Quote:As we reported earlier, the Biden team has made a deal for a major prisoner swap with the Russians. Who is involved in the swap is still unfolding, but right now we're hearing about the Americans who were released as part of the deal. The people released were three U.S. citizens--Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kumasheva--and one permanent resident and Washington Post columnist Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr.

Biden said during remarks that Russia released 16 prisoners in a swap for eight Russians being held in the West. In addition to the four above, there were five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in Russia. So that involves at least 24 people, if what Biden said is accurate.

What they're not talking as much about are the bad guys that they had to give up to get this deal including Russian hitman Vadim Krasikov, who was in jail in Germany for murder, in what the prosecution believed was a Russian state-sanctioned killing.

The U.S. released three Russian prisoners, including an intelligence operative facing charges of smuggling U.S. technology and ammunition to the Russian military. Slovenia released two Russian prisoners, Norway and Poland each released one.

Then on top of that, if they were going in with this trading of bad guys for people who were questionably detained, they left behind Marc Fogel, who has been held since August 2021 for what he claimed was 17 grams of medical marijuana.

Biden previously traded pro basketball player Brittney Griner for arms dealer Viktor Bout, as we reported. When you make bad deals like that, you're likely to get more wrongfully detained people--so Russia can get more of their bad guys out.

But Biden being Biden, he made bizarre and confused comments during his remarks about the deal.

He completely lost to the teleprompter as he tried to explain how they initially looked into Americans being held during the transition period; he wasn't even able to finish what he was supposed to say. He stopped midway. You can see him reading and not understanding fully what he was supposed to say:

He said something about looking into people whom he "inherited from the prior administration."

Then he stepped in it even more, with a comment that some in the leftist media thought was a mic drop but really doubled down on what a horribly confused condition Biden is in. A reporter claimed that former Pres. Trump said that he could have gotten the hostages out without giving anything in exchange.

Biden responded, "Why didn't he do it when he was president?" Except that there was a big problem with that comment:

Except for Paul Whelan, they were all wrongfully detained under Biden. But Biden apparently doesn't understand that or even understand why it's a bad idea to trade bad guys for innocents. It's hard for Trump to make a deal for hostages who weren't even hostages yet. He's unique, but that would be a bit superhuman. What we saw was another demonstration of how much Biden's brains have just turned to oatmeal at this point.

Then because Joe is Joe, he had to somehow make everything about himself. He said how he understood what the families were feeling because of what happened to his family, that he's "lost family."

No, losing family to an accident or cancer is not the same as your family member being held by the Russians. Just stop it already. Beau was not held in a Russian prison, and he wasn't killed in Iraq. This isn't about you, Joe; it's about the families involved.

Then, just to finish it off in another typical Joe move, he immediately homed in on the young girl and made a comment about her not dating any "serious guys" until she is 30:

Even after all this--and even after they managed to shove him out of the race--the team still can't get him to stop doing this. I'd call it "weird," but that would probably be kind. Creepy is a better word.

Link

Quote:President Joe Biden said their “brutal ordeal” is over for three American citizens, two journalists and a former Marine, who were arrested and held in Russia, accused of spying.

Evan Gershkovich, reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan were both released in a historic prisoner swap on Thursday, the biggest since the Cold War.

Also released were Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian American journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition activist who holds an American green card.

“This is a good day,” Biden said at a press conference with family members of the prisoners. “Now their brutal ordeal is over and they are free.”

“This is an incredible relief for all the families gathered here,” Biden said. “It’s a relief to the friends and colleagues all across the country who have been praying for this day for a long time.”

The three Americans were flown to Turkey earlier today and will soon be on their way home to their families, Biden said.

The president and the families were able to speak to the prisoners on the telephone from the Oval Office, Biden said.

A total of 24 prisoners were released in the deal, which involved at least six countries. Germany, Poland, Norway, Slovenia, and Turkey all cooperated with the U.S. on the prisoner release, Biden said.

Russian hit man Vadim Krasikov, who was serving a life sentence in Germany, was reportedly at the center of the agreement.

“The deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy and friendship,” Biden said.

“It says a lot about the United States that we work relentlessly to free Americans who are unjustly held around the world,” the president said. “But it also says a lot about us that this deal includes the release of Russian political prisoners. They stood up for democracy and human rights. Their own leaders threw them in prison. The United States helped secure their release as well. That’s who we are in the United States. We stand for freedom, for liberty, for justice not only for our own people but for others as well.”

Biden added that “deals like this come with tough calls.”

Biden also prompted the audience to sing “Happy Birthday” to Kurmasheva’s young daughter, Miriam, and gave her a hug.

When asked whether he would speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden responded, “I don’t need to speak with Putin.”

Biden was also asked about former President Donald Trump’s statement that he would secure Journal reporter Gershkovich’s release if re-elected.

“Why didn’t he do it when he was president?” Biden responded.

Gershkovich, 32, was arrested in March 2023, more than two years after Trump left the White House. Russian authorities accused him of being a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) spy. He was convicted in June. Russian prosecutors alleged that Gershkovich collected “secret information” regarding a Russian defense contractor “using painstaking conspiratorial methods.” He was held in a Stalin-era prison in Moscow and reportedly only allowed one hour a day to walk around.

Whelan, 54, a former Marine who is also the former director of global security for auto-parts supplier BorgWarner, was arrested in 2018 at a wedding in Moscow. He was accused of spying and of possessing a flash drive with Russian state secrets. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020.

Kurmasheva, 47, the Russian American journalist, was convicted by a Russian court of spreading false information about Russia’s military. She was sentenced to six and a half years in prison. She was detained in June 2023 while visiting her sick mother.

Kara-Murza, the Russian opposition activist and a contributing columnist for The Washington Post, was arrested after he returned to Russia in April 2022. He was charged with treason for speaking out against the war in Ukraine. He claims he had been poisoned by Russian authorities and developed a nerve condition. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Eight Russians were released back to Russia as part of the deal, including several Russian spies, a former high-ranking Russian Federal Security Service colonel convicted of murder by a German court, a Russian citizen accused of scheming to provide American-made electronics and ammunition to Russia, and a Russian businessman who was sentenced in Boston to nine years for a $93 million criminal scheme.

https://www.dailywire.com/news/their-bru...Position=1

He probably did drop the mic or knocked it over by falling down. Then wandered around trying to find his way out of the room.

End of quote.

It's in the details Low Bar J. He's still mad he blew the debate and got burned on his [imagined] golf game.

Haven’t you heard anything that’s went wrong was cause of a deal Trump cut before he left office.

The only reason negotiations like this are getting done now is because foreign leaders know they can strong arm Biden and Harris.

Trump was the one strong arming in foreign affairs. They either tap out or Trump told them where he was going to send our latest missles.

Putin taking candy from a baby, today

(08-01-2024 10:00 PM)UABFAN23 Wrote:  The only reason negotiations like this are getting done now is because foreign leaders know they can strong arm Biden and Harris.

Trump was the one strong arming in foreign affairs. They either tap out or Trump told them where he was going to send our latest missles.

Putin taking candy from a baby, today

Today?

Don't you remember the trade for the WNBA player for an Arms Dealer?

It's open season on American hostages. It pays very well to our enemies. They're worth $billion each to Iran and multiple cyber criminals and assassins to Russia.

Biden's Ominous Remarks at Return of Americans Reveal How Completely Gone He Is

Quote:President Joe Biden went to greet Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine veteran Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva when they arrived back at Joint Base Andrews on Thursday night after being released by Russia in a huge prisoner swap. The West released some very bad guys in return for the release of the wrongfully detained Americans. But the bad part of the deal isn't getting as much air.

Biden took along Vice President Kamala Harris. But having two weak, impaired people just doubles down on the bad. If they're going to try to put this off as a "shared presidency" now, it's not going to work, in addition to being unconstitutional.

As we reported, in an unscripted moment where Harris had to talk without reading out of her notes from a binder, she came out with a word salad mess.

"This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and understands the strength that rests in understanding the significance of diplomacy and strengthening alliances," she said. Alrighty now. It's important to understand the importance of importance, don't you think that's important?

Then Biden opened his mouth.

Biden also mentioned how the deal was important to the families of the nationals as well. “My father used to say family is the beginning the middle and the end, it’s about who we are as a country”. To Putin, he has this to say: “Stop.” “To me, this is about the essence of who we are as a country”.

Biden still hasn't figured out that words like "Don't" and "Stop" aren't very effective when you're viewed as weak. It didn't stop Russia from wrongfully detaining two of the three that they greeted; they were detained under Biden, although he didn't seem to understand that in bizarre comments that he made on Thursday.

He continued with weird remarks that failed to grasp reality while welcoming the Americans home. Here's what he said to Gershkovich, which, when you think about it in a broader sense, comes across as a threat to all of us that "there's no way out."

“You’re stuck with me as president for a while, kid. There’s no way out. You got me for at least 90 days or so,” Biden said with the weird empty-headed smirk he has. (It's way past his bedtime, so the chances of weirdness go up.)

Unfortunately, because he's Biden and his brain is mush, he doesn't seem to understand we're actually stuck with him for longer than that — until Jan. 20, 2025. Or is he unintentionally giving away some other plan, resigning earlier, and handing it to Kamala? Barring some other kind of funny business, we're still going to be "burdened by what has been" until January, at least as of now, even if Joe doesn't get it. Even though it would probably help Kamala politically, he doesn't appear inclined to want to give up any more of his time occupying the office. And that's what really reveals what little regard he has for Kamala and the country.

Also, unfortunately, there's "no way out" sounds like an ominous threat and a big problem until then — because having someone allegedly in charge with his issues is putting us all at risk. Are the unelected powers behind the scenes going to be covering for him? That's another problem.

Notice, too, that weird walk with both hands out that he's doing more and more. It's incredibly concerning that this is the guy at the switch for even that period of time.

The Biden Administration’s Prisoner Swap With Russia Was Ridiculously Lopsided

Quote:The Biden administration’s prisoner swap with Russia is being touted by the corporate press as “historic,” and in a way it is. Nothing like this, on this scale, has happened since the Cold War. But the swap is as lopsided as it is historic.

All Americans should welcome the release of our three unjustly imprisoned compatriots: Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva. They were among the 16 western prisoners released by Moscow in exchange for eight Russian nationals released by the U.S. and allies.

But this wasn’t a Cold War-era prisoner swap of the kind immortalized in the Oscar-winning 2015 film “Bridge of Spies.” It was a dangerously uneven exchange that saw the release of a Russian assassin along with Russian spies and hackers, all of whom have committed serious crimes in western countries. Essentially, Moscow arrested a bunch of innocent western journalists and political dissidents, and then used them as bargaining chips to secure the release of its own killers, criminals, and spies.

Among the Russians released from western prisons, for example, was Vadim Krasikov, a Russian assassin who in 2019 killed a Chechen separatist commander in broad daylight in a park in central Berlin. Krasikov, who shot his victim twice with a Glock 26 and then threw it in a river, was sentenced to life in prison in 2021. At the time, German officials said he was a member of the F.S.B., Russia’s domestic spy agency.

Also released was suspected F.S.B. agent Vadim Konoshchenok, arrested in 2022 on espionage charges in Estonia and extradited to the U.S. He was accused of conspiring to obtain military-grade technologies from U.S. companies and pass them to Moscow.

The prisoner swap recalls the 2014 Bowe Bergdahl affair under the Obama administration. Bergdahl was a U.S. Army soldier who, disillusioned with the war in Afghanistan, abandoned his post in 2009 and was subsequently captured by the Taliban and held as a hostage. In 2014, the Taliban agreed to free him in exchange for five top Taliban officials being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, including army chief of staff and deputy minister of intelligence. One of them, Abdul Haq Wasiq, is currently the head of intelligence for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the internationally unrecognized name of the Taliban regime.

At the time, Obama was widely criticized for giving up so many high-value Taliban prisoners for Bergdahl and for negotiating with terrorists for his release. Bergdahl’s fellow soldiers accused him of desertion and endangering the lives of other members of his platoon who were tasked with finding him in enemy territory. He was later formally charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, to which he pled guilty and was subsequently dishonorably discharged.

Biden’s prisoner exchange with Russia isn’t as egregiously lopsided as the Bergdahl swap, but it nevertheless sends a clear message that a hostile regime can arrest and detain American citizens on false pretenses, using them as leverage to secure the release of their own people.

At the very least, it most assuredly wasn’t was the brilliant foreign policy maneuver the Biden administration and the media are saying it was. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan got choked up announcing the prisoner swap on Thursday. He praised his colleagues at the NSC, CIA, and State Department that orchestrated the deal, adding that every American should be proud having such people “standing up on their behalf and on behalf of American security.”

Again, it’s good news that three American citizens were released, but it’s hard to make the case that the Biden administration stood up for “American security” or made America safer by agreeing to this deal.

It’s certainly not something an ailing Joe Biden should brag about, as he did at a press conference Thursday announcing the swap. Asked about former President Donald Trump’s comments that he could have secured the American prisoners’ release without giving up anything, Biden replied, “Then why didn’t he do it when he was president?” and then walked away, seemingly unaware that two of the three Americans released were arrested during his term in office, not Trump’s.

A grinning Dana Bash of CNN called it a “mic drop moment” without clarifying the facts or the timeline of the arrests — something we might once have associated with Russian state media but are now accustomed to seeing here in the U.S.

"VICE PRESIDENT TRUMP AND I ALONE GOT THESE HOSTAGES HOME PAUSE FOR APPLAUSE I AM GREAT AT DIPLOMACY NOW DROP THE MIC AND WALK AWAY. THANK YOU."

This was a terrible deal, like almost all USA exchange deals. Not quite as bad as the Bowe Bergdahl deal, but pretty bad nevertheless.

Why Putin thinks he's the winner in prisoner swap

Quote:It’s something Vladimir Putin does rarely: go to the airport to meet people off a plane. Personally.

But he was there last night: on the tarmac at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport to meet and greet those Russians whose release he’d secured from foreign jails; part of the largest prisoner swap between Russia and the West since the Cold War.

Out of the plane and down the steps came 10 people, including spies, sleeper agents and a convicted assassin.

“Congratulations on your return to the Motherland!” he told them.

You could tell that the Kremlin believes it has something to celebrate.

For the returning Russians there was a red carpet reception and a guard of honour. There were bouquets of flowers and - for some - hugs from the president. Mr Putin embraced Vadim Krasikov, the FSB hitman who’d been serving a life sentence in Germany for assassinating a Georgian-born Chechen dissident.

President Putin promised them all state awards.

“I would like to address those of you who have a direct connection to military service,” he continued. “Thank you for your loyalty to your oath and your duty to your Motherland, which has never forgotten you for a moment.”

There’s another message the pro-Kremlin press is putting out right now: good riddance to those Russia has freed from its prisons and who’ve been flown abroad.

“Eight Russians who’d been jailed in Nato countries have returned to the Motherland in exchange for individuals who had been acting to the detriment of Russia’s national security,” says the government paper.

Referring to the dissidents released by Moscow, Komsomolskaya Pravda claims “they have ditched their former Motherland and flown to those who hired them.”

Attempts to discredit critics and opponents; lavish praise for loyal supporters who are portrayed as true patriots. All this helps the authorities make the case with the Russian people that the prisoner swap was a success for the Kremlin.

Russia-West prisoner swap: Watch how the night unfolded
There is little doubt that the Kremlin views the prisoner swap as a victory for Moscow. It got what it wanted… it got its agents back, including the man who was No.1 on its wish list, Krasikov. The German authorities had initially been unwilling to release a convicted assassin, who a German court had concluded had acted on behalf of the Russian authorities.

That reluctance softened as a wider deal took shape.

But why was it so important for the Kremlin to secure Vadim Krasikov’s release and to bring him home?

Today’s Russian newspapers provide a clue.

“We’re returning our guys” is the headline in the government paper Rossiyskaya Gazeta,

“We don’t abandon our own!” declares the pro-Putin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda.

That is precisely the message the Kremlin wants to send to its agents and spies: if we send you on missions abroad, and things go wrong, we’ll find a way of getting you home.