Putin ‘Probably Approved’ Litvinenko Poisoning, British Inquiry Says

[gilliam]

LONDON — A high-profile British inquiry into the poisoning of Alexander V. Litvinenko, a former K.G.B. officer turned critic of the Kremlin, concluded in a report released on Thursday that his murder “was probably approved” by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and the head of the country’s spy service.

The finding by Robert Owen, a retired High Court judge, in a 328-page report, represented by far the most damning official link between Mr. Litvinenko’s death on Nov. 23, 2006, and the highest levels of the Kremlin.

The report could revive strains in relations between Britain and Russia, which were plunged into a chill reminiscent of the Cold War by the death of Mr. Litvinenko, a whistle-blower who had fought corruption in Moscow’s security services.

nytimes.com/2016/01/22/world/europe/alexander-litvinenko-poisoning-inquiry-britain.html?_r=0

 

[pepipop]

Probably it was not approved by Putin and probably has nothing to do with Russia.

He was a member of M16 too, so probably it could have been anyone.

rt.com/news/329651-uk-report-litvinenko-putin/

*The report stresses that its conclusions are based on many witness opinions that “would not be admissible as evidence” and that in his report Sir Robert was not bound by strict procedural rules that apply to court hearings.

The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed the report, blaming London for politicizing the “purely criminal” case of Litvinenko’s death.

The inquiry was “neither transparent nor public” and resembles a “shadow play” because it was conducted mostly behind doors, with classified documents and unnamed witnesses contributing to the result,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Marina Zakharova told journalists.

She also rejected the accusations of obstructing the inquiry, saying that Russian law enforcement participated in an earlier coroner investigation, which was transparent, unlike Sir Robert’s inquiry.

Zakharova added that two key witnesses in the case - Litvinenko’s patron Berezovsky and the owner of the restaurant where Litvinenko is presumed to have been poisoned – both died under dubious circumstances.

Russian officials, as well as the two men suspected in Britain of killing Litvinenko – Andrey Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun – have always denied the accusations.

Commenting on the publication of the report, Lugovoy reiterated his innocence and called the allegations against him “absurd.”

“It happened as we expected it, no sensation here. The result of the inquiry voiced today just confirms the anti-Russian stance of London, the bias and lack of determination to establish the true cause of Litvinenko’s death,” he told Interfax news agency.

He added that by classifying in 2013 several documents which could have become key evidence in the investigation, Britain effectively brought the enquiry to a halt.

Kovtun said the report relied on undisclosed evidence, which may have been fabricated and which cannot be challenged publicly.*

 

[Path_Finder]

Russian critics, intelligence, journalists have been being slayed for years, the co-founder of RT.

Another dissident showed symptoms of being poisoned, became ill but survived.

What Kadyrov said is beyond the pale, actually threatening opponents as it becomes around a year ago, Nemtsov was slain on the steps of the Kremlin.

Russia is a police state, it’s a kleptocracy, it’s more like North Korea or some other state.

 

[grotto]

:coffeeread: This Russian novel is really a page turner - based on a true story, correct that - stories (plural)! Does anyone know if a “Special Investigator” has been appointed to get to the facts? Or, is it up to their Attorney General - like the appointed by Chief Executive type Obama has and had. Remember “Fast and Furious” Eric Holder who returned to Chicago and his replacement Ms. Lynch? Guess we will have to wait and see. npatrol:

 

[Siegehammer]

How surprising, said nobody.

Putin is a terrible and terrifying nightmare of a human who regards international law as quaint suggestions that don’t apply to him.

 

[Path_Finder]

Probably it was not approved by Putin and probably has nothing to do with Russia.

He was a member of M16 too, so probably it could have been anyone.

rt.com/news/329651-uk-report-litvinenko-putin/

*The report stresses that its conclusions are based on many witness opinions that “would not be admissible as evidence” and that in his report Sir Robert was not bound by strict procedural rules that apply to court hearings.

The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed the report, blaming London for politicizing the “purely criminal” case of Litvinenko’s death.

The inquiry was “neither transparent nor public” and resembles a “shadow play” because it was conducted mostly behind doors, with classified documents and unnamed witnesses contributing to the result,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Marina Zakharova told journalists.

She also rejected the accusations of obstructing the inquiry, saying that Russian law enforcement participated in an earlier coroner investigation, which was transparent, unlike Sir Robert’s inquiry.

Zakharova added that two key witnesses in the case - Litvinenko’s patron Berezovsky and the owner of the restaurant where Litvinenko is presumed to have been poisoned – both died under dubious circumstances.

Russian officials, as well as the two men suspected in Britain of killing Litvinenko – Andrey Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun – have always denied the accusations.

Commenting on the publication of the report, Lugovoy reiterated his innocence and called the allegations against him “absurd.”

“It happened as we expected it, no sensation here. The result of the inquiry voiced today just confirms the anti-Russian stance of London, the bias and lack of determination to establish the true cause of Litvinenko’s death,” he told Interfax news agency.

He added that by classifying in 2013 several documents which could have become key evidence in the investigation, Britain effectively brought the enquiry to a halt.

Kovtun said the report relied on undisclosed evidence, which may have been fabricated and which cannot be challenged publicly.*

One has to honestly cut and past all that from RT?

The specific polonium, that quality is only found at one plant in Russia and one would need special permission from deep in the government to get it. The evidence is solid.

As if we are going to believe RT; with the likewise mysterious death of one of its founders.

Litvenko seemed to expose that apartment buildings were bombed in Russia, probably by the Russian government, not by Chechens per the theory goes, to have another war in Chechnya.

 

[tomarin]

I had just assumed Putin gave the order.

 

[pepipop]

One has to honestly cut and past all that from RT?

The specific polonium, that quality is only found at one plant in Russia and one would need special permission from deep in the government to get it. The evidence is solid.

As if we are going to believe RT; with the likewise mysterious death of one of its founders.

Litvenko seemed to expose that apartment buildings were bombed in Russia, probably by the Russian government, not by Chechens per the theory goes, to have another war in Chechnya.

Any other intelligence agency wishing to stitch Russia up, could obtain and plant the Polonium. They’ve no doubt got defectors/spies working for them in Russia - that got the Po out. Although, Po can be obtained from various countries.

Seems to be a bit too obvious - if this substance is only available in Russia, that the Russians are going to show their hand so obviously. They could have easily killed him in a much less identifying manner, e.g. in a car accident.

Also, why kill him in such a manner that he ends up in a UK hospital, under suspicious circumstances and after his death it becomes a UK investigation, autopsy, etc… the entire incident makes absolutely zero sense.

His brother thinks otherwise.

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3410835/BRITAIN-reason-kill-Alexander-Litvinenko-Russians-claims-spy-s-brother-says-today-s-report-blaming-Putin-smear.html

BRITAIN had more reason to kill Alexander Litvinenko than the Russians, claims the spy’s brother – who says today’s report blaming Putin is a smear

*The brother of murdered Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko has blamed British secret services were responsible and branded today’s report blaming Putin as a smear.

Two assassins slipped radioactive polonium 210 into 43-year-old Litvenenko’s cup of tea in a London hotel in 2006, and today’s sensational report claims that Putin ‘probably’ ordered the killing.

But his younger brother, Maxim, today said it was ‘ridiculous’ to blame the Kremlin and that he believes British security services had more of a motive to carry out the assassination.*

 

[Path_Finder]

Any other intelligence agency wishing to stitch Russia up, could obtain and plant the Polonium. They’ve no doubt got defectors/spies working for them in Russia - that got the Po out. Although, Po can be obtained from various countries.

Seems to be a bit too obvious - if this substance is only available in Russia, that the Russians are going to show their hand so obviously. They could have easily killed him in a much less identifying manner, e.g. in a car accident.

Also, why kill him in such a manner that he ends up in a UK hospital, under suspicious circumstances and after his death it becomes a UK investigation, autopsy, etc… the entire incident makes absolutely zero sense.

His brother thinks otherwise.

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3410835/BRITAIN-reason-kill-Alexander-Litvinenko-Russians-claims-spy-s-brother-says-today-s-report-blaming-Putin-smear.html

BRITAIN had more reason to kill Alexander Litvinenko than the Russians, claims the spy’s brother – who says today’s report blaming Putin is a smear

*The brother of murdered Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko has blamed British secret services were responsible and branded today’s report blaming Putin as a smear.

Two assassins slipped radioactive polonium 210 into 43-year-old Litvenenko’s cup of tea in a London hotel in 2006, and today’s sensational report claims that Putin ‘probably’ ordered the killing.

But his younger brother, Maxim, today said it was ‘ridiculous’ to blame the Kremlin and that he believes British security services had more of a motive to carry out the assassination.*

Too many of these mysterious deaths, RT founder, head of military intelligence, some other military official and now, Kadyrov, called Putin’s pitbull seeming to threaten opposition politicians out in the open.

theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/21/ramzan-kadyrov-chechen-leader-instagram-insults-decoded

The war of words between the two sides reached heightened tensions last week when the Chechen leader suggested that members of the opposition should be tried as “enemies of the people”, harking back to Stalin-era rhetoric.

Kadyrov’s chief lieutenant Magomed Daudov then took to Instagram to post a picture of Tarzan the dog, who was apparently “itching” to go ofter the opposition.

 

[pepipop]

Too many of these mysterious deaths, RT founder, head of military intelligence, some other military official and now, Kadyrov, called Putin’s pitbull seeming to threaten opposition politicians out in the open.

Maybe all carried out by the same ‘killers’ who are not Russian, and/ or some could have died from natural causes.

Why would Russia wish to murder the head of their military intelligence, or any others stated.

 

[Path_Finder]

Maybe all carried out by the same ‘killers’ who are not Russian, and/ or some could have died from natural causes.

Why would Russia wish to murder the head of their military intelligence, or any others stated.

First off, the USSR was famous for these kinds of things.

Secondly, the Head of Military Intelligence and the other military leader were sanctioned for the internationally illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia. If it was a general, I think he was involved in the Crimea invasion.

So, perhaps there is some reasoning on this.

 

[Path_Finder]

Born in the USSR, Russian heritage, one of the greatest chess champions of all time, Garry Kasparov chimes in:

twitter.com/Kasparov63?original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rferl.org%2Fcontentlive%2Fliveblog%2F26805126.html&tw_i=563420801786195968&tw_p=tweetembed

The report concluded that the two men had carried out the poisoning on the behalf of others, and that there was a “strong probability” of direction from the Federal Security Service, a domestic successor to the K.G.B.

Judge Owen concluded that the operation to kill Mr. Litvinenko was “probably approved” by Nikolai Patrushev – Russia’s intelligence chief at the time – and by President Vladimir V. Putin.

nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/21/world/europe/22litvinenko-report-findings.html?_r=0

A plane shut down, well we don’t know who did it?

A country doesn’t want to be part of the Russian alliance, they are invaded, oh, it was a coup started by the US.

Unbelievable.

 

[Latias]

Born in the USSR, Russian heritage, one of the greatest chess champions of all time, Garry Kasparov chimes in:

twitter.com/Kasparov63?original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rferl.org%2Fcontentlive%2Fliveblog%2F26805126.html&tw_i=563420801786195968&tw_p=tweetembed

nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/21/world/europe/22litvinenko-report-findings.html?_r=0

A plane shut down, well we don’t know who did it?

A country doesn’t want to be part of the Russian alliance, they are invaded, oh, it was a coup started by the US.

Unbelievable.

Euromaidan is evil; it is the Brown Revolution. Even if Putin was “bad” before this, he has redeemed himself by opposing the Euromaidan. In other words, Putin does not have to justify his opposition to the Euromaidan, rather it is his opposition that makes him justified.

Regarding speculation concerning this assassination, how many people in the West have some interest in Paul Kagame’s supposed involvement in the assassination of Juvenal Habyarimana?

 

[Path_Finder]

Euromaidan is evil; it is the Brown Revolution. Even if Putin was “bad” before this, he has redeemed himself by opposing the Euromaidan. In other words, Putin does not have to justify his opposition to the Euromaidan, rather it is his opposition that makes him justified.

Regarding speculation concerning this assassination, how many people in the West have some interest in Paul Kagame’s supposed involvement in the assassination of Juvenal Habyarimana?

Euromaidan is good, it is against Kleptocracy, who wants to join Russia that is suffering economic woes per sanctions for lawless actions, aging infrastructure, run by billionaires pegged as gangsters by quite a number of experts. Ukraine doesn’t want to join; thousands of protesters said so.

“Juvenal Habyarimana”, start a thread on it if one wants to discuss it.

Calling Euromaidan evil in a thread about the British government declaring the leader of Russia probably culpable in a murder. Wow.

 

[Exiled_Child]

So, this is the same High Court who says that Dr. David Kelly committed suicide, right?

The Litvinenko case stank to high heaven from day one. It was clearly a frame-up targeting Putin.

It’s likely he was murdered by Boris Berezovsky or some other oligarch in exile and/or MI6.

 

[Path_Finder]

So, this is the same High Court who says that Dr. David Kelly committed suicide, right?

Is it the same high court? I have no idea, their full report is here:

litvinenkoinquiry.org/

 

[Path_Finder]

If Russia wanted to prove itself, they should extradite those who saw Litvenenko the day of the alleged poisoning and had tea with him.

bbc.com/news/uk-35370819

But no. Just like other incidences we see in the press.

Giving a statement to the House of Commons, Mrs May said Mr Cameron would raise the findings with President Putin at “the next available opportunity”.

She said the UK would impose asset freezes on Mr Lugovoi and Mr Kovtun and that international arrest warrants for the pair remained in place. They both deny killing Mr Litvinenko.

Both men are wanted in the UK for questioning, but Russia has refused to extradite them.

bbc.com/news/uk-35370819

 

[Exiled_Child]

Is it the same high court? I have no idea, their full report is here:

litvinenkoinquiry.org/

Actually, that was a rhetorical question.

 

[Path_Finder]

Actually, that was a rhetorical question.

And vs. mentioning David Kelly, this was an apparent murder on British soil, so aside from all conspiracies and other crimes, the British authorities have a responsibility to investigate this crime committed in the United Kingdom.

If one is just tossing out names and says “tu quoque”, I’m sure there are an ample amount of names that can be taken per acts in Russia as well. Boris Nemtsov and in fact, another man may have survived a poisoning attempt.

Mikhail Lesin, RT co-founder, died in a Washington DC hotel room, so once again, this happened on our soil and is still being investigated.

thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/10/was-putin-s-media-chief-ready-to-snitch-before-he-dropped-dead.html

And Turkey:

jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=44573&tx_ttnews[backPid]=381#.VqGGjk-KZVJ (This link often does not work but it is at the Jamestown website and first printed in the Eurasia Daily Monitor)

Assassinations of Rebel-Connected Chechens Continue in Turkey

Another name has been added to the list of Chechens killed outside Russia: Abdulvakhid Edilgeriev was shot dead last month in Istanbul’s Kayasehir district, which many Chechens have made their home. The murder took place in broad daylight—at about 1:30 p.m., on October 1. The Kavkazcenter website reported that Edilgeriev was apparently driving home from his mosque with his four-year-old niece when he was attacked (Kavkazcenter.com, November 3).

With Ramzan Kadyrov basically threatening openingly opposition politicians, it won’t be always easy to explain everything away.

 

[Exiled_Child]

And vs. mentioning David Kelly, this was an apparent murder on British soil, so aside from all conspiracies and other crimes, the British authorities have a responsibility to investigate this crime committed in the United Kingdom.

If one is just tossing out names and says “tu quoque”, I’m sure there are an ample amount of names that can be taken per acts in Russia as well. Boris Nemtsov and in fact, another man may have survived a poisoning attempt.

Mikhail Lesin, RT co-founder, died in a Washington DC hotel room, so once again, this happened on our soil and is still being investigated.

thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/10/was-putin-s-media-chief-ready-to-snitch-before-he-dropped-dead.html

And Turkey:

jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=44573&tx_ttnews[backPid]=381#.VqGGjk-KZVJ (This link often does not work but it is at the Jamestown website and first printed in the Eurasia Daily Monitor)

With Ramzan Kadyrov basically threatening openingly opposition politicians, it won’t be always easy to explain everything away.

These “official inquiries” where one country accuses another of heinous crimes while completely whitewashing their own shouldn’t be taken too seriously, in my opinion. Politics is a dirty game in general, but what goes on in intelligence circles is positively demonic. I’m just skeptical of the non-stop Western attacks on Russia, because it’s clear that it’s an agenda which all the Western nations have agreed upon.