Poisoned Russian Spy Dies

[dcentity2000]

The poisoned Russian spy, Alexander Litvinenko, has died in intensive care; tests have shown abnormally high levels of the radioactive element polonium-210 on him and in three locations in London that Litvinenko had visited. The poison can only be introduced to the body by inhalation or ingestion.

The Kremlin has denied UK citizen Mr. Litvinenko's claims it was involved, saying that the man was too small a nuisance to bother with

Before dying, Mr. Litvinenko left the following message:

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 messages of support and for the interest they have shown in my plight.

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 have 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, to be unworthy 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.

Alexander Litvinenko
21 November 2006

RIP, poor man.



Rich::

 

[Seahunt]

Spy vs Spy - this brings back these memories to me:

The alleged poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko recalls the case of Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov, who was assassinated nearly 30 years ago.

Markov is believed to have been killed by the toxin ricin on the tip of an umbrella.

Markov, a communist defector working for the BBC World Service, left his office at Bush House on September 11, 1978, and walked across Waterloo Bridge to take the train home to Clapham, south London.

Moments into his journey home, as he waited at a bus stop, he felt a sharp jab in his thigh and saw a man picking up an umbrella. He developed a high temperature and died three days later.

A post mortem examination, conducted with the help of scientists from the British government’s germ warfare centre at Porton Down, established he had been killed by a tiny pellet containing a 0.2 milligram dose of ricin.

His assassin has never been caught despite close co-operation between British and Bulgarian authorities and Interpol.

Markov, a playwright and satirist who had broadcast scathing accounts of communist high life to Bulgaria, was the subject of two failed assassination attempts before he was finally killed.

In this latest case, Putin now says that there is no evidence of a "violent death" - uh, yeah, right, this guy is just naturally radioactive???

 

[DawnCt1]

i have found this story so very sad and i have been following this since the story broke. it has the marks of the kgb and its favorite son putin, all over it. a zebra can't and won't change its stripes.

 

[dcentity2000]

i have found this story so very sad and i have been following this since the story broke. it has the marks of the kgb and its favorite son putin, all over it. a zebra can't and won't change its stripes.

I totally agree. Putin scares me.



Rich::

 

[DawnCt1]

I totally agree. Putin scares me.



Rich::

absolutely. while iran is developing nukes,putin is selling them $740,000,000 of high tech missiles and they will not support sanctions. putin can't be trusted.

 

[dcentity2000]

What I can't get over was his handling of the Kursk tragedy.

In fact, there may have been more dirty stuff going on there than people realise. I wrote the following blog entry on this sad subject:

http://www.cocoa.uk.com/files/archive-10.html

I just don't like him - he's frighteningly intelligent and, most importantly, ruthless; I'd prefer a more human person in charge of the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.

Then again, perhaps Russia needs such a leader at the moment.



Rich::

 

[DawnCt1]

What I can't get over was his handling of the Kursk tragedy.

In fact, there may have been more dirty stuff going on there than people realise. I wrote the following blog entry on this sad subject:

http://www.cocoa.uk.com/files/archive-10.html

I just don't like him - he's frighteningly intelligent and, most importantly, ruthless; I'd prefer a more human person in charge of the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.

Then again, perhaps Russia needs such a leader at the moment.



Rich::

given that the substance has been discovered to be radioactive polonium, i am surprised that there isn't more discussion on this subject.

 

[eclectics]

I just don't like him - he's frighteningly intelligent and, most importantly, ruthless; I'd prefer a more human person in charge of the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.

Then again, perhaps Russia needs such a leader at the moment.



Rich::

I don't believe Putin does anything if he doesn't profit from it in one way or another. I think he a totally corrupt leader and not doing Russia any favors at all with his leadership. Yeltsin was a bufoon but at least he had the Russian people's interests close to his heart. Putin is a cold and cruel man and a potential Stalin, imho.

 

[dcentity2000]

He's pressing on developing the world's most powerful nukes and a stronger and stronger military whilst the sailors who drowned in the Kursk were paid $50 a month.

I find that disgusting.



Rich::

 

[Cool-Beans]

The Kremlin has denied UK citizen Mr. Litvinenko's claims it was involved, saying that the man was too small a nuisance to bother with

The Russians are bad...and LIE?! No way! I can't believe it. I may have to lie down to recover from the shock...

Dawn! Dawn! I'm having a syncopal episode...save me!

 

[DawnCt1]

The Russians are bad...and LIE?! No way! I can't believe it. I may have to lie down to recover from the shock...

Dawn! Dawn! I'm having a syncopal episode...save me!

here's the smelling salts. i think that the west needs to consider a response to a murder of a british citizen on british soil. the WSJ suggests expelling russia from the G 8 among other things.