VZCZCXYZ0022
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #8230 2362104
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 242046Z AUG 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHFN/AMEMBASSY FREETOWN IMMEDIATE 9721
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA IMMEDIATE 0198
RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA IMMEDIATE 4591
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK IMMEDIATE 2870
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA IMMEDIATE 4282

UNCLAS STATE 088230 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PTER CO RS TH
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO AFRICAN STATES ON VIKTOR BOUT 
 
REF: BANGKOK 1998 
 
¶1. (SBU) This is an action request.  Action addressees are 
requested to urge host governments at the highest appropriate 
levels to weigh-in with the Royal Thai Government (RTG) to 
support the extradition of accused arms smuggler Viktor Bout 
to the United States. Posts may draw from the points in para 
4 but should not leave the points behind as a non-paper. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Background:  Viktor Bout was arrested in Thailand in 
March 2008, where he has remained in custody pending 
resolution of a request for extradition to the United States 
to face trial in New York for conspiracy to kill U.S. 
nationals and officers; acquire and use anti-aircraft 
missiles; and provide material support in the form of 
millions of dollars of military-grade weapons to the 
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a designated 
foreign terrorist organization. Until his arrest in Thailand, 
Bout had not been prosecuted for arms dealing, but has long 
been suspected of trafficking arms to central and western 
Africa and is the subject of UN Sanctions for those 
activities. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On August 11, 2009, a Thai judge denied the U.S. 
extradition request on the grounds, among others, that the 
FARC is a political, rather than terrorist, organization, and 
that its commission of kidnappings and murders constituted 
protected "political offenses" because the FARC had a 
purported purpose of political change in Colombia.  The judge 
also ruled that he did not find it credible that Bout, 
perhaps the most notorious illicit arms trafficker in the 
world, could supply the quantity and type of weapons about 
which he was negotiating when he was arrested in Thailand. 
The Thai Attorney General's office is appealing the ruling, 
and we are requesting that the Government of Colombia as well 
as the governments of other countries affected by Bout's arms 
smuggling network engage the Royal Thai Government (RTG) 
directly to underscore the significance of this case to the 
larger international community and help ensure that the RTG 
provides full support for the appeal. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Begin points: 
 
-- The United States is pursuing the extradition of the 
notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout from Thailand to face 
charges for conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals and officers; 
acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles; and provide material 
support to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), 
a designated foreign terrorist organization. 
 
-- The Royal Thai Government (RTG) supports Bout's 
extradition, but a Thai judge ruled against the request, 
asserting among other things that the FARC is a political, 
rather than terrorist, organization.  The judge also 
maintained that the evidence against Bout was not credible, 
and called into question Bout's capacity to provide large 
amounts of weapons and munitions. 
 
-- Your country was one of those victimized by Bout's illicit 
arms trafficking operations.  We urge you to weigh-in with 
the RTG at a senior level to highlight the scope of Bout's 
activities in this region, the ability of his organization to 
trade in a high volume of sophisticated arms around the 
world, and the role his operations played in supporting and 
perpetuating conflict in Africa.  It would be most effective 
if this message could be delivered directly to Thai PM Thai 
Prime Minister Abhisit or Thai Foreign Minister Kasit. 
 
-- Additional point for Freetown and Monrovia:  We request 
that your government remind the RTG of the various UN 
Security Council resolutions addressing violence in Liberia 
and Sierra Leone, including UNSCR 1521 (2003) and UNSCR 1343 
(2001)  It would be helpful if your government could  remind 
the RTG that Viktor Bout is listed on the UN's assets freeze 
list (http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1521/1532 afl.htm) for 
violating UNSC resolution 1343 by providing arms, supporting 
former Liberian President Charles Taylor's efforts to 
destabilize Sierra Leone and seeking illicit access to 
diamonds. 
 
End points. 
 
¶8. (U) Point of contact for this issue is EAP/MLS Demian 
Smith, email smithd3@state.gov, phone: 202-647-0036.  Please 
slug responses for EAP/MLS, EUR/RUS, AF/W, AF/C and S/CT. 
Department requests action by Tuesday, August 25. 
CLINTON