BANGKOK -- Accused Russian arms merchant Viktor Bout was flown from Bangkok toward New York Tuesday in a chartered U.S. plane, extradited in manacles despite a final outraged push by Russian diplomats to persuade Thailand to release him instead, current and former American officials said. A former Soviet military officer and air cargo executive nicknamed the "Merchant of Death" by critics, Bout had been accused of arming failed states and insurgents across the Third World since the 1990s, but he had never previously been arrested. Thailand's government ordered Bout, 43, placed in American custody Tuesday, 20 months after his March 2008 arrest in a sting operation led by U.S. narcotics agents. Since then, the wealthy businessman -- estimated by the U.S. to be worth $6 billion -- has been in a Thai jail...Bout has been accused of supplying weapons that fueled civil wars in South America, the Middle East and Africa, with clients ranging from Liberia's Charles Taylor and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to the Taliban government that once ran Afghanistan. He was an inspiration for an arms dealer character played by Nicolas Cage in the 2005 film "Lord of War."
Say what you want about his ethics or business model but this man has two great things going for him. One, the Merchant of Death nickname. Probably the best nickname in history since Vlad the Impaler. People probably just running for cover any time he visits their village and showering him with whatever gifts their impoverished lifestyles can provide at his demand. Daughters and wives wanting to be with him, husbands and fathers wishing they could be him. Probably the most bad ass dude on the planet.
Say what you want about his ethics or business model but this man has two great things going for him. One, the Merchant of Death nickname. Probably the best nickname in history since Vlad the Impaler. People probably just running for cover any time he visits their village and showering him with whatever gifts their impoverished lifestyles can provide at his demand. Daughters and wives wanting to be with him, husbands and fathers wishing they could be him. Probably the most bad ass dude on the planet.
Secondly, a hall of fame worthy mustache. Just says "cross me, and bombs will rain down on your village for a week." Nothing more, nothing less. A good mustache should fit a mans demeanor and personality, and this one nails it. Actually that's probably why Hitler's 'stache is looked upon so poorly. Has to the the least fitting facial hair in history. Evil genius, attempting to kill off an entire religion while taking over a continent, paired with a previously love-able comic mustache made popular by Charlie Chaplin. Odd choice, probably one of the factors in his ultimate failure.
By the way if he is convicted is his nickname up for grabs? Will warlords everywhere be competing for this title or is he allowed to take it to the can with him? I hope he doesn't have to give it up. I'm not sure the world can handle a bunch of lunatic arms dealers showing off and creating chaos all to earn the vacated title (though I'd totally throw my hat in the ring).
