Finally Some Action on Viktor Bout
By Douglas Farah
Well, the Treasury Department today announced its long-anticipated designations of Viktor Bout's people and front companies. Bout, provider of weapons to the Taliban and most sides of most wars in sub-Saharan African in violation of U.N. embargos, has long escaped scrutiny in the United States.
The reason the announcement was delayed by several weeks was the inclusion of U.S. citizen Richard Chichakli, Bout's U.S. financial handler. Including U.S. citizens requires a higher threshold be reached before the person is designated. Of the 30 companies and four individuals designated, he is clearly the most important and newsworthy. Nine "Chichakli-controlled firms" were also designated, showing just how active Bout's financial network was in the United States.
For the first time the U.S. government, in its press release, confirms Bout's dealings with the Taliban, an assertion that was often questioned in U.S. circles. Today's release says that "information available to the U.S. government shows that Bout profited $50 million from supplying the Taliban with military equipment when they ruled Afghanistan." The full release can be found here and the full list of designated companies can be found here.
For years Chichakli, the son fo a former Syrian president and self-proclaimed childhood friend of Osama bin Laden, has helped Bout on many fronts, while happily residing in Richardson, Tx. Texas. For my full blog, see here.
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://counterterrorismblog.org/mt/pings.cgi/1486
