Tug of war

Both the US and Russia are equally keen to get their hands on Bout, and neither hides their intention. Diplomats from the two embassies are always present at the courthouse, with the Americans slipping notes and whispering advice to the prosecutor, and the Russians chatting with Bout and his relatives while the interpreter pauses.

Bout has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, insisting his cargo business was legitimate. The man whose life story inspired a recent Hollywood movie, "Lord of War", has never been prosecuted in spite of being subjected to UN sanctions and a travel ban.

"There are these persistent reports that the Russians keep trying to make arms deals and oil deals with the Thai government as sweeteners to get Bout out," the Associated Press quoted security consultant Michael Braun, the former director of operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration, which oversaw the sting operation against Bout, as saying.

"The Russians will do anything. They don't want this guy on US soil with the possibility of him spilling his guts," Braun said.

Moreover, leading members of the US Congress have urged Washington to do everything it can to bring Bout to be tried in an American court.

Russia's Foreign Ministry dismisses Washington's concern as "bewildering".

Shortly after Bout's arrest in March last year, the Russian parliament issued a statement calling for him to be returned to Russia.

The presiding Thai judge has made known his discomfort with the possibility of political fallout with both the US and Russia. He half-jokingly said that when all this comes to an end, he might not be able to get an entry visa to either country.

The Foreign Ministry is expected to make a statement today or tomorrow.

For a man who is only 42, Bout has an impressive resume and has rubbed shoulders with some of the world's most notorious names. These include Liberia's Charles Taylor, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, and the late dictator Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire. Bout's planes even turned up in Iraq, delivering supplies for American troops and friendly forces.

In 2001 the United Nations imposed a travel ban on Bout for allegedly supporting Taylor in his effort to destabilise neighbouring Sierra Leone. Bout reportedly wanted to get his hands on some of Taylor's diamond mines.

The following year, Belgium issued an international arrest warrant for Bout through Interpol, accusing him of money laundering and criminal conspiracy.

Has Bout bitten off more than he can chew or is he a pawn in a slugfest between the two superpowers? The proceedings in the Thai court this past year have basically been about extraditing him to the US. The juicy stuff could very well come up in the US court, if the extradition effort is successful. If so, one can be sure that Bout will not pull punches. Don't be surprised if he starts to count some of the folks in Washington as his friends.