MERCHANT OF DEATH VIKTOR BOUT GUILTY

'BUSINESSMAN'

JAIL

THE 'MANIACAL' arms dealer dubbed the 'Merchant of Death' is facing a life behind bars after being found guilty of conspiring to commit acts of terrorism against the USA.
As we reported here, the former Soviet military officer, now 44, was caught agreeing to sell a huge cache of weapons to undercover agents posing as terrorists from the FARC group in Colombia.
Footage showed the former Soviet military officer agreeing to sell  “more than 700 surface-to-air missiles, 5,000 AK-47 assault rifles, anti-personnel landmines, C-4 explosives and literally millions of rounds of ammunition,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan McGuire told the court.
He added that Bout, "did everything he could to show he could be the one-stop shop for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC." 
During the trial they also claimed that he made $50 million alone from supplying weapons to the Taliban after decades of providing weapons to countries like Lybia and the Congo. 
Throughout Bout's lawyers claim their client, a legitimate businessman, was framed, claiming prosecutor's built their case on recorded conversations that were open to interpretation and never actually resulted in the exchange of arms or money.
Albert Dayan, Bout's attorney, said U.S. authorities "don't have anything. All they have is speculation, innuendo and conjecture."
But  Kathi Lynn Austin, director of the Conflict Awareness Project, who has followed Bout for 15 years was delighted with the result. 
When the trial started she described him as "maniacal" adding that he had, "no concern for the many places in the world where he has trafficked weapons."
She said: “We are talking about massive loss of human life. We are talking in the millions. These are the kind if wars that Mr. Bout has not only supplied, but has actually facilitated and initiated war.”
Bout could get life in prison when he is sentenced on Feb. 8.