I was very saddened to hear of the death of exiled Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko. My two recent postings about him resulted 
in much anger from a Russian blogger when I pointed the finger at President Putin and the way he runs his country.
I do not believe that Alexander’s killers will be found and charged with murder, the poison used was obviously meant to avoid detection and defy medical knowledge. His killers are far too clever for our coppers.
His last words were defiant, he knew his life was ebbing away, that he may not win his struggle against the lethal chemicals destroying his vital organs, but he said the campaign for truth would go on with or without him.
“The bastards got me, but they won’t get everybody.”
An espionage expert spoke about this case on Newsnight on Monday evening, she said there had been 10 similar murders in the UK in the last 10 years, none of them had been solved.
Meanwhile, Alexander’s friends clearly believe Putin may have sanctioned his assassination, his death will not make big headline news in Russia where he is most probably portrayed as a traitor. So who could have hated him so much if it wasn’t Putin?
I very much doubt it. Some of these murder techniques are highly sophisticated. It seems now they’re not even sure what the poison was, let alone who administered it.
He sought, and was granted, exile here in 2000. Radio four had a talk this morning about this.The speaker said he was deemed to be merely a pest in Russians’ eyes. And why wait six years to do the deed if it was them?
What really stinks is that the Met. Police are currently calling his death “unexplained” rather than “murder” presumably for the sake of better relations with Russia.
I was really saddened to hear the news of his death. I really had hoped (albeit naively) that he would pull through.
I think that there was such a long wait to get him purely on the basis that it wouldn’t have attracted so much heat – how wrong. Clearly nothing much has changed in Russia.
Exposing the Russian aggression in Chechnya is not something Putin or any in the Army or FSB are going to take lightly.
It only costs $100 to have someone murdered in Russia; they believe that life is cheap.
cityunslicker,
Exposing the British aggression in Iraq is the same. Who cares? Nor you, nor Russians.
And let me update your price list – to kill Litvinenko would be VERY, VERY expensive. Not many can afford it.
At the moment you don’t know what happened there, was it a murder, cancer or even suicide. NOBODY knows for sure what happened. Find the evidence, prove it and then accuse somebody.
Nothing is obvious in the world of politics – you might buy a bottle of wine, but there is no reason to call you an alcoholic.
Ellee, you should read Richard Sambrook’s posting which looks at lack of information in Russia on the environment.
Ellee, I feel you’re ignoring my current post on this, my previous post and Daily Pundit’s post. There the story was told clearly. You’re making Litvinenko out to be that which he was not. He was ex-security and ‘ex’ has a huge significance in Russia. Your header says ‘Alexander’s killer, designed to tug at the emotions but in the security field, one must be sure of the facts too.
I just think there’s a lot more to all this, Ellee, and no doubt books will be written about it for years to come.
At least we now know that the poison was a radioactive isotope (210) of . This is dangerous stuff, a powerful alpha-particle emitter, certainly not to be found on the shelves of Boots (even with a prescription!). Higher forces at work are now surely indicated.
James – even if the Beeb can’t I think you can admit it was murder and poisoning based on the substance he ingested.
Litvinenko was a specialist in fighting organised crime. It could be the Russian mafia.On the other hand, he had also been
investigating corruption within the Russian intelligence service so he made a lot of enemies there as well. A renegade, disgruntled intelligence opertive(s) could have been reponsible for his murder. I don’t automatically buy into the idea that Litvinenko was killed on the orders of the Kremlin.
Sorry, I typed in the link wrong. It is Polonium-210> isotope that appears to have killed him.
Hi, Just back from my conference and heading out again very soon. Just want to say that maybe I should not rush for the obvious conclusion, I accept there could be others with a motive, hoping it will point the finger at Putin. I eagerly await new developments on this.
I somehow doubt he will get located.
Heather, I have read the link you highlighted, it is absolutely gripping, many thanks. I think James and nfb will be interested in it too.
Praguetory, indeed I suggested that it was on the cards and asked why we were hypocritical when our own service does these things too. No one appears to have suggested he was a wrong ‘un getting his just desserts. Perhaps UKDPundit has the best summation of the affair.
And Lady Ellee, how could anyone ever get angry with you?
He might have been murdered because he was about to blow the lid off something. Maybe.
According to The Times, Britain’s intelligence agencies reckon that the poisoning of Litvinenko bore hallmarks of a ‘state-sponsored’ assassination.
Istanbul Tory,
Proving it will be another matter, the assassins will have covered their tracks well.
Here is link about it from today’s Times, as well as Alexander’s final statement, where he clearly blames Putin:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2470850,00.html
You are as barbaric as all of your critics say, Mr Putin’
The statement dictated by Alexander Litvinenko:
“I would like to thank many people. My doctors, nurses and hospital staff who are doing all they can for me; the British police who are pursuing my case with vigour and professionalism and are watching over me and my family. I would like to thank the British Government for taking me under their care. I am honoured to be a British citizen.
I would like to thank the British public for their support. I thank my wife, Marina, who has stood by me. My love for her and our son knows no bounds.
But as I lie here I can distinctly hear the beating of wings of the angel of death. I may be able to give him the slip but I have to say my legs do not run as fast as I would like. I think, therefore, that this may be the time to say one or two things to the person responsible for my present condition.
You may succeed in silencing me, but that silence comes at a price. You have shown yourself to be as barbaric and ruthless as your most hostile critics claimed. You have shown yourself to have no respect for life, liberty or any civilised value. You have shown yourself to be unworthy of your office, of the trust of civilised men and women. You may succeed in silencing one man but the howl of protest from around the world will reverberate, Mr Putin, in your ears for the rest of your life. May God forgive you for what you have done, not only to me but to beloved Russia and its people.”
Ellee, this statement wasn’t issued officially. It was written by Litvinenko’s sleazy friend Goldfarb. I wouldn’t trust him even if he said that England is rainy country.
Let’s put it that way: the guy, who made his profession fighting Putin, whose money for living came from that activity, who has a wife and son in the public school, what he can say to insure his family’s financial stability after his death? That is right – to leave such a statement as that one. It is emotional, very powerful and sad. But is it true?
Let’s wait. And if there any evidence that mysterious Russian, who ‘offered tea’ to Litvinenko is guilty and was acting in the will of Putin.
From what I see at the moment, Litvineko’s so called friends are dangerous and treacherous people. They are REALLY scary. Did you see Alex Goldfarb conducting the interview in front of the hospital? That was some performance! Poor Litvinenko’s father – they forced him to perform as well! What a ruthless scam!
[…] Will Alexander’s killers be found? […]
It was the former chess worldchampion Bobby Fischer who mentioned in a Moscow Radio interview May 15, 2005, how Jacob Rothschild had a secret deal with Yukos’ Khodorkovsky.
“Bobby Fisher Live Radio Interviews”
http://www.fischer.jp/
I started to investigate what happened and made a webpage about that :
“Russian Israeli duel for power, oil and dirty cash”
http://crashrecovery.org/fischer/
After the recent murder of Alexander Litvinenko evidence shows, now supported by others, that the poisoning of Litvinenko was a joint effort of the British and Russian secret service. The startling conclusion is that Yukos OIL, representing Russia’s oil assets, is today in de hands of people with Zionist/Israeli interests. A possible conclusion is that Putin acted on behalf of Rothschild related to Yukos oil.
[…] My message to President Putin By Ellee I have been brushing up on my Russian since the sinister death of Alexander Litvinenko, who is being buried at a private ceremony in London today, and have composed a message to President Putin urging him to help bring the killers to justice, despite their obvious differences. […]
If you want to know why there is a X-KGB, X-Yukos oil executive “glowing in the dark” in a British morgue, check out Venture Capitol a new novel published by united writers press.
[…] shrugged off its past reputation, though there are still no answers about the mysterious deaths of Alexander Litvinenko and Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. Why did FIFA turn a blind eye to this in choosing Russia to […]