Counterterrorism Blog

Viktor Bout, the subject of my book with Steve Braun has been arrested in Thailand on charges of supplying weapons to the FARC in Colombia. Here is the complaint spelling out the details of the charge of conspiracy to provide material support (thanks to James Gordon Meek).

It is a stunning blow to the world's "Merchant of Death," who has been responsible for fanning wars across Africa, as well as aiding and abetting the Taliban, and thus, indirectly, al Qaeda.

Of course, this may finally stop the U.S. from carrying on dealing with him, despite his being the subject of an Interpol red notice, an Executive Order signed by President Bush, and numerous Treasury Department sanctions. Despite all that, Bout aircraft flew hundreds of flights, as a sub-contractor, for the U.S military and its principal contractors such as KBR, Fedex and others.

The arrest is the result of a DEA sting operation focused on targeting suppliers of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), according to ABC News.

The FARC is the hemisphere's oldest insurgency, and one that now sustains itself through drug trafficking activities and kidnappings. The FARC has been labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S. and European Union. My full blog is here.