Jump to content
Washington Football Team Logo
Extremeskins
Forum Rules and Guidelines

CBS: Brittney Griner freed in prisoner swap

Cooked Crack

By Cooked Crack
in The Tailgate

 Share

Recommended Posts

justice98

justice98

Posted
Posted
48 minutes ago, tshile said:


I agree. Not happy about it. Especially when there’s someone else sitting there that’s more deserving in my opinion. But, he’s not a basketball star so most people don’t know he exists.

 

I would have thought the most notorious arms dealer would have been worth both. 
 

it’s interesting what people consider victories. 

 

The Russians dont actually give a crap about the arms dealer.  In reality, he's probably not worth anything to them other than a means to an end.  They didnt seem all that concerned about getting him back until there was something it for them.  Which was making the US look bad in this case.  But remember in Die Hard when Hans is rattling off a list of prisoners he wants released that he didnt really care about?  I see it more like that.  

 

The more I've thought about it and absorbed it, I have less of a problem with it than I initially thought at first (but I still don't love it).  But, Bout had served 15 years of a 25 year sentence already.  He was getting out eventually.  It's not like he just got convicted and sprung without doing any real time.  And I think people think this guy that's been holed up in a prison for 15 years is gonna get out and jump right back into the arms dealing game.  And who would want to do business with a guy that just got out of an American prison?  He's burned at this point.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Spaceman Spiff

Spaceman Spiff

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, justice98 said:

 

 But remember in Die Hard when Hans is rattling off a list of prisoners he wants released that he didnt really care about?  I see it more like that.  

 

 

 

The New Provo Front and the Asian Dawn Movement!  He read about the Asian Dawn Movement in Time Magazine.

  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites
justice98

justice98

Posted
Posted (edited)
42 minutes ago, BigDibbs31 said:

There is a history teacher from Pittsburgh sentenced to 14 years in Russia for having a small amount of medical marijuana on him. I'd be absolutely livid if I was him or his family. 

 

I mean, the Russians aren't exactly acting in good faith about all this.  They're still sitting there because that's what the Russians want. 

Edited by justice98
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Destino

Destino

Posted
Posted

How I feel about this hinges on wether or not she did what she was accused of.  If she didn’t, then we paid a high price to rescue an innocent person from Putin.  If she did, her stupid decision to carry drugs into a nation hostile to the US got a monster released back into the world.  
 

I'm glad she’s safe either way.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Die Hard

Die Hard

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, Destino said:

How I feel about this hinges on wether or not she did what she was accused of.  If she didn’t, then we paid a high price to rescue an innocent person from Putin.  If she did, her stupid decision to carry drugs into a nation hostile to the US got a monster released back into the world.  
 

I'm glad she’s safe either way.  


She didn’t deny doing it. She accepted responsibility.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tshile

tshile

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, justice98 said:

But, Bout had served 15 years of a 25 year sentence already


Not that this will change your argument, or shouldn’t, but you’ve said this, others have said something similar, someone said 70% of his sentence. But it’s not correct. 
 

he was arrested in 2008 in Thailand under a DEA probe in a separate investigation. He was extradited in 2010. Convicted in 2012. He had 13 of his 25 years left on his sentence. He didn’t get credit for his time in Thailand. He had served less than 50% of his sentence. 
 

you also say Russia didn’t care. Well, they had protests. And Russia added every known investigator, lawyer, and judge involved to  Deny Entry list. At the start they said platitudes about facing justice for what he did if he’s guilty, but they reversed course upon conviction. this is all found on his Wikipedia page. 
 

although you have to search for old articles about when his sentence was to end because his Wikipedia entry has been updated to reflect he’s been pardoned and released. 

8 minutes ago, Die Hard said:


She didn’t deny doing it. She accepted responsibility.

Yeah but do we have a reason to believe that was her, and not the Russian government forcing her to say those things?

 

I just have no faith in their process 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
PokerPacker

PokerPacker

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, LadySkinsFan said:

I hope our citizens who travel to a foreign antagonist country like Russia keeps it in the front of their heads that they need to follow their laws or suffer severe consequences. Griner is hugely lucky that she's a star basketball player, and not some regular person, who's government leveraged her freedom for an arms dealer that should be locked up here. Who knows what destruction this guy can foment. 

Citizens will have to remember it.  Apparently minor celebrities, on the other hand, can count on the government bailing them out by setting loose major international criminals.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
tshile

tshile

Posted
Posted (edited)
16 minutes ago, Warhead36 said:

The lesson to be learned is that when you visit another country, learn their laws and abide by them. Take NO chances.

And stay away from countries that are known to target Americans, or have corrupt governments and legal systems. 
 

I realize many people would scoff at this, and there’s a legitimate complaint that the ratings may be a little over the top, but the state department rates these countries. I realize Russia is worse because of Ukraine but they’re a level 4 DO NOT TRAVEL country and it’s not just because of Ukraine. It’s because of local terrorism, kidnapping, gangs, targeting of US citizens by criminal elements AND the government, and arbitrary enforcement of laws. Among other things. 
 

im someone who thinks if you willfully travel to a country like that - first you’re a complete idiot but second, and mainly, you’re on your own. 

Edited by tshile
  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
  • Thumb up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
PokerPacker

PokerPacker

Posted
Posted
36 minutes ago, tshile said:

And stay away from countries that are known to target Americans, or have corrupt governments and legal systems. 
 

I realize many people would scoff at this, and there’s a legitimate complaint that the ratings may be a little over the top, but the state department rates these countries. I realize Russia is worse because of Ukraine but they’re a level 4 DO NOT TRAVEL country and it’s not just because of Ukraine. It’s because of local terrorism, kidnapping, gangs, targeting of US citizens by criminal elements AND the government, and arbitrary enforcement of laws. Among other things. 
 

im someone who thinks if you willfully travel to a country like that - first you’re a complete idiot but second, and mainly, you’re on your own. 

Yeah, that's my lesson.  Well, it would be if I didn't already have that stance.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dont Taze Me Bro

Dont Taze Me Bro

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

Ah, this NBC article says it really was Whelan vs. BG.  So who knows.

 

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/family-paul-whelan-american-imprisoned-russia-says-warned-brittney-gri-rcna60732

 

If the initial report of them having a choice between Whelan or BG is accurate, then the wrong choice was made. 

 

But, after clicking on the link, the article is now updated to read; "But the official said Russia has treated Whelan differently because he is an accused spy, and that the Kremlin ultimately gave the White House the choice of either Griner or no one after different options were proposed."

 

 

  • Like 2
  • Thumb up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
China

China

Posted
Posted

Boomer Esiason Blasts U.S. Trading Arms Dealer for Brittney Griner: ‘We Look So Pathetic’

 

WFAN radio host Boomer Esiason blasted the U.S. government for trading a Russian arms dealer for WNBA superstar Brittney Griner for release from a Russian prison.

 

Griner was arrested in February on drug smuggling charges after she brought less than one gram of CBD oil into Russia. The White House announced a 1-for-1 prisoner swap Thursday morning that released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout from U.S. custody. Bout is known as the “merchant of death.”

 

On Thursday morning, Esiason was on his radio show, Boomer & Gio, when the White House announced Griner’s release from Russian custody. Esiason was happy to see Griner released from prison but was annoyed that the U.S. government gave up a dangerous man for the deal.

 

Co-host Gregg Gionnatti read tweets from Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons criticizing President Joe Biden for leaving Marine Paul Whelan behind.

 

Parsons tweeted, “Wait nah!! We left a marine?!! Hell nah.”

 

Esiason felt the same way Parsons did because Whelan is still stuck in a Russian prison.

 

“I’m telling you, more people feel that way than don’t,” Esiason said. “I can tell you that right now. I know that we’re all happy that Brittney’s home like we said earlier on. But when you think about the magnitude of what we traded to get back a WNBA professional athlete, and left a Marine sitting there, whose family has been trying for years to get him out of there with nothing, nothing from the U.S. government.”

 

The former NFL MVP felt the Russian government used Griner as a trade piece to get Bout out of prison.

 

“I kinda feel like the Russians basically were using her to get this guy out,” Esiason added. “It’s not an even swap; it’s not. We all know what happened to Brittney should have never happened.”

 

Esiason called the trade unfair because of how dangerous Bout was, and said he believed the Russian government fooled Biden.

 

“We look so pathetic,” Esiason continued. “And listening to our President talk about this is such a pathetic feeling. I want to be happy, but I can’t be.”

 

Click on the link for the full article

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dunfer

dunfer

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, PokerPacker said:

What are the odds that nobody dies as a result of The Merchant Of Death being free?

Fact that Russia wanted him out means he has some serious value....otherwise theyd let him rot imo. Mabye he can hook em up in Ukraine.

It sucks she was in russian prison for some pot but theres americans all over the globe sitting in hellholes because of drugs. 

I wonder if she wasnt a "celebrity" that was guaranteed press would she have been sentenced so harshly....and if she was how likely would she still be sitting there. I have a suspicion the US government wouldnt trade the "merchant of death" for me

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...