newsAug 3, 202219:25pending

Is It Time to Free the “Merchant of Death”?

Get every episode summarized

Each time What Next | Daily News and Analysis publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.

Email me new episodes

Free for 3 shows. No card needed.

About this episode

Known as the “Merchant of Death,” Viktor Bout illegally ferried weapons, diamonds, and even UN peacekeepers around the world. The man who wrote the book on Bout thinks it’s time to send him home, if it can free Brittney Griner.

Guest: Douglas Farah, co-author of Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes and the Man Who Makes War Possible.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get every episode summarized

Each time What Next | Daily News and Analysis publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.

Email me new episodes

Free for 3 shows. No card needed.

Know when Douglas Farah turns up

Follow Douglas Farah and once a week we email you every new episode they appeared on — including guest spots the show notes never mention, because we read the transcript.

Follow Douglas Farah

Free. Pick your own day and time.

Or alert me on every mention of this name →