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Wait! We just cut loose the Merchant of Death and left a US Marine behind in Russia?
Prisoner swap gains one US Civilian in exchange for a Military Arms Dealer convicted of a plot to kill Americans
Anyone who knows military protocol knows that you leave no soldier behind. The Marine Corps takes this ethic to the most extreme levels — risking entire platoons to recover just one Marine from the battlefield and the enemy.
The Biden administration has just traded convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, “The Merchant of Death” for a civilian basketball player, Brittney Griner, who has been held in a Russian Prison since February.
Former Staff Sergeant Paul Whelan has been held in a Russian prison on similar trumped-up charges going on four years.
The family of Brittney Griner and most of the nation is thrilled to have her back. And rightfully so. But the cost is super high as the Whelan family has been waiting for years for Paul’s release and until Griner was captured received little attention from the White House.
