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Bout, 42, allegedly the world's biggest gunrunner, flashed a victory sign as he sauntered from a Bangkok court after a Thai judge refused to extradite him to the United States.Pursued for years by the world's intelligence services, and tracked for months by US and Thai agents, the "Merchant of Death", as the former Russian air force officer is known, has once more escaped prosecution, it seems.

The US now has three days to appeal. If not, or if any appeal is dismissed, the man whose reputation as the "McDonald's" of the arms trade inspired the Nicolas Cage character Yuri Orlov in the 2005 film, will walk free.

"The US charges are not applicable under Thai law. This is a political case," ruled Judge Jittakorn Wattanasin delivering the verdict at Bangkok's criminal court.

"The Farc is fighting for a political cause and is not a criminal gang. Thailand does not recognise the Farc as a terrorist group. We will not extradite him to the United States."

Bout, dressed in faded orange prison uniform, jumped from his seat to embrace his tearful wife, Alla, before being led from the courtroom. "I am very happy," she sobbed. "The judge showed professionalism in this case."

There was similar sentiment in Moscow. "We view this decision with satisfaction, and we hope that in the nearest future, Viktor Bout will return to the motherland," Interfax quoted a Russian foreign ministry spokesman as saying.

James Entwistle, deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Thailand, said: "We're disappointed and mystified by the lower court ruling. We will consult the Thai government. We understand they want to file a petition and we support that."

Bout has always denied involvement in the illegal arms trade, saying he is involved only in cargo transportation. As for Bangkok, he was there "to relax" and hold talks with "a Thai businessman who wanted to buy aeroplanes".A burly six-footer – he has lost weight in the 18 months he has spent in a maximum security Bangkok prison awaiting the extradition decision – Bout is a regular fixture on international most-wanted lists. He is the subject of UN sanctions, an Interpol notice over weapons trafficking and money laundering charges in Belgium, and an assets freeze by the US

Having lost the extradition case, the United States government has asked the government of Colombia to write a letter to the government of Thailand begging to allow the extradition of Victor Bout to the United States!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BUT WHATS THE DIFFERENCE WITH RUSSIAN VICTOR BOUT AND THE USA SUPPLYING ARMS TO MANY DICTATORS.

It was on the back in the Soviet Union in the early 1990s that he set up his arms business, buying up the ancient Antonov and Ilyushin cargo planes strewn around decaying airfields of former Soviet-bloc countries, as well as the massive stockpile of weapons and spare parts available. His cargoes have ranged from tanks, surface to air missiles and gladioli to diamonds. It is no different than the USA leaving stockpiles of arms in Vietnam to be had for grabs or stinger missles in Afghanistan so why the big push by the USA to seek extradition when there own track record is poor.

He had a client list was once described as a major supplier by the UN of trafficking arms and breaking arms embargos in hotspots such as Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and Sudan but if he didn't do it others like the French, Pakistanis etc would have done it or even probably Oliver North for the USA--what about the contras and all the other havoc USA has created around the world and its not signing the ban on land mines etc. In Afghanistan, it is alleged he suppled weapons to all sides; the Northern Alliance, the Taliban and the US so the USA cannot just accuse this man when they themselves sold and exploited governments worldwide including Osama Bin laden and the Khmer Rouge.