Posted on 12/09/2006 11:03:43 AM PST by lizol
Something to Hide?
by TOL
8 December 2006
If the Kremlin's hands are clean in the Litvinenko case, why won't it let British investigators do their work?
When Alexander Litvinenko's remains were laid to rest in London's Highgate Cemetery on 7 December, his body was so radioactive that it had to be buried in a specially sealed casket. It will be a lot harder, however, to contain the fallout from the ex-KGB spy's death.
As a week filled with a series of bizarre revelations in the Litvinenko case drew to a close, Scotland Yard detectives appeared to be inching tantalizingly closer to the truth.
The Times of London reported that investigators now suspect that Litvinenko was poisoned with polonium-210 on 1 November when he met two Russian businessmen at the Pine Bar in London's Millennium Hotel. All seven bar employees working that day have tested positive for the radioactive substance.
Police suspect that the lethal mixture that killed Litvinenko, either via a contaminated drink or cigarette, was prepared in a room at the hotel. Adding to the intrigue, investigators have found large traces of polonium-210 in a fourth-floor room that was occupied by an unidentified visiting Russian.
The killer, according to police, apparently stalked Litvinenko throughout the day on 1 November and unsuccessfully attempted to poison him in the Itsu sushi bar in London's Piccadilly neighborhood. Traces of polonium were also found on Italian academic Mario Scaramella, who ate with Litvinenko at Itsu.
Suspicions that the assassins came from Russia appeared to be vindicated by the fact that traces of polonium-210 were discovered on British Airways jets traveling between Moscow and London.
But as Scotland Yard has been painstakingly reconstructing this macabre series of events in London, Moscow has been busy throwing up roadblocks. And the roadblocks strongly suggest that the Kremlin has something to hide.
The two Russian businessmen Litvinenko met at the Pine Bar on the day he was poisoned Andrei Lugovoy, a former KGB colonel, and his partner Dmitry Kovtun could obviously shed some light on what happened. That is, if they were able to speak freely to British investigators. Problem is, both of these men are back in Moscow and Russian law-enforcement officials appear determined to control access to them.
British investigators are especially interested in speaking to Lugovoy, who met with Litvinenko four times in the two weeks before he was poisoned. Russian Prosecutor General Yury Chaika said on 6 December, however, that British police would not be allowed to interrogate him directly, but only to sit in while Russian authorities questioned him. That meeting, however, has been repeatedly delayed.
British detectives have been able to speak to Kovtun, albeit only together with Russian police. Reports in the Russian media that Kovtun had collapsed and fell into a coma due to radiation poisoning shortly after being questioned have been denied by his lawyer and have fueled suspicions that Moscow isn't exactly playing straight in the investigation.
TOO MANY COOKS Russian prosecutors, claiming that Lugovoy and Kovtun were also targets of the killer who poisoned Litvinenko, announced on 7 December that they were opening their own investigation. The move will likely emasculate the Scotland Yard investigation in Moscow. Russia is also considering sending its own team of investigators to London all in the spirit of cooperation, of course.
Russia's state-controlled media, meanwhile, has been busy spinning alternative theories about what happened. The latest brings in the Kremlin's favorite bogeyman: Litvinenko, who apparently converted to Islam on his deathbed, was helping Chechen rebels make a radioactive dirty bomb.
Given the fact that the Russian authorities, and possibly even Vladimir Putin's Kremlin, are widely viewed as legitimate suspects in Litvinenko's death makes it extremely hard to trust Russia's law-enforcement officials.
Over the years, Litvinenko had his hand in exposing a plethora of things the Kremlin would rather remain hidden assassination plots against political opponents, the 1999 apartment bombings, and the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, just to name a few. And anybody who knows anything about Russia's police, prosecutors, and secret services will tell you that they are highly politicized at best, and hopelessly criminalized at worst.
It is unclear what kind of game Moscow is playing with Lugovoy and Kovtun. What is clear is that the two are unlikely to be candid with British investigators while Russian officials are standing in the room. If Moscow is serious about helping in the investigation, the best thing it can do is get out of the way and let Scotland Yard do its work. That is, if they have nothing to hide.
The Russian supporting public will only have themselves to blame for the coming wrath inflicted on the 'Motherland' because of Putin's power mad actions.
Instituting a 15% flat tax is "mad".
Stopping the massive theft of natural wealth from being offshored is "mad".
Reforming a millitary that was on the brink of collapse is "mad".
Restoring national pride is "mad".
I wouldn't think Soros to be a kegebun. His role in the orange revolution, for example, could only be ascribed to an anti-kegebun person. Whomever else he might be carrying water for, it does not look like putinoids.
"Mad" - And so were one Hitler's actions in '33-'38. Restoring pride, [everyone noticed that much], clearing up the economic mess, strengthening and reforming the military and so on. When the civilization, in furtherance of which these actions are undertaken, is crappy - then so are the actions.
Are you saying that Putin=Hitler? I see no reason to believe this.
What I am saying is that in the civilizational sense [i.e. what he stands for] putin is worse.
How so? He stands for a strong Russia, against the Mujahideen (whom he defeated), is briging back the Russian Orthodox church to prominence, and is about to rehabiliate Tsar Nicholas II, plus has taken a very strong stand against theft and tax evasion by criminals.
First that drunken stew bum Yetsin and now KGB Putin have only made the situation even worse. Now the bloody Russians have their own Vietnam. Recall those Kremlin commies were supplying the North Vietnamese Reds, and now Moscow is paying the price in a no win war (over natural gas & oil). Reciprocity in motion.
"Instituting a 15% flat tax is "mad"."
Sure it's wonderful when only the Russian mafia crooks running the country really benefit.
"Stopping the massive theft of natural wealth from being offshored is "mad"."
Just great...Putin's Russian version of Opec. He is now able to hold additional nations hostage with natural gas pipelines in the dead of winter. You agree?
"Reforming a military that was on the brink of collapse is "mad"."
Mad to the extreme, Putin's neo-Soviet Empire is a larger threat then the old version of the Evil Empire.
"Restoring national pride is "mad"."
Someone else did that and triggered World War II. You must recall his name, he was very similar to Col Putin = Adolph Hitler.
Since you have clearly demonstrated a very strong desire to promote "Putin's Paradise", how about relocating there - real soon and broadcast direct from Moscow?
You will therefore not for one minute cast doubtsky upon his integrity.
Actually it's 78%
Something's a little fishy when one gets such a high fraction of the vote...
Did you know that George Soros funded the anti-Chavez candidate in Venezuela, and that Soros funds Falun Gong in China???
The guy is all over the map in who he funds.
Well, if what you wrote is true [it's news to me], then it would be few more examples of positive actions by Soros. Being hostile to the pineapple chavez, or to the chinese autocrats, are all positive things.
This is a fundamental validity denial for the civilization represented by a "strong russia". Based on what it has always been, it is, and would be, a hell on earth. Barbari sunt, barbarice egit. And BTW, gestapo also used to take a very strong stand against theft and criminals.
Considering the fact that the Chechen Mujahideen have been defeated and peace has been restored with many of the Chechens having switched side and are now under the control of Moscow, and with al-Qaida terrorist Shamil Basayev dead, I have to ask where you are getting your information from?
Sure it's wonderful when only the Russian mafia crooks running the country really benefit.
You mean Berezovsky, Gusinsky, Nevzlin, and Khodorovsky? They're all either in exile or in jail where they all belong.
Just great...Putin's Russian version of Opec. He is now able to hold additional nations hostage with natural gas pipelines in the dead of winter. You agree?
Why shouldn't Russia control its own natural wealth? Should American natural wealth be controlled by outsiders? Of course not.
Mad to the extreme, Putin's neo-Soviet Empire is a larger threat then the old version of the Evil Empire.
Nonsense. Russia hasn't made any moves like the Soviets did in Afghanistan, in Poland, Hungary, etc.
Someone else did that and triggered World War II. You must recall his name, he was very similar to Col Putin = Adolph Hitler.
So by your logic, national pride is "Hitlerian". Is that your position?
So in your view, having a tough position against theft and criminality is "gestapo-like"?
So the reverse must be true too: Yeltsin support was in single digits. The favorite of West - Irina Khakamada won the whooping 3.85% in 2004 presidential elections. Very, very fishy indeed!
My dear kegebun, in his case it is.
That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. After the disastrous Yeltin years, Putin has been a God-send for Russia.
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