Russia’s ‘Merchant of Death’ Seeks New Life in Politics

“As an arms trafficker, he operated in some of the world’s most dangerous places, becoming one of the world’s most wanted men and earning the nickname ‘Merchant of Death,’ not to speak of a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S. But now, nine months after returning to Russia in a prisoner exchange, Viktor A. Bout is reinventing himself — as a local politician,” the New York Times reports.