cbs60 1121.docx

cbs60 1121.docx

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cbs601121

ViktorBout:

Capturing"TheMerchantofDeath"

60Minutes:

DEAAgentsWhoCaughtAllegedArmsDealerTalkAboutHisCapture

RarelydoestheU.S.governmentwantanyonemorethanitwantedViktorBout,knownasthe"MerchantofDeath."U.S.governmentofficialssayBoutbecametheworld'smostnotoriousarmsdealerbyfuelingcivilwarsaroundtheworld.Courtedbydruglordsanddictators,theU.S.sawhimasathreatbecauseofhisabilitytoarmterroriststargetingtheUnitedStates.

ViktorBout

AformerRussianmilitaryofficer,Bouthasbeenprotectedbypowerfulfriends,andlongconsideredsimplyuntouchablebylawenforcement.ButthreeyearsagotheDEAdevisedaboldundercoveroperationtocapturehim.ThispastweektheybroughthimtoNewYorktofaceterrorismcharges.

Now,thoseattheheartof"OperationRelentless"-asting圈套thatspannedthreecontinents-tellthestorybehinditforthefirsttime.

"ViktorBoutinmyeyesisoneofthemostdangerousmenonthefaceoftheEarth,"MichaelBraun,theformerchiefofoperationsfortheU.S.DrugEnforcementAdministration（DEA）,toldcorrespondentArmenKeteyian.

Brauntold"60Minutes"Boutfirst"exploded"onthesceneinwar-tornWestAfricainthelate1980s,elevatingbloodyconflictsfrommachetesandsingleshotriflestomilitarygradeassaultrifles.

"AK-47snotbythethousandsbutbythetensofthousands,"Braunexplained.

"SoheweaponizescivilwarinAfrica,"Keteyianremarked.

"Hetransformedtheseyoungadolescentwarriorsintoinsidious,mindless,maniacallydrivenkillingmachinesthatoperatedwithassemblylineefficiencies,"Braunsaid.

Now43,Bout,fromTajikistan（formerlyaSovietrepublic）,isamysterymanwhoreportedlyservedintheSovietAirForceandintelligenceservice.TheU.S.hasindictedhimonfourterror-relatedcharges,including"conspiracytokillAmericans."

AskedwhatmakesBoutathreattotheUnitedStates,Braunsaid,"Heisashadowfacilitator.He'sarmingnotonlydesignatedterroristgroups,insurgentgroups,buthe'salsoarmingverypowerfuldrugtraffickingcartelsaroundtheglobe."

TakingadvantageofRussianmilitarycontactsatthehighestlevelsandthecollapseoftheSovietUnion（1989前苏联解体）,federalprosecutorsallegeBoutessentiallybecameaone-stopshop,offeringanunlimitedsupplyofstockpiledColdWarweaponsto"badguys"aroundtheworld,includingCharlesTaylorofLiberia,who'snowontrialforwarcrimes.

AccordingtotheU.S.indictment,Bouthadauniquesellingpointwhenitcametoweaponstrafficking:

"afleetofcargoairplanescapableoftransportingweaponsandmilitaryequipment"anytime,anywhere.Withmorethan60planesinall,itwashisownprivateairforce.

"ThoseRussianaircraftwerebuiltlikeflyingdumptrucks.Hecouldmovethisstuffanddropitwithpinpoint（precise）accuracytoanydesert,toanyjungle,toanyotherremoteplaceintheworld.RightintothehandsofwhatIrefertoasthepotpourriofglobalscum,"BrauntoldKeteyian.

Bythelate1990s,Boutwasalegendintheshadowyworldofillicitarmsdealing-soillusivethattheonlytwopicturesthathavesurfacesofhimbackthenweretakenwithoutBout'sknowledgebyaBelgianphotographer.

Later,BoutbecametheinspirationbehindtheNicholascageCharacterinthemovie"LordofWar《战争之王》."

U.S.TreasurydocumentsrevealaBoutempiresosophisticated,socomplex-hiddenbehindathickcurtainoffrontcompanies幌子公司-thateventheU.S.governmentunwittinglycontractedwithtwoofhiscompaniestodeliversuppliestoU.S.troopsinIraq.

JuanZarate,deputynationalsecurityadvisorinthesecondBushWhiteHouse,andaCBSNewsconsultant,told"60Minutes"hiringBoutwasamistake.

"ThiswasoneofthegravecomplicationsfortheUnitedStates.ViktorBout'stentaclesreachedsofarandsodeepthathehadaccesstoplanesthatcouldprovideservicesfortheU.S.government,"Zaratesaid.

ZarateadmittedtheU.S.coulddobusinesswithBout,butitcouldn'tcatchhim."IhadalwaysthoughtofViktorBoutasuntouchable.And,Ialso,frankly,didn'tthinkthatanyonecouldgettohim,"hesaid.

ItwasachallengeZaratefromtheWhiteHousethrewoutatameetingwithMikeBraunandhisDEAteam.TheDEAhadjustpulledoffastringofextraordinarilysuccessfulcapturesofhigh-valueterrorismtargetsaroundtheworld,likeAfghandruglords.

"DEAAgentsliveforthehunt,"BrauntoldKeteyian.

"But,Mike,noonehadevengottenasniffonthisguy,"Keteyianpointedout.

"Letmetellyasomething,Armen,whenI'msittingtherenexttoJuan,andmyguysaresittingacrossthetablefromhim,theverybestthatourgovernment'sgottooffer,andhetossesthisoutonthetable,andIlookathimintheeyes,andthey'relookingbackatme,like,'We'lldothis,wecandothis,'"Braunsaid.

"Butitwasaboutafivepercentchanceinthebackofmymind.Andso,youknow,IwishedthemwellandIwentbacktotheWhiteHouse,"Zaraterecalled.

"MikeBraun'sthinking95percent,okay.Fiveand95makeahundred.Hewasgoingdown,hewasinourcrosshairs,"Braunadded.

TheDEAsupervisorputinchargeofthehuntforBoutwasLouisMilione."Wefeltthatwecouldcreateascenariothatwouldpullhimin,"hesaid.

Theplanwasto"pull"BoutoutofMoscowwithahugearmsdealhecouldn'trefuse.

Todothat,theDEAhiredanundercoveragenttocontactatrustedassociateofBout'snamedAndrewSmulian.TheDEAoperativesaidhehadabigbusinessdealforBout.

"I'mthinkingintermsoffishinghere.It'salmostlikeyou'vethrownthelineinthewater.There'salittlebitofbait.Thisisabusinessproposition.Andyou'rewaitingtoseeifanythingcomesbackwithanibble,"Keteyianremarked.

"Wewerereallywaitingtosee,yeah,exactlywhatSmuliansaysandwhathesaysaboutBout,"Milionereplied.

"Andasitcomesback,'SpoketoBoris,anythingpossiblewithfarmingequipment,'?

"Keteyianasked.

"That'scorrect,"Milionesaid.

"Boris"stoodforBout,"farmingequipment"forweapons.

ThatexchangeledtotheislandofCuracao库拉索岛,afewhundredmilesoffthecoastofColombia.ItwastherethatBout'sbuddy,AndrewSmulian,wouldfirstmeettheDEA'sphonyarmsbuyers,posingasofficialsintheColombianterroristgroupknownastheFARC哥伦比亚革命武装力量.

Thetwofakerebels,"Eduardo"and"elComandante,"wouldsaytheywantedtobuymillionsofdollars'worthofweaponstofighttheColombianarmyandtheU.S.militarypilotsprotectingthem.

"SmulianhastobelievethatEduardoandElComandantearereal,"Keteyianremarked.

"Right,ifSmuliandoesn'tbelieveitwe'redone.Andwegohome,"Milionereplied.

"Themeetingisabouttotakeplace.What'syourtemperaturelike?

"Keteyianasked.

"Yourheartrategoesisupalittlebit.Andyouradrenaline'sgoingalittlebit.Youhavebutterflies,"Milionesaid.

Emotionsthatonlyescalatedwhen,atahotelinCuracao,thefakerebelstoldSmulian,Bout'sbuddy,theywanttospend$12milliononeverythingfromsniperriflestosurface-to-airmissiles.

"Hebitesoffonit.Infact,heeatsthewholething.Soitwas,itwasverysuccessful,"Milioneremembered.

Sosuccessful,SmulianimmediatelyflewtoMoscowtopresentthedealto"Boris,"themantheDEAbelievesisBout.

Twoweekslater,inanothermeeting,thistimeinCopenhagen,SmuliantoldtheDEA’stwoundercoveroperativesthathisRussianbusinesspartnerreallylikedthedealandthenherevealedwhothatmaninMoscowreallyis.

"'Youknowwhothismanisthatwe'regettingtheweaponsfrom?

ThisisBout.B-O-U-T.He'swantedbytheworld.TheycallhimtheMerchantofDeath,'"MilionequotedSmulian."Hespelleditoutforhim.WemarveledthatSmulianwoulddothat.Butitwasjustgreatevidence."

TheDEAwasinthegame,butBoutwasstillsafeandsecureinRussiaandreluctanttoleave.TheDEAundercoversinsistedtheycouldn'tgotoMoscowbuthadtomeetBouttosealthedeal.

"AndBout'sgonnaknowthatthat'showthesedealsaregonnawork.Comandanteisnotgoingtoreleasethesemillionsofdollarsfortheseweaponstoanybodyuntilheatleastshakeshands,talks,looksBoutintheeyeandthenwecanmoveon.That'showwecountered.AndBoutwentforit,"Milioneexplained.

ThenextstopwasRomania,justthreedayslater.TheplaywastoenticeBouttoBucharest,claimingthat'swherethemoneywasstashedtopayfortheweapons.Boutsaidhe'dcome,butthenhehadtroublegettingavisa.Thecasestalled.

AftertendaysofwaitingforBout,thetopDEAagentmadeagutsycall:

towalkaway.

"So,you'vebeenchasingthisguyhardfortwomonths.Youalmostgothim.Andyougottamakethedecisiontostepawayfromthetable?

"Keteyianasked.

"Ifwewerereal,wewouldn'tstaythereforever,"Milioneexplained."We'regonnanowstepawayandsay,'Lookweneedtotakecareofsomeotherthings.Butit'stimeforustoleave.'"

Overthenexttwoweeks,MilionecameupwithanewplantoreelBoutin.ThephonyrebelstoldBouttheywouldbeinBangkoksoon.Askedifhecouldgetthere,Boutagreed.

ThemorningBoutarrivedinBangkok,theDEAandThaipolicehadgathereddowntown,waitingforwordfromcopsattheairportthatthe"MerchantofDeath"hadlanded.

"Theycallusintheroomandtheytellusthathe'shere,"Milioneremembered.

Askedwhatthatmomentwaslike,Milionesaid,"Itwasjustunbelievable.Becauseweknewatthatpoint,youknowyou'rekindoflikeholdingonasyouclimbupthemountainatdifferentpointsintheinvestigation.ThiswasonewhereatthatpointIbelieved,andtheotherinvestigatorsbelieved,notonlyareweinthegame,heshowsupatthismeeting,we'vegothim.He'sgonna