If I brought drugs into a hostile country and was caught

[tavernier]

I would pretty much figure that I was primarily to blame and it could turn out badly for me because of my stupidity.
So how is Joe Biden suddenly the bad guy?
Her wife is upset that Biden hasn’t called her. People are mad at Joe that nothing is being done.
I suppose that in peaceful times before Putin decided to involve Europe and the USA in a partial global war, it may have been easier to gain a release, but in this world where we are sending arms to defend a country that is being massacred by Putin’s thugs, Joe’s main attention might be focused on wider concerns.
Don’t get me wrong… I hope and pray for her release because a Russian prison is a frightening and deadly place. But her timing and lack of good judgement puts herself and other people in jeopardy because she has made herself a convenient political tool for the enemy.
Sorry for speaking so bluntly, but that’s just my opinion.

[jimfields33]

1. I've been to many countries and you follow their laws period.

Singapore is a strict country but you just do as they want and you can have a good time. It doesn’t matter a bit that something is legal in the United States. If it illegal in the foreign country you are visiting, don’t do it.

[rampartc]

23. +1

i'm also thinking about the idiot who was held by the north koreans and the guy who went to mexico "accidently" with a trunkful of weaponsd because he did not know he had crossed the border.

if people are this stupid (or if they choose not to leave afghanastan in a timely manner, or if they need to "hike" at the iranian border, or if jesus calls them to preach to isis militants .....)

[stopdiggin]

127. +1. although I'm not necessarily putting Griner's 'actions'

here on the same level of absolute moronic idiocy. But we've had some doozies in the past - and frankly, sympathy for these cases is a little .. shall we say, on the lean side?

[rampartc]

138. in many of these cases a respected former president or well known person

will engage in personal diplomacy. jimmy carter was known for this and of course the basketball star who befriended kim

i suppose it is too much to ask a former president with a close relationship with the russian leader to intervene? i suppose he is too busy monday morning quarterbacking down at mar a lago ........

[stopdiggin]

145. OMG. Laughing hysterically.

Yes, let's DO get TFG (and all his famous 'diplomatic' skills) involved.

(can practically hear Brittney, and all concerned, recoiling in horror ... Dear, God - preserve us!)
---- ----

[rampartc]

150. he really should negotiate an end to the ukraine war while he's at it

but i doubt zelansky would go along with a total surrender without at least being invited to the peace talks.

the art of the deal : give 'em everything they want and throw in a few $B in military hardware if you just wait until i can blame it on the new guy.

[FreepFryer]

2. I support both Biden and Griner. BAD FRAME. (nt)

[Dorian Gray]

140. Right

I don't understand why they're being pitted against one another.

[Evergreen Emerald]

3. You are assuming she brought it in

Or was it a setup?

[ancianita]

21. Exactly. A State Dept. spokesperson said that Putin's Russia trumps up charges all the time.

[treestar]

110. this could be part of why we are advised not to travel there

[Deuce]

61. Not knowing the actual truth, my first thought was setup. If not, big mistake by her!

[sybylla]

67. This

They knew they were going to war. They knew who they had in their country. They selected a target.

That said, I agree with everything the OP said about the war effing up anyone's ability to do anything about this right now. I fail to see how Griner's wife is helping at this point.

[jimfields33]

75. Hash oil really? If setup, the would have gone pounds of cocaine or heroin.

[ecstatic]

115. Even putin is smart enough to know that

athletes are routinely tested for drugs, so that type of setup would have been too obvious. He calculated the exact amount needed so that the setup couldn't be exposed with a clean drug test.

[tinrobot]

136. Putin's athletes have been banned from competition for drug use.

Yet he arrests this one.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

149. Clearly, all that was necessary was hash oil. Heroin and cocaine would not

in any way be believable if used to frame her.

That said, I'm not saying that she was either framed or not framed. The Kremlin, and Putin, are even more crooked and Machiavellian than the MAGAt king.

[former9thward]

93. She was the Russian's highest paid player.

Why would they deliberately set her up? That makes no sense. The State Department has not denied the charges. All they have said is that she is "wrongfully detained".

[betsuni]

4. K&R

[Emile]

5. At first it was reported Brittney Griner had empty thc cartridges.

Even if full it was less than a gram. Granted she shouldn't have tried entering their country, but my god it wasn't like she was trying to smuggle in a ton of weed. She only has herself to blame, but I am hopeful Joe can get her home.

[onethatcares]

6. agreeing with you

get caught trying to bring illegal drugs into the good ol' U. S. of A. and see what happens.

[The Jungle 1]

24. Nothing happens.

The russian mob does it all the time. We do nothing. We know who they are and do nothing.
I say round them up and send them home.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

44. When not everyone is caught, people say "they do it all the time", as if nobody is caught

Binary thinking leads people astray. It is not the case that nobody is caught or everybody is caught. It is in between: some people are caught.

Perfection is the enemy of the good.

Regardless of how complete or incomplete some actions are, some people expect perfection or nothing, as if you can't catch all of the people so nobody should bother. So then they say "Nothing happens" because it wasn't all stopped. They say "We do nothing" as if we do nothing, which goes in the face of facts.

All the same, there is undoubtedly more that could be done if more money was available and if former guys didn't have connections with Russian mobs in the US. Fortunately the former guy is out.

[The Jungle 1]

94. Last arrest I could find was in 2017

It is estimated that approximately 15 of these loosely categorized criminal groups are operating in the
United States, and that 8 or 9 of them maintain links to Russia. The estimated membership of those
groups is 5 - 6,000 members. To put these estimates into context, a recent report published by the Global
Organized Crime Project of Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies ("Russian
Organized Crime: Putin's Challenge&quot estimates that 200 large ROC groups are currently operating in 58
countries worldwide, including the United States. RUSSIAN ORGANIZED CRIME IN
THE UNITED STATES
By
James O. Finckenauer, Ph.D.
International Center
National Institute of Justice

No one comes to this site to be judged or for advice. We come here to debate issues.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

96. Can you remember who took office in 2017? All the same I commend the research you got

Seems like an issue because it is a problem not being dealt with.

Are the Russian mobsters ultra-sophisticated and hard to crack or are investigations being allowed to be stymied and grow cold?

Certainly we can expect little or no cooperation from Russia and the powers there (Putin) may be actively helping them.

[stopdiggin]

128. "We know who they are and do nothing."

This is the phrase that is getting you push back. Really? Full knowledge? And doing zero? Just zip? That's a pretty big - and bold - assertion.

Yes, this is a place for airing opinion ....

[gab13by13]

7. I worked in shady countries for my corporation,

the legal team would meet with us and explain that if we were jailed, for legitimate reasons, we would be at the mercy of that country's legal system. On the bright side, if we were robbed and murdered our spouses would be well compensated.

Now, with that said, we have no idea if Russia just falsified charges against Greiner, she may well have done nothing wrong.

As far as getting president Biden publicly involved, these prisoner situations are 99% resolved in secret. Russia wants someone released from prison and we want someone released from prison, that doesn't happen on the front page of newspapers.

[stopdiggin]

17. precisely. on every point made. -(nt)-

[treestar]

40. and for all our country's faults as to its legal system

in another country's, people may realize their systems aren't so great, and are in fact a lot worse.

[KS Toronado]

64. "prisoner situations are 99% resolved in secret."

That's just how international diplomacy works, plus with the Ukrainian conflict her situation will
undoubtedly take longer to resolve.

[ProfessorGAC]

104. Exactly My Experience

Geez, i even traveled to Colombia many times. In the middle of the cocaine triangle.
The recommendation was to speak italian when not at the site because italian companies don't pay ransoms. I speak enough of the language that most in a Spanish speaking country would not know i wasn't fluent.
Don't try sneaking anything in or out, and go through every nook & cranny of luggage before the airport in both directions.
Most of my trips were to friendlier countries, although China can be tough on minor infractions.

[delisen]

8. You are assuming guilt. and in a country known for political false arrests.

I would agree that going to Russia to make money is not wise but would certainly not assume guilty as charged.

[stopdiggin]

14. a point of which all are aware. but changes little or nothing

in regard to what Joe Biden would/could/should be 'doing' about the incident.

(and there has been very little in terms of claims of 'false charges', even very early on - granted with perhaps some strategic intent there - but still, the 'assumption', as you call it, is kind of a given.)

[bigtree]

118. the op pronounced her guilty

...on Russia's word.

It's basically an anti-Griner op.

Really amazing given the likelihood this dictatorship which is at military, political, and economic odds with America is using this woman as a pawn.

How is this summary judgment any different than how Russia's court system operates? The very same system is responsible for the arrest and detention of opposition leader Alexey Navalnyy, the prosecution and imprisonment of two member of the band Pussy Riot, and the failure of the Russian justice system to bring to justice the killers of Sergei Magnitsky, the anti-corruption lawyer who died after being beaten in Russian prison.

Start there before judging this woman.

[stopdiggin]

126. I feel proper chastened

and will only point out that Russia's 'justice' system is hardly alone in questionable input - and/or result. And as for the court of public opinion ... Please don't make me laugh.

The OP is hardly alone in making the assumptions that it does. And a good deal of the commentary (both here and elsewhere) has been of the variety of, "when you enjoy the hospitality of a foreign country .." With the subtext very much being, "the lady f*cked up." We may someday find out that this was all just as bogus as can be. But for today - that remains another 'assumption' - and a rather big one.

And the larger and more current context here are headlines blaring, "Brittney's wife calling out Joe Biden!"

Which is also as bogus as can F-ing be.
I hope the lady comes home tomorrow. But it is hardly Biden's responsibility that it happen.

And with that - - Peace, brother.

------ ------

[treestar]

111. assume the risk by going there voluntarily

[alphafemale]

9. I would have no baggage at all

Slim fit clothing and my ID's and passport around my neck.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

10. Russia wants Victor Bout released to them.

I believe she was targeted as a most sympathetic pawn to use in the game of prisoner exchange.

[stopdiggin]

11. Two people are (primarily) responsible for this unfortunate

circumstance. Neither of them is named Biden. And (with apologies for those most closely invested emotionally, family, et.al.) - nobody with half a functioning brain is making an argument that Biden should be 'doing something' or 'doing more.' I'm sure that what can be done is being done (the administration is far from 'unaware') - but, again, only the mushiest of thinkers would imagine that it would come at the expense of national policy (at this hugely critical inflection point) with regard to Russia.

Certainly sympathetic to Griner's plight - really crappy (and unlucky!) timing there, kid! But it ain't Joe Biden's fault.

[BlackSkimmer]

12. I agree. And I saw one of the WNBA coaches slamming Biden yesterday too.

Pretty sure any of us would be SOL if we tried to bring weed into another country.

Hell, I wouldn't even take the chance of flying back to my home state with weed I bought in a weed legal state. I know people who've done it, but I think they're nuts.

[mucifer]

13. Did she bring weed into Russia or was it planted?

[BlackSkimmer]

19. It was less than a gram, it was in her carry-on, she was alerted on by a dog, it's on video.

I would think that a government wanted to plant something on a foreigner would not plant less than a gram of hash oil in a vape cartridge? That makes no sense at all. And you never let your carry-on out of your sight when traveling.

She traveled frequently to Russia, and she may have done it successfully before. She may have become complacent. I haven't heard either her or her team deny it as yet. I had a friend who took a similar amount into England back in the early 80s. She didn't get caught, but I remember thinking she was stupid as hell.

I think cannabis should be legal, but transporting it ANYWHERE where it's illegal is just plain dumb. Maybe she didn't, but Griner has not been known for her good decision making skills over the years. Feel free to research her domestic violence case.

All that being said, I hope she gets out soon, but slamming President Biden isn't going to help her cause, and it's monumentally unfair.

[LisaL]

29. Agreed.

I don't think anything was planted.

[XanaDUer2]

38. Thank you

I doubt it was planted. Dumb.

[RobinA]

92. It's Very Easy

to get complacent. I live in a medical marijuana state and can get it legally. And I travel. I use tincture and vape cartridges and when I travel I think to myself that I will just take a bit for a little relaxation on vacation. Then I tell myself, "No you will not, Midnight Express???" And I just travel to civilized European countries. It's tempting once you lose that feeling that if you are carrying you have a target on your back, but transporting it is just a very bad idea.

[BlackSkimmer]

99. I know,. I even thought about flying back from Seattle with it.

I thought better of it.

another possibility is that she completely forgot it was in her bag. Shit like that does happen, but what a nightmare.

[PJMcK]

20. Where did you get the idea it was planted?

Any proof?

TIA

[mucifer]

36. It's Russia. I don't trust them

[ProfessorGAC]

105. I Don't Trust Them Either

But, planting doesn't make sense. She's the highest paid player in their league, and a star.
But in this country, many sports fans don't know who she is because women's pro basketball is still a minor sport.
Picking out a star who is barely above the typical citizen level seems to have little reward with the risk of creating an international incident.
My guess is she forgot that stuff was in there.

[LisaL]

28. I don't think anything was planted.

NT

[ancianita]

25. The WNBA itself should be slammed for sending a team to an internationally sanctioned country, ffs.

[MichMan]

47. She wasn't playing for her WNBA team

She was playing for a Russian team in the off season for extra Ruples.

[BlackSkimmer]

52. Well, you need to blame the players, not the WNBA. WNBA has nothing to do with where the

players go in the off-season.

Griner and others make big bucks playing for Russian teams.

[rampartc]

30. i would never bring the smallest amount of weed from colorado back to louisiana.

and those contemplating a black market in abortion pills need to know that these states van be fanatic.

[CentralMass]

15. This assumes that , Brittany Griner, did have two vape cartridges in her carry on luggage when she

was arrested and that the were not planted.

https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/06/30/brittney-griner-russia-arrest-trial-frequently-asked-questions

"The Russians have to keep pretending that this is a legitimate arrest,” Danielle Gilbert, assistant professor of military and strategic studies at the United States Air Force Academy, told ESPN. “There is no reason to believe that the charges are legitimate or that her trial will be fair. But if and when she's convicted, the Russians will have made clear their credible alternative to a deal to bring her home.”

One of my daughters opted to do some overseas study in St Petersburg back in 2013-2014. A decision that I was very concerned about. I checked the state department travel adversaries on travel to Russia and from memory I think they were advising not to travel to Russia and mentioned that if you did that the police were very corrupt and the it was advised to have rubles to bribe the police etc.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

16. You believe the Russians? Huh. ETA: Oh, I see you're not the only one!

Last edited Wed Jul 6, 2022, 08:41 AM - Edit history (1)

[BlackSkimmer]

70. You really think they're going to plant less than a gram of oil in a vape?

Makes no sense.

I’m no fan of Putin, but I’m inclined to believe she made a stupid decision. Maybe she’d done it before, maybe she was just seeing if she could get away with a small amount. Who knows? But it was in her carry-on, which any experienced traveler knows never to let out of your sight.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

84. Having lived in Russia, dealt with Russian cops and had trouble at border crossings -- and being

much less of a celebrity than Griner -- I believe that is what happened.

But it was in her carry-on, which any experienced traveler knows never to let out of your sight.

The problem comes when they take your carry-on to search it.

[ecstatic]

117. Or hell, it could have been placed there in her russian hotel room.

I find it disgusting that people are reflexively and blindly taking russia's side. Do these same people believe that Ukraine was harboring nazis? I mean, putin said it, so it must be true!

[mackdaddy]

18. My GUESS was that she had CBD vape cartriges.

Which are legal in most of the united states. But would probably test positive in most drug indicator tests.

Supposedly the stuff is good for pain management and sleep problems. I hear it advertised on the radio now regularly.

But still, no way would I fly anywhere with the stuff, certainly not into a place like Russia. Griner has celebrity status and has been in and out of Russia for years so she probably thought she could get by. But, this was of course just weeks before the Ukraine invasion.

I do not see how this public pressure on Biden is doing anything positive and is really just helping Putin get a better deal. Biden's administration is at least competent and I am sure doing everything they can to try to get all of these political hostages back, as they have been doing since he took over.

[ancianita]

22. In this case

In no way should Griner's coach be let off the hook. He neglected his due diligence.
Nor should the WNBA that sent them to Russia amidst worldwide sanctions be off the hook.

Worse, her coach and the WNBA were derelict, and/or didn't care about these facts:
-- they were vulnerable to surveillance from the moment they set foot on Russian land;
-- Russia wants us to trade a sports star for THE biggest arms dealer on the planet -- Viktor Bout. Russia wants him to help Putin beat Ukraine, among other things. Maybe if the U.S. swapped Bout after giving him a lobotomy...

Griner's coach should have kept a better eye on her, and prepared her to deal with the country he put her in. In this case, an American life, weighed against the costs to the whole planet, might not get home. This could be one of those times.

If we ever get Griner home, her coach should lose his job, at the very least, and at the most, charged with something, not sure what. The WNBA should be heavily fined for its failure to honor sanctions.

[LisaL]

26. She went before sanctions.

She got arrested a short time prior to war in Ukraine.

[ancianita]

35. I hear you. All the more convenient for Russia.

Whose tanks had already been lined up at the Ukraine border.

Then the WNBA at best made a bad call; at worst, was as clueless as the many Ukrainians who, when we interviewed them, thought Russia was going to do nothing to them.

[LisaL]

39. WNBA is not sending players to Russia.

Players go in off season to make money.

[ancianita]

45. Thanks for the correction.

Did her coach check in with the State Department?

Making money is no excuse for the coach's poor judgment about the country whose tanks were lined up on the Ukraine border, a country hostile to the U.S. and which has in the past arrested and indefinitely detained Americans.

2020 hindsight, I know. Still. Money or not it's f'n Russia they went to.

[jimfields33]

77. Why would the coach get involved in this beforehand?

She was not working for the WNBA when she chose to work in Russia. It’s like a teacher who gets a summer job. The school has nothing to do with it.

[ancianita]

81. See #57.

[stopdiggin]

130. her Russian coach?

and, as has been pointed out, Griner had been making this trip (multiple times) for several years. Any 'vetting' of the situation (and regulations) would have been done (presumably by Griner as a functioning adult) at the beginning of her decision to play for a Russian team, in Russia. Years ago.

[Dorian Gray]

142. The coach on the US team she played for

had nothing to do with this.

Do you mean the coach of her russian team?

I'm so confused.

[CentralMass]

32. I believe the players aren't being sent there by the WNBA. They play over ther to supplement their

income.Some made as much as $1 5 million.

The blame the the WNBA might be worth if is that they grossly underpayment bs wgst make players naked in the NBA.

Brittany Griner, who is a superstar, made $220k last season in the WNBA but was naking over $1million playing off season in Russia.
https://fanbuzz.com/nba/wnba-stars-get-better-pay-overseas/

[LisaL]

34. Yep, they play in Russia in WNBA off season.

They get paid really well over there.

[ancianita]

37. Fine. Then this is mostly on the coach, imo.

[MichMan]

49. It is on the player that decided to play in a totalitarian country for the money

[ancianita]

148. Yep, I was wrong about the facts. Everyone here is right. Thanks to all.

[CentralMass]

51. I have to disagree. These are professional basketball players.

Brittany Griner is 31 years old. She is an adult making her own decisions.
I edited my post above with a link and some more details.

Griner made $220k last season in the WNBA and she was being paid over $1 million to play in Russia off season. The decision to play there was her own.

I would say that you could blame tje WNBA for under paying it's athletes.

[ancianita]

53. Okay, I concede all your points. Thanks for your post.

I should have had more facts straight before I started blaming the coach and player. However.

Given their mistake, they can't blame this country for not yet fixing the mess they handed it.

[ProfessorGAC]

106. Not Me

The WNBA is paying the players what the revenues can provide. There's a CBA that specifies the minimum % of revenues to be paid as salary. The players' vote was overwhelmingly yes.
If the NBA wasn't subsidizing the league EVERY team would be losing money. Really losing, not ownership fake books losing.
Yes, they make more overseas, but they are not being underpaid under some nefarious plan of the greedy owners.

[CentralMass]

107. Thanks for the reply. I was tossing it out for discussion.. an article on the WNBA' s

Unprofitability and subsidies from the NBA.

https://dunkorthree.com/is-wnba-profitable/

[ProfessorGAC]

108. I've Seen That Before

I actually know someone whose brother has an investment in the Chicago Sky.
He's had money invested for 8 or 9 years & has gotten exactly zero return.
But, his daughter & 2 granddaughters are serious about playing basketball. He made the investment for access & exposure to the world's best women players for his family. He never expected to make any money. (My pal says his brother is LOADED! He was a BIG shot at a major insurance company.)

[ancianita]

147. Yep, I was wrong about the facts. Everyone here is right. Thanks to all.

[Dorian Gray]

143. What does her coach

have to do with this?

Do you mean her agent?

[ancianita]

146. Yep, I was wrong about the facts. Everyone here is right. Thanks to all.

[BlackSkimmer]

54. Her coach had nothing to do with this.

She was traveling to play with a Russian team. Never mind that she’s a grown woman. Smh.

Again, the WNBA had nothing to do with this.

[ancianita]

57. Yep, I was wrong about the facts. Everyone here is right. Thanks to all.

If I have any lingering opinion after getting the facts wrong here I'd say that in the end, she made a mistake and now the length of time this nation takes to fix it should not be an issue, imo.

[BlackSkimmer]

71. Yes, I agree with this.

Slamming Biden is a spoiled celebrity move.

[Dorian Gray]

141. Her coach and the WNBA

did NOT send her to Russia. She took a job playing for a Russian team in a Russian league in her off season. Maybe her agent should have recommended against it.

But she went BEFORE Russia attacked Ukraine and before sanctions were placed on Russia.

[IronLionZion]

27. Russia uses American prisoners as pawns for negotiating

it's not about the empty vape cartridges with hash oil. They've arrested Americans for being drunk and pretty much anything. They look for Americans to arrest for any reason.

[LisaL]

31. While that might be true, I don't see anything suggesting vape cartridges were planted.

NT

[IronLionZion]

41. Agreed, but the punishment is way too harsh and doesn't fit the crime

they're railroading her because she's American.

[multigraincracker]

42. They'd trade her for a Russian

arms dealer in a flash.

[treestar]

33. takes a lot of gall to act like that is Joe's problem

sort of like that dummy who went into North Korea and stole shit.

You know where you are. Don't do stupid things and then act like the world owes you because of it.

[betsuni]

50. +1

[egduj]

90. I think there's a difference between "Joe's problem" & "Joe's fault."

This is definitely not President Biden's fault. But as long as Brittney's wife is going on any talk show that takes her for her to say "The president isn't doing anything..." it will be President Biden's problem.

[treestar]

95. not to me and not to anyone with sense

and like other posts say, they are just making it harder.

[egduj]

100. Acquire sense.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3546871-the-memo-why-brittney-griner-is-a-political-problem-for-biden/

[treestar]

109. All opinion

of interested people. How does Al Sharpton know about what can be done?

[stopdiggin]

131. respectfully disagree

this is from people whose business and livelihood posits everything as a "problem for Biden." Frankly, it's exhausting.

[malaise]

43. There are lots of Americans who have no respect for the laws of any other country

or indeed international law.
Rec

[BlackSkimmer]

55. Exactly. Remember when Johnny Depp and Amber Heard smuggled their dogs into Australia?

Rich people do stupid stuff because they think they’ll get away with it.

She miscalculated.

[Patton French]

46. She's being used as a pawn, plain and simple.

We should be doing everything to bring her home. I don’t blame her sweet wife for being upset.

[stopdiggin]

132. including bashing Joe Biden on it? -(nt)-

[Patton French]

133. Not sure how you read that in what i said

But whatever.

[Maru Kitteh]

48. IF being the operative word - I agree.

IF . . . . She actually had weed on her, that was a super stupid move.

[867-5309.]

56. We really this sensitive to anything that could be misconscrued as negative toward Joe?

She wrote him a letter out of desperation. She's terrified. And we literally have people saying "not Joe's problem".

He's the president, so yes, it is. Not his fault, but his problem. And, yes, there's every possibility the Russians gave some special treatment to a high profile American to gain a bargaining chip.

[BlueTsunami2018]

58. I'm not so sure she did anything except go to Russia.

I don’t know that she had any illicit substances at all. I do know she voluntarily went to Russia. That in itself is asking for trouble.

Trying to pin this on the President is ridiculous.

[beemerphill]

59. Agree

She knowingly brought drugs into a country where they are illegal. Why the outcry? The fact that Russia might use her for political purposes or to negotiate a prisoner swap is beside the point. She did a criminal act and will have to pay some price. If a citizen from a different country bought drugs into the US, we would prosecute too. And we should. There will probably be some deal made behind closed doors and she will get off easy. That does not change the fact that she knowingly broke the law and figured that her celebrity would give her a pass.

[CentralMass]

66. That is an assumption. Russia is corrupt an routinely detain U S.

citizens on fictitious charges to use a vargaining chips to get political prisoners being held by the U S. released.

[sinkingfeeling]

60. Agree. I had to read several pages of warnings of what not to

bring or do when I went to Russia in 2018. I would think that the WNBA would have provided as much.

[Ferrets are Cool]

62. BULLSHIT

This is a political set up. Nothing more, nothing less. Your opinion is yours, facts are something other.

You have NO idea if she had ANY drugs on her. Find out some facts, or not. The internet is full of uninformed opinions.

[BlackSkimmer]

73. Fact: it was in her carry-on.

Fact: it was les than a gram. Do you really think the Russians would go to the trouble of planting such a minuscule amount?

There are other facts too. Perhaps you should do some research.

[Ferrets are Cool]

80. Do you know they wouldn't?

I wish I were so prescient.

[BlackSkimmer]

87. Prescient? Where did I predict the future?

That word doesn't mean what you think it does.

[jcgoldie]

97. That isn't what "fact" means

Your argument is that you find it unlikely that they would plant such a small amount. That is an assumption not a fact.

[BlackSkimmer]

103. No, I never said that was a fact.

I pointed out two other facts.

I do think that very unlikely however.

[pamdb]

63. Griner

I wonder if the coach emphasized to Griner that she's not in the US or Canada or most
of Europe where you can get away with this. It was just stupid. If you can exchange one
Russian prisoner for her and, what, 3 americans in Russia, I say go for it.But this is not,
under ANY circumstances, Joe Bidens fault.

Athletes are not special people with special privileges. At least they shouldn't be.

I hope they are able to exchange her and the other americans and bring her home but if
she pulls any of this crap again, she's on her own.

[CentralMass]

69. What coach. Her Russian coach? She was not playing for the WNBA over there.

Let me say upfront that I am in the camp that suspects she did not try to carry vape cartridges into the country. They were planted. She was a ready made bargaining chip that they could use for political purposes.

However, for arguments sake, would you need someone to tell you not to have vape cartridges in your carry on bag om a trip to Russia ?
Assuming you would. Had you looked at the state departments adviserary on travel to Russia would you even had made the decisions to travel there ?.

I suspect that Brittany Griner is innocent but her personal choice to play there and her celebrity status and high profile made her a target.

[FloridaBlues]

65. As a reminder Biden said for months before the war for Americans not to travel

To Russia the same time he was warning Ukraine Russia was about to invade for at least 2 months.
I couldn’t believe this coach was bashing the President for something a private citizen decided to do on her own. Perhaps they need to pay these players more money so they don’t have to travel to Russia with impending war.
I’m sure they are doing everything they can behind the scenes to get her home.

[Aaeia]

68. ?

It could have been planted. Wouldn't be the first time something that despicable has happened.

[BlackSkimmer]

72. Right. The Russians are going to plant less than a gram in a vape cartridge.

I really doubt that.

And it was in her carry-on, presumably never out of her sight.

[ecstatic]

120. This is a country that regularly kills or imprisons people who don't tow the line.

They do DNA based attacks. They're lobbing bombs on civilians in Ukraine. Why is it so crazy to think they put the "drugs" in her bags in the hotel or some other location? If it were Clinton in that jail cell, would you still think it was an above board arrest?

[Vinnie From Indy]

74. I blame Canada!

[lees1975]

78. What makes her think the Biden administration isn't doing anything to help?

They're not likely to announce the progress of their negotiations in the media.

Clearly they've made some moves, since the Russians have made an offer they think will work for them.

There are consequences for violating laws, especially in autocratic dictatorships that don't recognize individual rights, no matter how famous the individual who is caught.

[Act_of_Reparation]

98. She's in a Russian prison, my dude.

Everyone here is acting like they wouldn't be screaming for help after the first ten minutes.

[TomWilm]

79. I smuggled bombs to Russia ...

Recently I cleaned out a very old backpack before tossing it out. In a small hidden compartment, I found three forgotten pieces of live firework. Quite big, and very smelly of gun powder. I had last used that backpack traveling in and out of Russia in the 1990ies, through two international airports, and happily none of their security systems and nosy dogs had gotten a whiff of my damaging secret!

[tavernier]

88. My aunt put a smoked sausage in my suitcase

as I was packing to leave Latvia where I had been visiting for a few weeks. She had joked earlier about doing that and I had warned her not to because it wasn’t legal, but unbeknownst to me she had done it anyway. My luggage left Latvia, was put on a different plane in Amsterdam, and caught up with me at the Detroit airport where minutes later five dogs very quickly (and joyfully) drooled all over my suitcase. I wasn’t fined, probably because of the shocked look on my face. But it is quite a disconcerting feeling as you realize that the dogs and the cops are there for you!

[Snackshack]

82. It's a given.

That no matter what the facts or reality are the right is going to blame Biden / Dems. It’s funny how fickle personal responsibilities are on the right.

This lady is an adult she knew what she was doing or should have before ever setting foot on an airplane. Hopefully something can be accomplished to get her released and back home but this is by no means President Biden’s fault…FFS.

[Politicub]

83. The issue is emotional in nature. A woman is going to serve years of time in a Russian prison.

It isn't justice.

While people should not be upset with Biden about it, it isn't fair to say she has put other people in jeopardy.

Russia is turning this into a spectacle. Victim blaming and shaming is as bad or worse than blaming Biden for what is happening.

[CentralMass]

86. Well she could be used as a bargaining chip in exchange for tge release of a real

criminal like a Russians arms dealer charged with selling weapons to to terrorists. So it's not a slam dunk getting her out of what is arguably a situation that she got herself into.

[Midwestern Democrat]

85. Yeah, years ago I saw the movie "Midnight Express" - that alone pretty much seared in my mind

that you don't want to get caught with drugs in a brutal country.

[XanaDUer2]

89. The show "Locked up Abroad" is very instructive

Nt

[Mad_Machine76]

91. I saw a story the other day

about how this could be a problem for Biden in the midterms. FFS please.........


I'm sure that Biden cares but what do they expect him to do? Send in Navy Seals to extract her, causing an international incident?

[Hekate]

101. From the moment her arrest hit the news I said this: she was framed, this is the Soviet Union...

… i.e. same old shit, and she is a hostage.

Just bear in mind who we are dealing with. Bear in mind how “guilty” Navalny is, and the treatment that is meted out to him.

[Hekate]

112. By the way, Rick Stengel agrees with me 100%. He just finished speaking on Nicolle Wallace, MSNBC

Bargaining chip. Business as usual. They want a heinous criminal returned to them.

[Initech]

102. Well once again, all our problems can be traced back to AM radio and Fox News.

They are the problem.

[maxsolomon]

113. I get the feeling those blaming Biden are unaware this has happened before.

I thought everyone knew that other nations imprison our citizens as bargaining chips. Iran, NK, Russia. Apparently it's news to some.

Saying the State Dept. doesn't care, isn't trying, is incompetent, or it's because Griner is African American, all that is offensive to me.

Trevor Reed was in Russian prison for almost 3 years until the BIDEN State Dept got him out at the end of April.

Paul Whelan's been there since 2018.

[betsuni]

119. Yes.

And isn't it usual for a former president or someone else to be involved? It's like people think Biden is just sitting around slacking off.

[Hekate]

124. I'm amazed this is news to them

[ecstatic]

116. You have the Ukraine flag as your avatar

You do know that russia is the same country that launched an unprovoked attack on a sovereign nation, right? Why is putin suddenly a trustworthy messenger with regard to Brittney Griner? That said, it's your right to give putin the benefit of the doubt in this scenario, but I choose Griner. She was set up, and the reason why is obvious. It plays on all the divisions already present in the United States: the way black women are treated (and black people in general), the way gay folks are treated, etc. This fiasco will hurt us in the midterms--not due to logic but because of the emotional pain/frustration that situations like this bring to the surface.

[tavernier]

144. I have family in Latvia.

I have been there to visit while Putin was terrorizing the Baltics with taunts and threats. I full well know he is the devil. I never said Putin was trustworthy, nor would I ever think that. He could certainly have created the situation with Griner. But he would be doubly delighted to find a real opportunity to embarrass the United States, and I believe that is what has happened.

[Jack the Greater]

121. There is the very real possibility that the Russians are lying about the charges.

This happens all the time in countries around the world, including the US. For all practical purposes the US and NATO are aligned against Russia and Belarus in their war against Ukraine. A high profile US sports figure would make a very valuable bargaining chip.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

122. She was likely in the wrong but I have sympathy for her position.

[Jack the Greater]

123. What makes you think she was likely in the wrong?

Is it because the Russian ruling elite are such trustworthy world citizens?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

125. If it was a setup don't you think they would have planted something more serious than hash oil?

[Jack the Greater]

152. Like what? A .38 special? It would have to be believable. Hash oil is believeable.

Maybe I am just unimaginative. What is your definition of "more serious"?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

153. Meth? Heroin? Cocaine? And a lot more of it.

Even the State Department doesn't dispute the substance of the charges. I would think that would be a problem for someone clinging to her factual innocence. Look, I believe mercy is part and parcel of justice and we should do a prisoner swap and get her home but all the evidence points to the fact she had hash oil in her possession. Some times the consequences of doing stupid things are worse than doing evil things and it seems Ms. Griner is guilty of the former.

[Rhiannon12866]

129. My luggage was searched when I entered Russia - they even questioned me about I book I had

News sources were prohibited - so I was asked if my book was "a novel" and I said it was. Not everyone was searched, but in my group the two youngest members were searched and I was the youngest. I even was questioned leaving Russia since I was told that "I looked Russian." (My mother was Polish.) And this was under Gorbachev, not Putin. Things are much more dangerous now.

[NowISeetheLight]

134. Just stay home?

It’s like these people that go on a tour to North Korea and get arrested (Otto Warmbier). Or go “hiking” in Iraq in wartime and wandering into Iran (remember those three geniuses?). If you’re going to make bad (or totally stupid) decisions and travel to these countries don’t get pissed when it all falls apart. It isn’t the governments fault. It’s yours.

[AKwannabe]

135. Tavenier

You play. You pay.

All for her release but blaming Biden is a GOP tactic and I am not a fan of that in this case. Or probably most others. But. Play. Pay.

[Raine]

137. JMO but I think drugs were planted on her, she was set up

and she was literally forced into writing to Biden. I don't trust or believe Putin and his cronies one little bit. They want to use Griner and the others they're holding, it's been their plan all along.

[MandelaObama]

139. Maybe there's a general assumption that the charges are trumped up

And there might also be a concern that Putin may use her as some kind of hostage given the west's hostility toward him on Ukraine and other fronts

On the wider point, though, I agree with you. I lived in a country and have visited a few others that have a mandatory death penalty for drugs and you are repeatedly warned both on the plane and in signs as you enter the airport of the penalties and the consequences of being caught with drugs. And yet people still do it and then expect their respective government to pull out all the stops for them.

[BlackSkimmer]

151. And now she has entered a guilty plea. nt

[DemocratSinceBirth]

154. It would be a great P R move for Putin to release her

0TOH he might not care about such things

[BlackSkimmer]

157. The last thing you said there. Yep.

Though I'm sure he's enjoying watching all these celebrities holding Biden's feet to the fire.

[Model35mech]

155. In 1972 if the Vietcong had killed me, I'd be a hash mark in a tally of the dead

What fucking self-privileging makes a basketball player think their country MUST stop and do a Head Stand to free them from the consequences of their STUPIDITY??????

Sorry She has compromised America in the midst of its effort to save some of Ukraine as an independent Ukraine.

This solution she seeks would NEVER have been offered to me or my family.

I find it unfair and fucked through and through by assumed self-privilege.

[Vinca]

156. That's my opinion, too. I'm also wondering why they weren't aware of the laws. The

coach going on and on yesterday about how it was because she was a woman, yada, yada, yada, really made me mad. We're at a time when tensions haven't been this high between Russia and the U.S. since the Cold War and if she gets out period it will be a real feat. Biden isn't dealing with Gorbie . . . he's got a serious tyrant to contend with.