Page 314 - Captivity News Today

And we have done it for eight years. i have personally interviewed more than 100 people who survived captivity, and they told me horrible stories, how they were beaten, how they were raped, how their fingers were cut, how their nails were torn away, how their nails were drilled, how they were tortured with electricity. and the horror of the situation is that after a large—scale invasion, this practice is multiplied to another region where russians are present for current moment. how do you, as...

Deal until yesterday. i think the one person they really want is a murderer from germany. -- he killed somebody in open daylight. in a park on a bicycle. he is in german captivity. that is a person they really want out. i think that is very difficult for the united states government to work with him. but there may be others. i dont know for a fact. there may be other criminals that could be traded. and i do know for a fact that the biden administration continues to work on these issues. for paul...

You never think about any aspect as a consequence of your captivity. as time passes by, you start getting into normal life. you notice that reintegration means a challenge and everything becomes a challenge. the challenge represents, for instance, your relationship with your family. so in my case, i spent almost five years in captivity so its a long time so your relationship with your spouse, your children, even my grandchildren that im now building a new relationship because when i was detained...

President when americans linger in captivity for months or four years. joining us now msnbc international affairs analyst and former ambassador to russia michael mcfaul. ambassador, thank you for being with us avalon of questions for you but first i want to talk about viktor bout, can you explain why this exchange, why bout himself was so personal for putin? >> well victor bout was an arms control deal around the world, getting arms to lots of bad characters, lots of back governments, lots of ba...

He has never talked about even this deal until yesterday. you know, i think the one person they really want is a murderer from germany, he killed somebody in open daylight, right? in a park on a bicycle. he is in german captivity and that is the person they really want out, i think that is difficult for the united states government to work with him, but there may be others i dont know, but there may be other criminals that could be traded. i do know for a fact that the biden administration conti...

Type of deal, what was needed to get wieland out of russia and he says he does not. i wonder if you have that sense of who or what they would want an exchange? >> well putin said some encouraging things yesterday, he said we are open to other deals, that is unusual for him, he has never talked about even this deal until yesterday. you know, i think the one person they really want is a murderer from germany, he killed somebody in open daylight, right? in a park on a bicycle. he is in german capti...

The president. americans linger in captivity -- joining us now, and b c -- michael mcfaul. ambassador, thank you for being with us. i have a lot of questions. first, i want to talk about victor -- can you expect -- explain why viktor bout was so personal for putin? >> viktor bout with an arms control dealer all over the world, getting arms to lots of bad characters, lots of governments, lots of bad movements all over the world. if you look at his biography on his wikipedia page, you can see that...

Presidents have historically paid to win freedom for american citizens or face the consequences. they can cut a sweetheart deal to win freedom for their own nationals convicted of criminal activity or espionage if they abduct americans. the public inevitably blames a president when americans linger in captivity for months or four years. joining us now msnbc international affairs analyst and former ambassador to russia michael mcfaul. ambassador, thank you for being with us avalon of questions fo...

Believes wheeling could easily come back to the u.s. in the next couple months. what are we hearing about paul whelans morale right now inside russia as he continues to remain in captivity? and what is next? >> white house officials were particularly taken aback by those comments from president putin suggesting he was open to more talks like this. potentially assigned the russians would be willing to move forward with returning paul whelan and an additional prisoner exchange. we know paul whelan...

The debate over the cost of her freedom is only beginning. in contrast to griners low-key return, the man she was exchanged for, russian arms dealer viktor bout under the spotlight. families of americans still held in russia wonder whats next for their loved ones. the biden administration defending its decision to go forward with the swap. critics warning about setting a dangerous precedent. as vladimir putin today opened the door to further exchanges between the two countries. andrea mitchell h...