This episode is starting
to resemble a Fellini movie...
Posted on 12/02/2006 7:36:44 PM PST by jdm
Russian president Vladimir Putin has expressed his anger at Britain's failure to gag Alexander Litvinenko in the final hours of his life, the cabinet has been told.
Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary, told ministers that the Russian government had “taken exception” to the poisoned former spy’s deathbed letter accusing the Putin regime of murdering him.
This weekend a potential suspect — Andrei Lugovoi — admitted he had been contaminated with the radioactive poison polonium-210 but insisted: “I’ve been framed.”
Beckett, who spoke to her Russian counterpart before Thursday’s cabinet meeting, said the Russians had “seemingly failed to understand” that Litvinenko was under police supervision rather than in custody.
Amid signs that his death could cause a diplomatic row, Tony Blair concluded the cabinet meeting by saying “the most important issue” was likely to be Britain’s long-term relationship with Moscow.
Another minister present said: “It caused some alarm that this case is obviously causing tension with the Russians. They are too important for us to fall out with them over this.”
Putin’s aides see Litvinenko’s letter, in which he described the Russian president as “barbaric and ruthless”, as a carefully orchestrated public relations stunt, timed to coincide with the leader’s appearance at the Russia-European Union summit in Helsinki.
Foreign Office officials yesterday confirmed the Russians had raised the issue of Litvinenko’s letter with Beckett and British diplomats. Until now, the government has admitted only that the Russians had agreed to assist Scotland Yard with its inquiries.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
They just said on Fox that Putin has determined Russia has to return to being a major player on the world stage and in doing so has determined it's better to be a "bad body" because the USA and Britain capitualte to the bad leaders of the world... That the Russian economy is being reordered in a way that doesn't even allow it to participate in the WGO... sounds like Putty is returning us to the days of the Cold War (or worse).
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1747654/posts
I know Pat Buchanan has a column out to that effect -- Looks like BushDerangementSyndrome has really infected Pat!!
Yup - Litvinenko arranged the timing of his slow painful murder quite skillfully - that devious little bugger. Get his corpse a job in public relations! </sarcasm>
I think that's it exactly. There is deniability, but everybody thinks Putin reached out and nailed a guy who may have thought he was safe running his mouth in the UK. Putin is a thug who knows all about threats. He knows how to make them and how to use them for political advantage.
I heard that....the old "bad attention, is better than no attention at all" creed that Kim Jong-Il and Ahmanutjob live by.
Well...hopefully, President Bush will start dealing with Putin the way he deals with those two...he DOESN'T.
We should not reward bad behaviour.
I sometimes wonder if Pat didn't come down with BDS FIRST..and infected all of the others in the world that have it.
Putin really has some nerve. If I were him, I'd be keeping my pie hold shut, or at least doing what I could to help find the killer. Sort of like O.J. did.
What possible purpose could he have to express such a thing? Sounds like he needs to take Public Relations 101.
I looked into Putin's shoe and saw his sole.
Charles Krauthammer suggested it the polonium hit was a message to others who were bad-mouthing Pootie.
BTW, did you ever read the long Newsweak article on the trip the President made to Russia last year? If not, I highly recommend reading it. MSNBC had it online at the time.
I am thinking I didn't read it...but I might have.
I will check tomorrow and see if I can get it from their archives..thanks for telling me about it.
If I were Putin's assassin assassin, I would be more inclined to make a break for the West than carry out an assassination. How could Putin ever be sure I would keep silent?
Remember that Russia has been behind the Iranian nuclear project for years. As we turn up the heat on Iran, Russia will balk.
Oh, I know, but based on how the article is written I think my take is more fun ;)
First an officer would never be sent on such a mission if his loyalty was even remotely questionable. Such a man’s loyalty to Russia and Putin would be unquestioned.
However once the poison was identified and fingers were pointing towards Putin the assassin’s life was in jeopardy because he had failed in his mission to remove Litvinenko and cover his tracks.
Be careful, Vlad.....your mommy and daddy's hero, for whom you were named, crossed ole Uncle Joe and ended up poisoned himself.
Putin's name fits him to a tee. Goes around puttin stuff in people's food and/or drinks.
Unlike Communist Russia, Britain has freedom of speech.
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