Thailand extradites accused Russian arms trafficker to the US on terrorism charges

(16 Nov 2010) SHOTLIST 1. Wide of media outside gates of Don Meaung airport, bangkok, from where accused arms trafficker Viktor Bout was flown out on an extradition flight. 2. Various of armed soldiers at airport 3. Wide of men carrying body armour (thought to be US security officials) walking out of restricted area at airport 4. Close of Thai official talking on radio 5. Various of men carrying body armour walking out of restricted area at airport 6. Wide of entrance to Bangkwang Prison, Bangkok, from where Viktor Bout was taken. 7. Wide of Alla Bout - Viktor Bout's wife - walking away from prison, having arrived too late to see him before he was removed. 8. Bout's Thai lawyer Lak Nittiwattanawichan on phone, after also missing his removal 9. Mid of Alla Bout waiting to get into car. STORYLINE Thailand extradited accused Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout to the US on Tuesday, siding with Washington in a tug of war with Moscow over whether to send him to stand trial or let him go home. The Cabinet approved Bout's extradition Tuesday after a long legal battle, and police said the 43-year-old was put aboard a plane in Bangkok heading for the United States at about 1:30 pm (local time) (0630 GMT) in the custody of eight US officials. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said his Cabinet had approved extradition after acknowledging an earlier appeals court decision that Bout could be legally extradited. Bout, a former Soviet air force officer who is reputed to have been one of the world's most prolific arms dealers, was arrested at a Bangkok luxury hotel in March 2008 as part of a sting operation led by US agents. Bout has allegedly supplied weapons that fuelled civil wars in South America, the Middle East and Africa, with clients including Liberia's Charles Taylor and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and both sides in Angola's civil war. The head of a lucrative air transport empire, Bout had long evaded UN and U.S. sanctions aimed at blocking his financial activities and restricting his travel. He claims he ran a legitimate business and never sold weapons, and fought hard to avoid extradition. Bout's wife, Alla, and his lawyer were filmed outside the Bangkwang Prison in Bangkok, where he was waiting extradition. However, neither of them arrived in time to see Bout before he was transported to the airport. Russia had made strong public statements against Bout's extradition, and privately, both Moscow and Washington were reported to be exerting heavy pressure on Abhisit's government. US lawmakers also became involved, sending a letter to the Thai government urging extradition. Russia says Bout is an innocent businessman and wants him in Moscow. Experts say Bout has knowledge of Russia's military and intelligence operations and that Moscow does not want him going on trial in the United States. Neither Russian nor US authorities were immediately available for comment. The extradition came just a few days before a deadline that might have let him walk free. The same Thai court that last month gave the final go-ahead for his extradition also had declared that Bout had to be extradited before November 20, or else be released. A Thai court in August of 2009 originally rejected Washington's request for Bout's extradition on terrorism-related charges. After that ruling was reversed by an appeals court in August this year, the US moved to get him out quickly, sending a special plane to stand by. But the move backfired and caused a new delay, and only an early October court ruling cleared the final path to extradition. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...