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President Biden agreed to a prisoner swap for WNBA star Brittney Griner, yet a former U.S. Marine says he was "greatly disappointed more hasn't been done" for his release.
Former Marine Paul Whelan told CNN on a Russian prison phone “I was arrested for a crime that never occurred. I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here.”
While many are excited for the released of Griner (who shouldn't have been imprisoned for even as long as she was for a tiny bit of weed oil), a man who served his country and is wrongfully imprisoned on suspicion of spying wasn't negotiated for? WE GAVE THEM THE "MERCHANT OF DEATH"! A terrorist for a weed charge?! REALLY?!
I don't want to be misquoted. I'm glad Griner is home and rightfully so but Whelan should be home too. It is the 4 year anniversary of his imprisonment for which even the U.S. government says the charges on him were completely false. Biden's administration even warned his family before the Griner news broke that she was being released, but nothing for him.
“I was led to believe that things were moving in the right direction, and that the governments were negotiating and that something would happen fairly soon,” he told CNN.
While speaking on the released of Griner at the White House today, Biden did say that the U.S. would "never give up" trying to seek Whelan's release, but again WE GOT A WNBA player... they got a TERROIST BACK. Does Biden do the trading for the Falcon's too? This seems like the worst trade in history. We couldn't push for the innocent Marine too?
Whelan said, “They’ve always considered me to be at a higher level than other criminals of my sort and for whatever reason, I’m treated differently than another individual here from a Western country that’s also on a charge of espionage." He continued with CNN saying, "this is basically political extortion."
It's still is hard to comprehend because a guy that sells weapons of mass murder was traded for. That's still a much higher level than a spy (that's falsely charged).
Do better government. Bring this man home too!