Secret negotiations and realistic options?

I've seen a lot of people claiming confidently that we could have got both Griner and Whelan, or Whelan instead. Could we have?

I don't know, and if you're reading this, neither do you.

Yeah... You can say that it was a good trade or a bad trade or whatever.

I just mean these were secret negotiations and the public doesn't know what the realistic options were.

The only things I'm hitching my wagon to associated with this story is that the US should legalize pot and release it's nonviolent drug offenders to set a better example for Russia.

And not directly arm terrorists and wars throughout the world to better contrast with Bout.

Unless, of course, you're a fed-boi monitoring my social media with extensive links in the intelligence world with more information than the public has. If that's the case, you should send me a Christmas gift. What I'd like is... Who am I kidding, you already know better than anyone what I'd want. Thanks for being my biggest fan.