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On Thursday, news broke that WNBA player Brittney Griner was being released from a Russian labor camp and flown back to the United States. According to an announcement by the White House, Griner had been swapped for a notorious arms dealer named Viktor Bout, also known as the “merchant of death.” Quickly, the backslapping began, with Joe Biden taking full credit for the deal, but it didn’t take long before questions began to emerge. Former US Marine Paul Whelan has been held on false charges in Russia for nearly four years. Why wasn’t he prioritized in the deal? Then there is teacher Mark Fogel, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison for possessing medical marijuana (very similar to Griner’s charge). The White House won’t even acknowledge his plight, having not designated him as being wrongfully detained. As the Biden administration told it, though, Whelan was never on the table. Instead, the Russians insisted that the trade had to be for Griner or no one. Yet, astute observers noted how little sense that makes. Why would Russia want to make the choice easy for Biden? Wouldn’t they gain much more from making him make a choice between two Americans? And why would the Russians want to give up Griner before Whelan given that Griner is a public figure and obviously more valuable? Sure enough, there’s evidence emerging that the White House’s story isn’t exactly accurate. For example, NBC News originally reported via a senior government official that the Russians were offering either Griner or Whelan in the deal. Later on, the article was stealth edited to match the administration’s talking points. {snip} Further, consider the administration’s messaging on the prisoner swap. Karine Jean Pierre, the White House press secretary, touted Griner being a gay, black woman during her briefing in what appeared to be an attempt to justify her importance. Others in the administration toed the same line, with the press dutifully playing along. If Griner’s identity wasn’t a factor, why make such a big deal about it? There’s just too much here that doesn’t add up. That we are dealing with an administration that has made a habit of lying to the American people only makes the questions more prudent. Did Biden choose Griner because she’s famous and/or checks the right intersectional boxes over a former Marine who has been rotting away for nearly four years? It sure seems like it. At the very least, there needs to be a lot more investigation as to what exactly went on here. The original deal was bad enough, if not arguably necessary. But if the White House played identity politics with a former service member’s life, that would be a major scandal. https://redstate.com/bonchie/2022/12/09/it-sure-looks-like-biden-is-lying-about-the-brittney-griner-prisoner-swap-n671663 .

Hilarious - you still can’t square the fact that Trump had two years to work freeing Paul Whelan - yet Trump had no issue freeing 5,000 Taliban prisoners… Meanwhile: So many opportunities - but Trump had no balls.

A Shameful Prisoner Swap 'Antiracism' is no way to conduct foreign policy Not three years ago, Brittney Griner refused to take the floor when the WNBA played the national anthem before tipoff. "I think we should take that much of a stand," she said at the time, arguing that "basketball doesn't mean anything in a world where we can't just live. We can't wake up and do whatever we want to do." Such is the plight, she said, of being black in America. Yet it was in part Griner's race, as well as her sexual orientation—she is a lesbian—that made her detention by Russia in February a high-profile news story and turned her case into a cause célèbre for activists and journalists, but we repeat ourselves. It is also why the Biden administration on Thursday struck an ill-advised deal to trade Griner's freedom for that of Viktor Bout, an arms dealer and weapons smuggler who was convicted in 2011 of conspiring to murder American citizens. Not included in the deal was Russia's release of Paul Whelan, a white, cisgender, heterosexual former Marine arrested in late 2018 on trumped-up charges. For all of Griner's complaints about being black in this country, she's gotten far better treatment than her white counterpart. Whelan told CNN in a phone interview Thursday from a remote Russian penal colony that "I am greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as the four-year anniversary of my arrest is coming up. I was arrested for a crime that never occurred." Then there are the merits of the deal itself. Griner will be greeted as a hero when she touches down in the United States, but the Russian who will walk free is a dangerous thug who has earned his nickname: "The Merchant of Death." His release will do grievous harm to American national security—he was convicted for attempting to sell weapons to Colombian terrorists who would have used them to target American troops—and Politico reports that Pentagon officials are already raising the specter that his release will fuel "conflicts across the world." https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/a-shameful-prisoner-swap/

The irony of this - you're all bitching about a guy that was arrested during Trump's watch and NONE OF YOU mentioned his name until today: Showing results for 'Paul Whelan'. - Two Bills Drive

Politicians do political things. BillSy mentioned Trump's "love letters" to N Korea. I'm happy to talk about that, it's what dialogue is all about. BillSy though is completely off the rails here. His angle seems to be that returning Bout to Putin was absolutely the right call, and he apparently would have supported Trump trading Bout for Paul Whelan a few years back. I honestly can't think of any person, any time who would support negotiating with hostile nations and sending their killers back to do more killing. Neville Chamberlain, maybe. It's like BillSy has entered some sort of dream state where Biden is beyond reproach.

Why didn't Trump get Paul Whelan home?

It's too bad Russia wasn't willing to release both but remind us - what year did Paul Whelan get arrested in Russia?

My biggest issue with this is the fact that an American Marine, who was wrongfully convicted of espionage, that the United States has also admitted was a wrongful conviction is staying in jail to rot. Griner was not wrongfully detained. She did bring an illegal substance into the country, admitted to it, and pled guilty. Do I think her punishment is harsh and wouldn't be as bad if she wasn't a prominent figure in the United States? Absolutely. However, she should have been put on the backburner before Paul Whelan got released. I guess he wasn't woke enough. I'm also no longer interested in Biden or anybody associated with this deal to ever talk about gun control again. Viktor Bout is nicknamed the "Merchant of Death" for a reason.

Paul Whelan is a questionable character , so far jmo Marc Fogel and Griner should be freed before Whelan. I would not free the Russian arms dealer even for all 3 , Putin is being Putin KGB

Just like everybody’s been sleeping fine since Paul Whelan got sentenced to 16 years in Russian prison. Too bad he’s not gay or a minority otherwise people like @Gene Frenkle would pretend to give a crap in order to stroke their woke ego.

Big tweet storm today from the child in the WH, but nothing on this??? An American veteran arrested in Russia? Marines should never be left behind! More Top Stories Family of American arrested in Russia on spy charges fears for his safety: ‘His innocence is undoubted’ Paul Whelan, a 48-year-old retired U.S. Marine, was detained last week in Moscow by Russia’s domestic security services. Relatives said Whelan was visiting for a friend's wedding; Russian authorities said he was on a "spy mission." By Amie Ferris-Rotman 1 hour ago

Why isn't Trump doing something about this? His good buddy Putin is holding an American veteran hostage and Trump isn't doing a thing. Family of American arrested in Russia on spy charges fears for his safety: ‘His innocence is undoubted’ Paul Whelan, a 48-year-old retired U.S. Marine, was detained last week in Moscow by Russia’s domestic security services. Relatives said Whelan was visiting for a friend's wedding; Russian authorities said he was on a "spy mission." By Amie Ferris-Rotman 1 hour ago

BREAKING NEWS American Paul Whelan charged with espionage in Russia, news agency reports The Interfax news agency reported that an “indictment” was made a day after Whelan was visited in detention by the U.S. ambassador. Whelan was arrested by Russia's security services Dec. 28, while he was in Moscow on a personal trip.

Welcome back, Doc. Brittney Griner is home and that’s excellent news for her and her family. Bout is free to injure, kill and maim again, and that’s very bad for the world. No, I would not make the trade. Had the exchange involved returning a Russian national convicted on some low level charge, the son or daughter of a Russian diplomat or member of the Russian water polo team, I’d consider that. As an American, would you consider accepting an arrangement for a temporary pause in aid to Ukraine in exchange for Paul Whelan? Let’s assume no financial/military aid to Ukraine for 6 months. Or, there are stories of the Ukrainians mistreating Russian POWs, up to injuring/killing or releasing videos of them. Would you support Biden pressuring Zelensky to grant their release by withholding aid/support until…say 100 were returned to Russia? In return, Paul Whelan comes home. Finally, I do not believe Biden would have traded Whelan for Bout, leaving BG behind, if that was the only option. Do you?

In no particular order: Great for Brittney Griener and her family. In spite of her naïveté and/or criminal behavior, the sentence she received was cruel, unjust and designed ultimately to result in this outcome; Great for the WNBA, they get their high profile star back and the positive news keeps the sport in the public forum; Great for the LGBT community showing an historically marginalized group that the world is changing and that when given the opportunity to choose freedom for two individuals, BGs life had more value than that of Paul Whelan languishing in prison for 4 years; Great for Putin and Comrade Bout. Putin knows Biden, knows the American people and knows that in spite of bluster and tough talk, it was only a matter of time before the Biden admin met Russian terms; Bad for Paul Whelan, jailed for 4 years. The message has been sent that his life is irrelevant in that the Americans held a known terrorist and Putin ally and still couldn’t/wouldn’t get him out. I would assume he’s devastated and just about out of hope; Bad for the American people generally. There are thousands and thousands of American citizens traveling the globe, and the stage is set again for another hostile nation to “arrest” an individual and go to work on shaking down the administration; Bad for the world. If the Russian is as bad a guy as the American government said he is, more deaths are sure to follow.