[GarySpFc]

What's with this whole Chechen connection with Berezovsky and Litvinenko?

There are several connections.
Firstly, Litvinenko worked for Berezovsky, and produced the film for him, which blamed the apartment bombings on Putin and the FSB. FSB Colonel Litveinenko defected to work for Berezovsky, and at the same time claimed the Russian FSB was going to kill Berezovsky. That said, if Russia had wanted to kill Berezovsky it would not have been the FSB, but the SVR. The FSB is a domestic unit like our FBI, whereas the SVR is in charge of foreign affairs like our CIA. In other words, Litvinenko was in the wrong department to have this knowledge, much less operational control as he claimed.

During the lawlessness of the early 1990s Berezovsky, like many businessmen, was targeted by the Russian mafia for extortion, allegedly because of connections Berezovsky had with the Chechen mafia, which were powerful in Moscow at that time. Berezovsky has also been rumored to have been connected to arms deals with the Chechens. Later, when Berezovsky was working in the Kremlin under Yeltsin he was put in charge of billions for the reconstruction of Chechnya after the war. Later, when Putin came into office and it was discovered the monies were missing he started an investigation. At that time Berezovsky fled to England and sought asylum.

Litvinenko converted to Islam two months prior to his death, and is going to be buried in a Muslin cemetery.

There are several other connections between Berezovsky, Litvinenko and the Chechens, but this should get you started.

[Eurotwit]

Thanks,

I am reading about some of this on wikipedia and other sources as we speak. Truly fascinating material.

Cheers.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Litvinenko converted to Islam?

You got that straight from Echo Moskvy didn't you?