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Monday, February 1, 2016

Putin Did It…Possibly



On 1 November 2006, Litvinenko suddenly fell ill and was hospitalized. He died three weeks later, becoming the first confirmed victim of lethal polonium-210-induced acute radiation syndrome. Litvinenko's allegations about the misdeeds of the FSB and his public deathbed accusations that Russian president Vladimir Putin was behind his unusual malady resulted in worldwide media coverage.

The British Government has completed an inquiry into this matter:

The Litvinenko Inquiry
Report into the death of Alexander Litvinenko
Chairman: Sir Robert Owen
January 2016


Here is the PDF – 329 pages.

I don’t know if Putin was involved; I don’t know that he wasn’t.  If he was, this wouldn’t be the first time a world leader had an enemy done in.  If he was, I am not sure why he would bring extra attention to the assassination via the use of a rather unique method.  What about a simple car accident, for example?

This report by Sir Robert Owen does not really answer the question:

The FSB operation to kill Mr Litvinenko was probably approved by Mr Patrushev and also by President Putin.

Not that I have read it.  I offer the following – a simple search on the frequency of various terms in the report:

Probably = 34 times

Probable = 3 times

Could = 150 times

Might = 86 times

Possibly = 11 times

Possible = 99 times

Apparently = 15 times

Presumably = 5 times

Perhaps = 34 times

I could go on.  You get the point.

6 comments:

  1. The major issue is the problem of motive. Putin doesn't have a motive. Litvinenko was against the Russian government but by any measure should have been beneath Putin's notice.

    The most likely scenario to my mind was that Litvinenko was smuggling polonium.

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  2. Could have just been a bad batch of tea...

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  3. The fall of communism, and all that it is. Was one of the greatest
    deceptions ever anyway....so who know what the hell the answer is.

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  4. Maybe this guy and Arafat had the same enemies...

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  5. The conclusion of this "investigation" defies logic.
    Why would Putin resort to such a complicated and hazardous (to the killers) assassination mode? Especially so since the exotic weapon used - not available to an ordinary killer - would quickly become apparent, thus pointing to a state actor.

    I recall reading that the Soviet KGB had developed the perfect assassination tool - a poison which produced almost instant death mimicking a heart attack and which could be delivered with a pin prick. Why raise an embarrassing international fuss by poisoning someone with rare polonium when a silent pin prick would have raised no questions?

    It seems to me that Russia hating neocons, relying on a gullible Western media, have carelessly concocted a flimsy narrative to further demonize Putin and to justify another round of economic sanctions against Russia.

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    Replies
    1. Exactly, probably just a case of accidental polonium poisoning. Happens all the time.

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