LATEST: Two planes at Heathrow test positive for radiation in wake of ex-spy death

BBC ^ | Wednesday 29 November 2006

[ScaniaBoy]

Aircraft tested in spy death case

Two BA planes at Heathrow Airport are being tested in the wake of the death of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, the Home Office said. Plans were also being made to examine a third plane in Moscow, they added.

Traces of radioactive polonium-210 were discovered in Mr Litvinenko's body, when he died in London last week.

Initial results of the forensic tests showed very low traces of a radioactive substance onboard two of the three aircraft, said British Airways.

[ScaniaBoy]

Not very much to go on so far. However, if it turns out to be Polonium-210 I would claim that this would be a very strong indication that Litvinenko was NOT killed by the FSB (Putin).

It would be very easy to contain and hide Polonium. For instance to insert it in a paste, eg ketchup or mustard, or a fluid and poison Litvinenko would have carried no risk of radioactivity to the murderer and would not have created a radioactive trace across London, and now the rest of the world.

As I said above, not much to go on as yet, and anyway I no longer trust the MSM to present even the simplest fact correctly, but if true this has the appearance of a rogue operation in all its meanings.

[Jake The Goose]

Simple enough - track the flight history of the airplanes.

[Moose4]

What's weird is about this is that from something else I read, polonium 210 only emits alpha particles, which are low energy and stopped by almost any material. So why would trace radiation consistent with that element be showing up on an airplane, unless you've got some real idiots for spies? Or maybe the news article mentioning the polonium 210 emissions was wrong.

}:-)4

[ScaniaBoy]

Ping!

[edcoil]

It was on the tv show Monk - guy poison's his wife with candy bar but to make it look like serial killer he plants the stuff all over for others.

[GSlob]

" a very strong indication that Litvinenko was NOT killed by the FSB (Putin). "
Do you mean that under no circumstances whatsoever the kegebuns could have spilled some while in transit?

[hsmomx3]

This is going to sound so far out there but who are the pilots flying these planes?

[ScaniaBoy]

No, Polonium-210 is an alfa-emitter. So my point is exactly the one you make, that it must have been some real idiots for spies to spread it around like they have. That's why I doubt the FSB is involved.

PS: It is not difficult to get hold of the necessary amounts of Po-210, whatever the MSM claims.

[ScaniaBoy]

Do you mean that under no circumstances whatsoever the kegebuns could have spilled some while in transit?

Nothing is impossible, but they would have had to be really incompetent.

[txhurl]

I'm hoping and praying it was Putin, but I don't think it was.

[mjp]

Russians can put radiation on planes. What is going to stop Iran from doing it too?

[anymouse]

FR Thead: ABC News Exclusive: Murder in a Teapot British officials say police have cracked the murder-by-poison case of former spy Alexander Litvinenko, including the discovery of a "hot" teapot at London's Millennium Hotel with an off-the-charts reading for Polonium-210, the radioactive material used in the killing.

[ScaniaBoy]

Thanks for the ping!

Wow, seems like incompetence galore - the FSB (or whomever), the London police, Litvinenko himself who had been warned yet wandered straight into a trap....

Still I did not find anything in the article that definitely showed that it was a state-sponsored hit, except the mention of intelligence reports. However, if the British services have managed to find positive evidence for FSB (or other Russian state agencies) involvement this case will have diplomatic repercussions; 13 people exposed to doses that may have longterm effects, 128 exposed in total (as far as is known)!

Ouch!!