Posted on 12/08/2004 9:26:16 AM PST by dead
Ukraine's opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned in an assassination attempt during campaigning in September, a British daily reported yesterday, quoting the doctor who oversaw his treatment.
Doctors at the Rudolfinerhaus clinic in Vienna were close to identifying the substance that left Mr Yushchenko's face disfigured with cysts and lesions, Nikolai Korpan was quoted as telling The Times.
Specialists in Britain, the US and France had helped to establish that it was a biological or chemical agent or, most likely, a rare poison that struck Mr Yushchenko down before the presidential election, Dr Korpan said. Doctors needed to examine him again to confirm their diagnosis, but "we are now sure that we can confirm which substance caused this illness", the doctor said. "He received this substance from other people who had a specific aim."
Asked if the aim had been to kill him, Dr Korpan said: "Yes, of course."
Proof that Mr Yushchenko was deliberately poisoned would be a devastating blow for his rival, the Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovich, as the two candidates prepare for a repeat of a presidential run-off on December 26, The Times said.
Mr Yushchenko had said recently that he would soon reveal proof that his opponents had tried to assassinate him, but a spokeswoman said he had no plans to travel to Vienna, the newspaper said.
Mr Yushchenko fell ill on September 6 and was taken to Rudolfinerhaus four days later with severe abdominal pain and lesions on his face and trunk, The Times said.
His liver, pancreas and intestines were swollen and his digestive tract covered in ulcers, but doctors could not explain the symptoms.
Against their advice he went back on the campaign trail after a week, but returned to the clinic two weeks later with back pain.
His Austrian doctors had said previously they had no proof of a criminal poisoning.
Nevertheless his campaign staff have insisted the medical exam revealed that Mr Yushchenko's illness had been caused "by a viral infection and chemical substances that are not usually found in food products".
Agence France-Presse
the substance that left Mr Yushchenko's face disfigured with cysts and lesions
They apparently also tried to kill Edward James Olmos.
LOL! Can you believe Lorraine Bracco married that mutt?
That's not funny.
Shame on you. Let's see what you look like.
Who needs Clancy novels.
Rare smacks of KGB. Putins up to his ears in this one.
A Russian immigrant poster on another blog that I regularly visit, told us that they were still the same old Commies. (same old dirty tactics) Just underground now.
She said Putin wouldn't have gotten to where he was (in the KGB?) without ruthlessness. He's never fooled her for one minute.
Pray for him!
EJO's politics are worse than his skin!
Are Bulgarians still being use to do Russian 'wet jobs'?
I will. He sounds like a courageous, fine man.
Whoever did this to him will be paid back by the Almighty. Tenfold.
I saw a photo with a lady arm in arm with this guy. I was thinking at the time, "this fellow had a rough puberty". I didn't know how it was caused. I really fell bad for him. The least we want for him is a full recovery, and maybe he'll win, too.
I would still be 1000x better-looking that Olmos.
Indeed. He was a big booster of the Sandinistas as I recall.
Doubt it. If there's one thing the KGB does well it's kill people.
This is much to amateurish for them.
look if they wanted to kill him he would be dead... Poison and the whole fanfare about attempt at ones life was a PR move pure and simple it was right before the elections comon.
He's the pro-Western one.
Please. Of course they poisoned him. Just look at what the doctors had to say and check out the before and after shots of him on Google sometime.
Such a move by a Putin-backed outfit is unacceptable. Putin is NOT the new Czar of Russia. Nor is he charged with the task of bringing back the old Soviet Empire. Putin's way of doing things is over. And someone needs to tell him that. Very loudly.
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