladimir Putin this morning, with a stern warning not to use American citizens as political pawns.
Not.
U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan denounced the secret trial in which no evidence was produced as an egregious violation of human rights and international legal norms. He described Whelan’s conviction as “a mockery of justice” and demanded his immediate release.
Guess he didn’t get the memo that his bosses Stateside are really into mockeries of justice, violations of human rights and international legal norms.
The ambassador has a lot of repair work scheduled for his greenhouse.
And not that any of this began with Trump, either.
Whelan, who also holds British, Irish and Canadian citizenship, denies the charges of spying for the U.S. that his lawyers said stem from a sting operation. Whelan’s lawyer has said his client was handed a flash drive that had classified information on it that he didn’t know about.
I am not sure this guy is one I would place the hands in the fire. Pretty sketchy MoFo. I bet neither the Irish, British or Canadian diplomats are doing much for him.
“Whelan’s Russian lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, pointed at Russian official statements signaling a possibility that Whelan could be exchanged for Russians Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko.”
He is no use to them dead, this is clearly about getting their two crooks back. Any other POTUS would sanction them and cause them enough pain that they would change their minds about the sentence, but that won’t happen with Trump. Anyone considering travel to Russia might want to rethink it.
Agreed, it was an outrageous flaunting of legal norms, BUT…
Whelan is a Canadian-born, American Citizen “Security Executive”, former Marine Corps veteran (supposedly he received a bad conduct discharge from the Marine Corps, which is a common cover story for people recruited to be CIA Spooks out of the military) who just so happens to have British, Irish, AND Canadian citizenship?
This just screams: CIA Spook.
Yup. Thus the harsh sentence, to sweeten the pot.
Let’s just say I wouldn’t be too specific.
So why can’t we retaliate by arresting and convicting all the Russian spies currently infesting our country. Mitch, Jared, Pompeo, Fat Nixon, etc.
We should have hung on to Mariia Butina.
Yeah, let’s see what kind of a deal IMPOTUS can swing with his best bud Vladdie.
Of course, if the “spy” turns out to be a Dem, no deal. One less Biden voter…l
Yeah, that IS unusual, right? I mean, unless you’re Jason Bourne…
Supposedly? Any info out there about this?
if any deal happens it will go down about two weeks before the election, with Whelan going straight to the white house (after they quarantine him for two weeks in a black site).
Someone in comments at WaPo said the big “prizes” for exchange are a person who trafficked in cocaine and a gun runner.
Model citizens. The Russians can keep this guy. Or maybe we can trade the Trumps for him.
Less than you might think. He is a citizen of all four countries (born in canada and naturalized in US), so has a right to the passports. Irish citizenship is fairly easy to claim, and grants you EEC travel and work rights. UK is harder and a bit more unusual. I’d hate to be the one doing his four tax returns.
wikipedia, for what it’s worth:
After a court-martial conviction in January 2008 on multiple counts “related to larceny”, He was sentenced to 60 days restriction, reduction to pay grade E-4, and a bad conduct discharge.[