Current Affairs Critically ill man is former Russian spy

[peteblue]

Russia has asked for 61 Russian criminals in Britain to be extradited. Putin/the Kremlin want them back to stand trial and lose their money. A Russian citizen and her swapped spy dad are taken ill. Erm.
Russia to Britain: 'You can keep the criminals, but return the money'
Published time: 9 Apr, 2018 08:45Edited time: 9 Apr, 2018 09:41
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© Hannah McKay / Reuters

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There are 61 Russian criminals living in London who have stolen around $10 billion from their home country, according to Russia's prosecutor general, who is demanding that the money should be returned.


"Since 2002, we have made requests to the UK for 61 extraditions. These people are accused or already convicted in Russia for committing economic crimes, the amount of damage is more than half a trillion rubles ($10 billion). This is only direct damage, the amount of money they siphoned off is much higher,” Yuri Chaika told Russia’s NTV channel.

Read more
UK crackdown on wealthy Russians ‘politically driven by Cold War mentality’ – George Galloway
In February, the UK government issued a warning to rich Russians living in Britain that it could seize assets worth more than £50,000 ($70,565) if the origin of the wealth can’t be explained.

"And I assure you, it will be very difficult for many of them to explain their wealth. We very much hope the British authorities will stick to the laws of a civilized state, and not by the principle of stealing the stolen money,” the prosecutor general added.

According to Chaika, Russia is concerned that Britain will pocket the stolen money. “You can keep the criminals, but return the money. This is our money," Chaika said.

London and other British cities have long been a safe haven for Russian runaway criminals. Until the relations between Russia and the UK deteriorated in the recent years, British officials never cared about Russian tycoons hiding in the country since the 1990s.

“They were not concerned before because they approved of the wholesale theft of Russia’s wealth back then, and the Yeltsin regime which facilitated it,” former MP George Galloway told RT in February.

“The British government is acting now for hypocritical reasons entirely based on its conflict with today’s Russian government and President Putin in particular,” he added".

If they want money they can just have a look inside Putins bank account......

 

[hullefc]

If the guy had quietly been removed I’m sure you are right and that it would have been kept low key. It’s happened before and will no doubt happen again. I fully expect we have done the exact same thing. The difference here though is the deployment of a chemical nerve agent on the streets of the U.K. by a foreign power, and that is rightly not acceptable. I do not believe that Russia wanted to kill anyone other than the guy, but the mode of the attack was either incredibly clumsy or was born out of arrogance. Either way they have been caught out, refused to even accept the get out that May presented by putting their hand up and saying that it was theirs but someone else stole it or whatever. So we are where we are.......

Keep up with the Jackanory 'chemical nerve agent attack on British soil at Putin's/the Kremlin's request'. That yarn fall apart two weeks ago only kept going by a desperate Tory government. Desperate times brings desperate actions and propaganda to wage war, war. Look forward to the Tories returning their ill-gotten money from Russian criminals, protected from extradition by the Tories. Tory Russian donations should be returned back to the people of Russia. Johnson's nose keeps getting longer and longer every time he opens his mouth.

 

[peteblue]

Keep up with the Jackanory 'chemical nerve agent attack on British soil at Putin's/the Kremlin's request'. That yarn fall apart two weeks ago only kept going by a desperate Tory government. Desperate times brings desperate actions and propaganda to wage war, war. Look forward to the Tories returning their ill-gotten money from Russian criminals, protected from extradition by the Tories. Tory Russian donations should be returned back to the people of Russia. Johnson's nose keeps getting longer and longer every time he opens his mouth.

Who would you need to say that a chemical weapon was used in order for you to believe it, obviously not this government, but would you believe it if Corbyn said so ?....

 

[Harryflashman]

Who would you need to say that a chemical weapon was used in order for you to believe it, obviously not this government, but would you believe it if Corbyn said so ?....

I think the problem is , like life generally , if somebody is talking to you about something and lies and maybe then exaggerates a couple of parts of the story then even if the central plank of their account is true you’d understandably be suspicious about it .

 

[bignev23]

If the guy had quietly been removed I’m sure you are right and that it would have been kept low key. It’s happened before and will no doubt happen again. I fully expect we have done the exact same thing. The difference here though is the deployment of a chemical nerve agent on the streets of the U.K. by a foreign power, and that is rightly not acceptable. I do not believe that Russia wanted to kill anyone other than the guy, but the mode of the attack was either incredibly clumsy or was born out of arrogance. Either way they have been caught out, refused to even accept the get out that May presented by putting their hand up and saying that it was theirs but someone else stole it or whatever. So we are where we are.......

It does make me wonder why whoever is responsible didn't just turn up with pistols with silencers on and do the job quietly and efficiently and a lot of the fuss over this might have been avoided.

 

[peteblue]

I think the problem is , like life generally , if somebody is talking to you about something and lies and maybe then exaggerates a couple of parts of the story then even if the central plank of their account is true you’d understandably be suspicious about it .

Sure, but under what circumstances and presented by whom would Hullefc etc accept that Russia actually did it. Or would he need Putin to admit it......my guess is that Hullefc would require Putin to physically visit his house with an admission and a sample of the chemical, with pictures of the manufacturing plant and the names of everyone involved in its production with written testimony, plus the agents responsible for planting it handing themselves in for arrest. And even then he would find a way to blame the U.K. government.......

 

[peteblue]

It does make me wonder why whoever is responsible didn't just turn up with pistols with silencers on and do the job quietly and efficiently and a lot of the fuss over this might have been avoided.

Indeed, but it carries more of a threat and demonstrates to other potential traitors and the U.K. the lengths that Russia will go.......almost Mafia like....

 

[hullefc]

Who would you need to say that a chemical weapon was used in order for you to believe it, obviously not this government, but would you believe it if Corbyn said so ?....

So it is not Novichok now? Just a 'chemical weapon'. Interesting change of tact.

 

[peteblue]

So it is not Novichok now? Just a 'chemical weapon'. Interesting change of tact.

There is no change of tack (not tact), the chemical weapon remains Novichok.

In other news, today is Monday in the U.K.......now go on let’s see you argue with that......

 

[hullefc]

There is no change of tack (not tact), the chemical weapon remains Novichok.

In other news, today is Monday in the U.K.......now go on let’s see you argue with that......

Is that the Novichok, the most deadliest nerve agent known to man with 'no known antidote' (Porton Down scientist), and the three survived?

The Porton Down expert said 'can't trace it to Russia'. I bet they can't.

Remember the consultant at Salisbury hospital's letter to the Times, '“Sir, Further to your report (“Poison Exposure Leaves Almost 40 Needing Treatment”, Mar 14), may I clarify that no patients have experienced symptoms of nerve-agent poisoning in Salisbury and there have only ever been three patients with significant poisoning........"

Meanwhile, this Monday the only country that has stated it has Novichok is the UK.

PS thanks for the English correction. Even May is changing tack.

 

[Mutzo Nutzo]

I feel that the full facts of this situation will never be released into the public domain. There are so many ambiguities, like why the Skripals turned off gps tracking on their phones.

So many coincidences like a Russian double agent being bumped off with novichok right next to Porton Down. Did the Russians do this? Or did they use a 3rd party (Bulgarian or Serb hitmen) and are playing the plausible deniability card?

One things for sure whoever did it messed up big time and now there are 2 key witnesses, however I doubt we will ever hear their story as they will be whisked off to a new life in an American Midwest town complete with new identities, only to be gunned down a few years from now in a shopping mall mass shooting instigated by some redneck with a grudge against corporate America (or is he)?

Who knows... one things for certain though Russian/west relations are at an all time low and things are gonna get real funky tonight when the TLAMs start flying in Syria.

 

[peteblue]

I feel that the full facts of this situation will never be released into the public domain. There are so many ambiguities, like why the Skripals turned off gps tracking on their phones.

So many coincidences like a Russian double agent being bumped off with novichok right next to Porton Down. Did the Russians do this? Or did they use a 3rd party (Bulgarian or Serb hitmen) and are playing the plausible deniability card?

One things for sure whoever did it messed up big time and now there are 2 key witnesses, however I doubt we will ever hear their story as they will be whisked off to a new life in an American Midwest town complete with new identities, only to be gunned down a few years from now in a shopping mall mass shooting instigated by some redneck with a grudge against corporate America (or is he)?

Who knows... one things for certain though Russian/west relations are at an all time low and things are gonna get real funky tonight when the TLAMs start flying in Syria.

Indeed.....

 

[hullefc]

‘You can’t decide in 24 hours what type of poison was used’ – 1st OPCW head on UK’s Skripal probe
Published time: 7 Apr, 2018 15:42Edited time: 8 Apr, 2018 09:16
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© David Oxberry / Global Look Press

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It is impossible to find out what type of nerve agent was used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter within a short period of time, the first head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons told RT.

“You can’t decide in 24 hours what type of poison was used and where it comes from,” Jose Bustani, a Brazilian diplomat and first director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), said in an interview with RT.

Many questions surround the UK’s probe into the Salisbury incident, he said, in which former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned by an unidentified nerve agent. The UK began accusing Russia of the attack less than 24 hours after the incident.

“Why didn’t they call immediately the OPCW?” Bustani asked. “And why didn’t the OPCW volunteer to take action, because it’s the role of the organization to go immediately and analyze the victims?”

Read more
Russia has 13 questions to OPCW over Skripal case

The chemical weapons watchdog, being “an international organ to do this type of job,” had all the necessary capabilities to investigate any instance of the use of a nerve agent, he added. “They could’ve done it beforehand, before accusing Russia directly.”

Bustani said “God knows what would happen after the inspection [had] taken place,” urging patience until the organization is done with the inquiry.

Amid the probe, the UK asked the OPCW for assistance and engaged France in the investigation, while dismissing Moscow’s offers of cooperation and demands for proof of Russia’s involvement. Russia has denied the UK’s accusations, calling them baseless and the entire case a “provocation.”

Earlier, Russia’s permanent mission at the OPCW sent a letter to the watchdog’s technical secretariat. It contained 13 questions on the UK’s dealings with the OPCW, the OPCW’s procedures, and France’s involvement in the investigation.

“And then, again, there are many questions related to this poison. For example, how do you control and limit the use of this poison to only two people?” Bustani said. “If it is Novichok – as they announced it was – it is not something that would not affect many more people around you.

“There are so many questions that have not been answered.”

READ MORE: Unidentified: Porton Down scientists CANNOT confirm nerve agent used on Skripals was made in Russia

However, Bustani believes Russia should trust the OPCW inquiry if it is being carried out professionally. “We could rely on the result of the inspections – I prefer to think this way, anyway,” he said with a smile.

The former head of the OPCW spoke several days after scientists at the top secret British Porton Down lab acknowledged they were unable to attribute the samples retrieved from the Salisbury site to Russia. Gary Aitkenhead, chief executive of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down, told Sky News: “We were able to identify it as Novichok, to identify that it was military-grade nerve agent.”

 

[bluestevon]

Indeed, but it carries more of a threat and demonstrates to other potential traitors and the U.K. the lengths that Russia will go.......almost Mafia like....

Aye they demonstrated that if you betray Russia, you are trialled, sentenced to 13 years, released after a few years in a prisoner exchange, and then allowed to live free in Britain for 8 years before they come to get you by sending crack assassin's who depending which version and time of report used a bunch of flowers, poisoned porridge, or smeared a watered down nerve agent paste on a front door.

Sounds so plausable.

God save the Queen.

Rule Britannia

Hip hip hooray.

Go get a Maggie Thatcher tattoo to go alongside your British bulldog and union jack ones mate.

 

[tsubaki]

It does make me wonder why whoever is responsible didn't just turn up with pistols with silencers on and do the job quietly and efficiently and a lot of the fuss over this might have been avoided.

Because that would be the act of a stable, secure regime.

Putin's regime isn't stable or secure, so he does stuff like this in the certain knowledge that we (the West, but in this case May) won't do anything serious to him. He gets to look strong, and his people don't start to question why it is NATO is so much closer to Moscow than it used to be (or perhaps also in this case why two to three hundred Russian "mercenaries" had just got butchered by the Yanks).

The can is kicked down the road for another six months.