Arms Dealer Indicted On Terrorism Charges

Prosecutors announced an indictment yesterday against a reputed Russian arms smuggler dubbed the "Merchant of Death," who allegedly tried to sell weapons to an American-designated terrorist organization with the goal of killing Americans.

The indictment charges Viktor Bout with four terrorism offenses that were based in part on a covertly recorded meeting in Thailand on March 6. During that meeting, Mr. Bout was under the impression that weapons he was selling would be used by an organization of Colombia's leftist rebels against Americans, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said he was offering a deadly arsenal of weaponry: more than 700 surface-to-air missiles, thousands of guns, high-tech helicopters, and airplanes outfitted with grenade launcher and missiles.