Paul Whelan wasn't part of the prisoner exchange that brought WNBA star Brittney Griner home. Here's why he is still in a Russian prison.
RELATED: Brittney Griner arrives in Texas after prisoner swap with Russia | USA TODAY
Republicans in Congress and advocates for Americans detained abroad questioned the administration’s decision to agree to a prisoner swap in which the U.S. freed Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for Griner’s release.
Critics said the administration should have demanded that Paul Whelan, the ex-Marine imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges, also be freed as a condition of the deal.
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#griner #paulwhelan #russia
So so sorry Paul. May no one rest in the white house till you come home. I pray that!
@Dark Angel that’s good glad you don’t drugs that come over the border in one year killed 40 thousand Americans sorry about being rude
NopeNoNotatAll Well, not exactly…
I guess you’ve forgotten about the pandemic and the ban on international travel?
You are behaving like this was a good trade in the first place.
Any rational person would have seen that this trade was heavily favorable for Russia and didn’t benefit the US at all.
Yeah, this trade should have been rejected by Trump, you, and Biden.
@Cyndy Butler And what is a real American ?
Racist ? Open a book Cyndy.
@Dark Angel can’t remember where you hid your stash huh? I’m kidding, I’m just projecting again.
@LTS 69 : So sorry to inform you communes puppet. The military is not socialized.
It is all volunteer and the members are compensated for their SERVICE.
That Service requires three major character requirements you lack.
HONOR, INTEGRTTY and COURAGE.
No matter how many times you wash you will never get rid of the yellow streak up your back communist liar.
Someone help me understand, we bring home someone who protests the national anthem, but not someone who served our country??
@President Snake it has nothing to do with hate snowflake. We released an ARMS MERCHANT TERRORIST, for someone who plays a sport. If you can’t see the idiocy in this, then don’t cry when Americans die because that man is free now.
@President Snake also idk who “most people who don’t stand for the anthem” are as I can name maybe 4 and they are all privileged people who make more money than both of us put together.
@Daniel Distrola wasn’t aware of the details, just knew he was a member of our military at one point…
@Rob Dem it was stupid, we should have worked longer for an amicable deal, but its obvious her well-being was never your concern
@President Snake no it’s not. Why would it be? My concern is not letting terrorists go for people who a) don’t care about our country, and b) what she did was illegal. Whether or not you think the punishment fits the crime, she still broke international law. She’s a criminal.
Unfair and unrepresentative at all. Her imprisonment was difficult and harsh for the crime but the trade for her was incomprehensible. Not at all equivalent or fair or equal, this is an abusive decision against our countries image as a serious nation, and an abuse against our power on the world stage as well as to the families of those still in Russian gulags. This agreement basically traded the merchant of death for a negligent sports player. How much lower can we go? Would Eisenhower have given the Angel of Death back for some baseball player? I’m mean talk about disgrace, there is little legitimacy on the world stage for our country at this point. You can’t trust us to keep our word from one president to the next, and you can’t even hope that we will play our advantage even at least on an equal field for our own people that are imprisoned in other countries. This is core symptom to why there might be some major upheaval in our society.
How is d dyk punishment unfair, it broke the law
Americans: “Bring the Marine home from Russia.”
White House: “Some men have periods.”
@E-Mega As far as I understood it, he had a 25 year sentence and had served roughly only 10 years. I wouldn’t describe 15 years as “a few years left.”
@Nick Mccue he was getting out in 2029. You ain’t gonna get crap for him in few years. They would just wait it out.
You mean Bring home the court-martialed for Larceny Marine who received a Bad Conduct Discharge.
@E-Mega when did 7 years become a “few years”? He was literally convicted for conspiring to kill Americans. Its amazing how you can justify the exchange lol
@E-Mega Again, not the information I heard, but even if what you say is true, explain to me why it’s better to release one of the most dangerous men alive during a time of global strife, particularly in regards to Russia in exchange for an anti-American WNBA player who actually broke Russian law? Sure her sentence was absurd but it’s not like she’s innocent. So instead of sparing the world another 6 years of illegal sophisticated arms dealing to terrorist organizations we should “make the trade now so we get something out of it.” Keeping the world safe from his extremely destructive behavior is what we get out of it you numbskull.
question is why was he not brought home first. he had been in prison longer. he had not been proven guilty of anything. answer, it was politically advantageous for joey to bring ignore and once again leave behind a marine.
@Not Me correct…we will pay for this…and it will make 911 look like a firecracker went off…
Simple answer is Russia won’t release him because of what they charged and convicted him for. They believe he committed espionage and war crimes which is a much more serious offense than weed. What’s not to understand? 😡
@hms2480
Oh bull sht Russia doesn’t believe that anymore than they believe Griner committed a crime 🤷♂️
He’s a marine and they wanted to save him for another time.
Plus we have an incompetent president and administration so they couldn’t negotiate a deal at a lemonade stand.
Daniel Distrola There was a ban on international travel his last year in office, so, no, not 2 years.
Nice try…
This trade shouldn’t have happened whether it was Trump or Biden. It incentivizes taking hostages.
Not sure why you think this was a win for anyone but Russia, unless you love Russia?
@Daniel Distrola trumps not in office. Joes been in for two years now and even had the opportunity with this deal and chose not to act. That is our point. Why isn’t he working on a solution right now?
Praying he gets released soon!!
I’m not!
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This whole stupid decision on bidens part is only to keep us from talking about Hunter Biden’s laptop. He knows what he was doing, he had a choice (despite what the white house is saying) wake up people.
That’s wild. What a win for Russia.
@90s were The best yes we all in America laughing at trump. Who didn’t vote for him 81million plus. .Trump beat a woman to get in office. Lol. .he can’t beat a man .JOE the MAN. .
Sean McLellan This trade should not have happened and every rational person knows it.
@Sean McLellan why didn’t Biden get him out? He had all the bargaining chips and chose the lowest value and we lost out big time on the trade. Why didn’t Biden negotiate better?
@dave hernandez lol nice try troll.
@Not Dave he had all the bargaining chips? They want Vadim Krasikov, a Russian assassin sentenced to life in prison in Germany for executing a man in broad daylight in a public park at the behest of the Russian government. How would you suppose Biden could trade a German prisoner for him?
Paul Whelan: Bad Conduct Discharge from the marines. Yes, he deserves to come home, but please don’t imply he’s a marine hero.
Thank you!
Political prisoners are a high priority over people who show that they are genuinely malfeasant
If what you are saying is true ,it explains why Trump didn’t try to bring him back.
Still better than d neg…o dyk all day long
Of course he’s not going to be released before Griner. That’s not as politically advantageous.
Exactly
This guy is a spy who got dishonorably discharged for being a thief. He can rot.
Poor Paul…he’s NOT 7FT TALL BALL BOUNCER…BLACK…OR
GAY…he’ll have to stay where he is…not PC
Enough to be released….
He should have been sent home first,
And just like that, our only leverage, the Merchant of Death, is freed.
@Fredrico Ssomeone who was dishonorably discharged for being a thief. Get it right, inbreeder.
He should have been the first one a deal was made for !!! Period!!!
Do not leave a Marine behind. Bring him home.
So sorry for him. Will continue to pray for his release!
Absolutely shameful. Prayer’s are with you Paul.
Imagine releasing the merchant of death for a sub par athlete instead of a marine.
He’s not a marine. He’s a dishonorably discharged embarrassment and a thief.
@Blanky Uh ft gjfj Well then it’s kind of weird to trade a criminal for another criminal but not the third criminal. Don’t you think?
She checks all the boxes for equity and inclusion.
Every vote counts, eh Democrats? Not that it matters. I’m sure someone else took the liberty of filling in Britney’s ballot while she was ‘indisposed’.
@Greg Phillips there is more proof of Republican fraud then democratic, and every time republicans got their wish on a recount they lost more votes, not to mention that it has been a long time since the Republicans won office without the electoral college
So they made the trade to bring back a trader to the USA, instead of somebody that’s actually important to us? That makes complete sense
Bring this man back!
Dear GOD, please protect Paul and keep him safe until you bring him home alive and well, right the wrong that was done to him. AMEN.
Im certain Biden could have brought both convicted Americans home with the trade of the one. The Marine that has no charges against him, and just left there? He could have been brought home! Hold tight man.. we will stand up for you!