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Viewing cable 09BANGKOK385, AMBASSADOR ENGAGES PM ABHISIT AND DEFENSE MINISTER

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin

Currently released so far... 09BANGKOK385 2009-02-13 10:10 2010-12-01 23:11 SECRET Embassy Bangkok
597 / 251,287

Articles VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB
Brazil
Sri Lanka DE RUEHBK #0385/01 0441019
United Kingdom ZNY SSSSS ZZH
Sweden O 131019Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6044
Browse latest releases INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 1568
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 5408
2010/12/02 RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
2010/12/01 RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
2010/11/30 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
2010/11/29 RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
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A B C D H I J K EO 12958 DECL: 02/13/2019
L M N O P R S T TAGS PTER, KCRM, TH
U V SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR ENGAGES PM ABHISIT AND DEFENSE MINISTER
ON VIKTOR BOUT EXTRADITION CASE
Browse by tag Classified By: Ambassador Eric G. John, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
A B C D E F G H
¶1. (S) Summary. During a February 12 meeting, the Ambassador raised
I J K L M N O P with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva the ongoing extradition case
Q R S T U V W X concerning Russian international arms trafficker Viktor Bout and serious
Y Z concerns that Bout’s associates had been able to influence testimony
given by [xxxxxxxxxx]. Abhisit told the Ambassador that he would address
Browse by classification any “irregularities” in the case through “appropriate channels.” The
Ambassador also raised USG concerns with the xxxxxxxxx testimony during
CONFIDENTIAL a February 13 introductory call with Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan.
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Prawit committed to looking into the testimony in order to determine the
truth.
SECRET
SECRET//NOFORN ¶2. (S) Comment. Since Viktor Bout’s arrest in Bangkok almost a year
UNCLASSIFIED ago, moving towards a successful extradition to the United States has
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR been at the top of our bilateral agenda here. In addition to Embassy
OFFICIAL USE ONLY efforts over the months, President Bush raised it with then-Prime
Minister Samak during his August 2008 visit to Bangkok. Overall, our
sense has been that while the extradition proceedings have been
Community resources painfully slow (and have required constant nurturing by our DOJ and DEA
personnel every step of the way), they are moving in the direction we
Follow us on Twitter want. Lately, however, there have been disturbing indications that
Check our Reddit Bout’s xxxxxxxxxx and Russian supporters have been using money and
Twitter this influence in an attempt to block extradition. The most egregious example
Digg this page was the false testimony of xxxxxxxxxx that Bout was in Thailand as part
of government-to-government submarine deal. Thus, we felt it was time to
courage is contagious once again raise the matter at the top of the government and make clear
that, while we understand the judicial process must take its course
without political interference, we insist that the process be free of
corruption and undue influence. We will continue to do so in the months
ahead. We understand AG Holder may soon call the Thai AG to review the
case (as previous AG Mukasey did three times in addition to his visit to
Bangkok last summer). Combined with our efforts this week, the call will
make for an important one-two punch. End Summary and Comment.
ABHISIT PROMISES TO LOOK INTO IRREGULARITIES IN BOUT CASE
--------------------------------------------- ------------
¶3. (S) During a February 12 meeting at the Parliament, the Ambassador
raised with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva the ongoing extradition

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raised with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva the ongoing extradition

case concerning international arms trafficker Viktor Bout. (Note: Bout
faces terrorism-related charges in federal court in New York for
conspiring to sell millions of dollars of weapons to the FARC for use in
killing Americans. He has remained in custody in Bangkok since his
arrest on March 6, 2008. End note.) The Ambassador noted that, while the
U.S. and Thailand enjoy a strong extradition relationship, our countries
must ensure that the bilateral extradition treaty worked in our most
important cases, such as those involving terrorism. In this regard, the
Ambassador emphasized to Abhisit that the extradition case against Bout
is a high priority for the United States. Citing the United Nations’
sanctions against Bout, the Ambassador also noted that the extradition
case is one of global importance. Abhisit told that Ambassador that he
believed that his office had limited means to affect ongoing extradition
proceedings, stating that the judicial system was designed to afford due
process to the parties and expressing an unwillingness to be seen as
“overruling” this process, or “helping one side.”
¶4. (S) Expressing growing concern about the extradition proceedings,
the Ambassador then described evidence showing that the extradition
proceedings against Bout have become tainted as a result of the efforts
by Bout’s associates to bribe Thai officials. In particular, the
Ambassador detailed false testimony on Bout’s behalf from xxxxxxxxxx to
the effect that Bout came to Thailand to conduct official business with
the Thai government relating to a submarine project; recorded statements
by a Thai associate of Bout that he had procured xxxxxxxxxx to testify
on Bout’s behalf; evidence of bribery schemes gathered throughout the
world; and a scheme to arrest and thereby embarrass two U.S. diplomats -
i.e., DEA agents assigned to the Bout investigation - on meritless
charges of participating in illegal recordings of Bout on the day of his
arrest. If the xxxxxxxxxxxx false testimony remained
unrebutted, the court could possibly deny extradition based on an
erroneous conclusion that RTG had legitimate dealings with Bout, a U.N.-
sanctioned arms trafficker.

¶5. (S) In light of this evidence, the Ambassador asked the Prime
Minster to take steps to ensure that the proceedings in Bout’s
extradition case were free from the taint of bribery and corruption. In
particular, the Ambassador suggested that testimony from an
authoritative witness from the Royal Thai Navy or the Ministry of
Defense should be offered to repudiate the xxxxxxxxxx statement and make
clear that the RTG supports the extradition request. The Ambassador also
reminded the PM of the recent case of Jamshid Ghassemi, in which the
Thai authorities denied a U.S. extradition request under apparent
pressure from Iran, and stressed the importance of avoiding a similar
result here. (Note: Ghassemi is under indictment in San Diego for
violations of the Arms Export Control Act and money laundering relating
to his conspiracy to acquire accelerometers used in missile navigation.
End note.) The Ambassador also stated that Thailand’s failure to ensure
an extradition process in Bout that is free from corruption and undue
influence would constitute a major setback to the bilateral relations
between the U.S. and Thailand, especially in the area of law
enforcement.

¶6. (S) After listening to the evidence provided by the Ambassador

suggesting that bribery had infected the Bout proceedings, Abhisit
committed to addressing any “irregularities” in the extradition case
through the “appropriate channels.” At the conclusion of the meeting,
the Prime Minister sought the identity of the individuals involved in
the bribery schemes, and the DOJ Attache, who accompanied the Ambassador
to the meeting, supplied an aide to the PM with the requested
information.
DEFENSE MINISTER COMMITS TO LOOKING INTO TESTIMONY
--------------------------------------------- -----
¶7. (S) During a February 13 introductory call, the Ambassador
highlighted to Minister of Defense Prawit Wongsuwan the importance the
USG places on the Bout extradition proceedings. The Ambassador noted
that the USG understood that extradition cases take time and that the
USG respected the Thai judicial system, but we were concerned about
efforts by Bout to improperly influence the proceedings. Of particular
concern was the false testimony by xxxxxxxxx the Ambassador told Prawit.
Thexxxxxxxxxx testimony was not true and, as such, it was very important
that the Thai Navy or the Ministry of Defense correct this falsehood
with testimony to the court. Doing so would ensure that the proceedings
were kept on track and would publicly clarify that the Thai military was
not associated with a U.N.-sanctioned arms trafficker. Prawit told the
Ambassador that he was unfamiliar with the case but that he would give
priority to looking into the issue to determine the truth regarding the
testimony ofxxxxxxxxx. The Defense Minister also committed to examining
a non-paper with more details on the testimony of xxxxxxxxxxx that the
DOJ Attache provided to an aide to Prawit. JOHN

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