Scott Ritter

Scott Ritter
Scott Ritter wearing a suit
Ritter in 2007
Born
William Scott Ritter, Jr.

(1961-07-15) July 15, 1961 (age 63)
Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
EducationKaiserslautern American High School, Germany
Alma materFranklin and Marshall College[1]
Occupations
  • speaker
  • author
  • columnist
Known for
  • Chief UNSCOM weapons inspector to Iraq, 1991–1998
  • Sex crimes against minors
Criminal chargesSex offenses (unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, indecent exposure)[2]
Criminal penaltySentence of 1½ to 5½ years in prison in 2011[3]
Criminal statusParoled in 2014[4]
SpouseMarina[5]
Websitescottritterextra.com

William Scott Ritter Jr. (born July 15, 1961) is an American former United States Marine Corps intelligence officer, former United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) weapons inspector, author, and commentator.[6][5] He is a convicted child sex offender.[4][7][8]

Ritter was a junior military analyst during Operation Desert Storm.[9] He served as a member of UNSCOM overseeing the disarmament of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq from 1991 to 1998, from which he resigned in protest. Later he became a critic of the Iraq War and United States foreign policy in the Middle East. In recent years, he has been a regular contributor to Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik. He has visited Russia in support of Russia since the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[10] In June 2024, Ritter claimed, without evidence, that US authorities seized his passport and prevented him from visiting Russia.[11][12][13] As of March 2024, he is a member of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity.

  1. ^ Historical Dictionary of the Clinton Era, p. 159.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference nypostponocos was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference rubinkam was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Karlin, Rick (December 4, 2014). "Scott Ritter paroled in online sex case". Times Union. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Bai, Matt (February 22, 2012). Lovell, Joel (ed.). "Scott Ritter's Other War". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  6. ^ "Scott Ritter's Private War". The New Yorker. November 1, 1998. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  7. ^ "Ex-UN inspector Scott Ritter sex sting trial begins". BBC News. April 12, 2011. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  8. ^ "Ex-UN inspector Scott Ritter guilty in sex chat case". BBC News. April 15, 2011. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  9. ^ Aydintasbas, Asla (March 19, 2002). "Scott Ritter". Salon. Archived from the original on March 24, 2010.
  10. ^ "Disgraced Ex-Marine Offers Kadyrov's Army 'Friendship' With America: Video". Newsweek. September 12, 2023. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  11. ^ Quinn, Allison (June 4, 2024). "Moscow Throws Putin Fanboy Scott Ritter Under the Bus". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  12. ^ "State Department seizes passport of Delmar's Scott Ritter before flight to Russia". Times Union. June 7, 2024. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  13. ^ Opinion: Why Scott Ritter's Passport Seizure Is Long Overdue Archived June 12, 2024, at the Wayback Machine (June 11, 2024). Kyiv Post.