(2006-0686-F) Viktor Bout (or Butt) - Arms Dealer

The materials in FOIA 2006-0686-F are a selective, not necessarily all inclusive, body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. In the last years the of the Clinton Administration, several directorates from the National Security Council (which included Transnational Threats, TNT, under Lee Wolosky) attempted to build a case against Viktor Bout (or Butt), a high profile air cargo supplier and suspected international arms smuggler. The so-called “Merchant of Death” made his money, at least initially, selling weapons in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Angola. Later on, his markets included Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Colombia. According to a recent magazine article, Bout escaped capture for so long because he supplied useful information to among others, the Americans, in exchange for protection. But all of this ended when Bout was apprehended in Bangkok, Thailand in March 2008. His arrest came about as the result of an undercover DEA operation. In a press release the United States government said it planned to extradite Bout from Thailand. However, on August 11, 2009, Thai Court ruled in favor of Viktor Bout, denying the U.S. its request for extradition based on the lack of legal basis and political motivation behind the case. The U.S. appealed that ruling, and on August 20, 2010, a higher Thai court ruled that Bout could, in fact, be extradited to the United States. On November 16, Bout was extradited to the United States. The White House Staff and Office Files contain documents related to the crash of an Antonov 24 airplane in Angola on October 31, 2000, as covered by the press, and copies of United Nations resolutions which Victor Bout is believed to have violated. FOIA request 2006-0686-F also contains electronic records in the form of emails and cables. It should be noted that because of sensitivities associated with Bout and arms trafficking the majority of this FOIA request is closed in full. The few documents that are open are notifications of upcoming NSC meetings regarding Viktor Bout and the mention of a press article about sanctions on Liberia’s diamond exports.