Posted on 05/28/2007 2:00:00 AM PDT by RusIvan
Two days after the Crown Prosecution Service announced that Andrei Lugovoi, the former KGB agent, should be charged with the murder of his old colleague Alexan-der Litvinenko and demanded that Russia extradite him to face trial in Britain, I bumped into a Russian friend: worldly, pro-western and a fluent English speaker who has travelled dozens of times abroad.
I asked him who he thought had ordered the murder of Litvinenko, a fierce Kremlin critic who died of a massive polonium210 dose in London six months ago. My friend had no doubts. “Boris Berezovsky of course,” he said forcefully. It was the exiled oligarch and foe of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, who had smuggled polonium into Britain and ordered his protégé’s death. Why? To sully Russia’s image in the West.
However absurd that seems, many Russians would agree. Even in exile Berezovsky, once one of Moscow’s most powerful political players, is regarded as a Machiavellian figure whose influence, they believe, knows no boundaries. Those who do not share that view, including Litvinenko’s first wife, believe he was instead killed by the CIA or MI5, enemies of Russia bent on weakening it just as it is becoming strong again. Few here suspect the FSB, as the KGB is now known, or the Kremlin. Too small a fish for them to get involved, they argue.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Again, keep your head in the sand and scream "la la la" all you want.
Russia is a third rate third word country with nukes.
Irrelevant other then the nukes and per chance oil.
It's no secret that America's foreign policy is geared towards full spectrum domination and nuclear primacy.
No, but it is paranoid to believe that Lukavoy wouldn’t get a fair hearing because the British government wants to damage Russia’s image.
I haven’t commented on the Zakayev case because I don’t know that much about it but the reason given by the British judge at the time was that (a) there was no extradition treaty with Russia (b) the accused could face the death penalty which the British do not have and (c) it violated the European Community’s policy on Human Rights. The latter was the reason Germany permitted Zakayev to travel in and out of their country at the time of the Schroeder government.
I certainly don't think so. Recall that last year two Brit spies were uncovered in Russia with listening devices. That's just one example of how Britain is actively engaging in events to adversely affect Russia.
I haven’t commented on the Zakayev case because I don’t know that much about it but the reason given by the British judge at the time was that (a) there was no extradition treaty with Russia (b) the accused could face the death penalty which the British do not have and (c) it violated the European Community’s policy on Human Rights. The latter was the reason Germany permitted Zakayev to travel in and out of their country at the time of the Schroeder government.
If the Brits couldn't extradict him on legal grounds, then you should accord the same respect to Russia for being unable to extradict Lugovoi on its own legal grounds.
You’re mistaken. It was the Soviets that made these client states. These are countries that invite the US in (and we leave when we are asked). They have 50 years of Soviet imperialism as their experience which is why they want a counterweight. The countries surrounding Russia do not trust it for good historical reasons. But try and forget 50 years of history (and in some cases more) and sing Fa la la la lah with your head in the snow.
Which is exactly how I think the situation will stay for some time.
How naive are you? Everybody spies on everybody.
The countries surrounding Russia do not trust it for good historical reasons.
This part you did get right. Soon enough they'll know not to trust the USA either.
I wish it was so... but results are not yet convincing. As a result of still absent "American nuclear primacy" the Monkey Boy in Persia has had his nuke technology... from Russia, has he not?
And Kosovo and Bosnia are going to the Muslims thanks to the USA. I’ll stick with Putin, thank you.
Russia is a third rate third word country with nukes.==
But who are the rating authority after all?:)
Yes, yes, yes...you’re right: The CIA had no role in the colour-coded revolutions. Uh huh, sure.
Why do you put words in my mouth? Given the bumbling inefficiency of the CIA, I am not sure they were a hindrance or a help. I do know there is genuine jubilation when the Soviets leave a country.
the Monkey Boy in Persia has had his nuke technology... from Russia, has he not?==
The peace energy reactor from Russia he has. But the uranium enrechment centrufuge technology from Russia he has NOT.
The Soviets were done in 1991.
“The countries surrounding Russia do not trust it for good historical reasons.
This part you did get right. Soon enough they’ll know not to trust the USA either.”
Oh really?, actually I noticed that Western European countries fat-catted on US and since WWII they haven’t got a reason not to trust USA, except for the fact that they are fighting for a hegemony now... as long as it’s political war, then it’s fine...
I'm 100% with you regarding your first assertion. But your conclusion is, to put it mildly, not wise.
Putin (as anyone else in the Russia's helm) not only won't return Kosovo and Bosnia, but will gladly use the rest of the former Yugoslavia and the whole of the Balkans for his political purposes.
Charity from Russia in the foreign affairs?! Was it you who mentioned something about head in the sand earlier?
Russia dtopped using the term "Soviets" in 1991, that's true. Little else has changed.
And Kosovo and Bosnia are going to the Muslims thanks to the USA. I’ll stick with Putin, thank you.
I'm 100% with you regarding your first assertion. But your conclusion is, to put it mildly, not wise.
Putin (as anyone else in the Russia's helm) not only won't return Kosovo and Bosnia, but will gladly use the rest of the former Yugoslavia and the whole of the Balkans for his political purposes. Charity from Russia in the foreign affairs?! Was it you who mentioned something about head in the sand earlier?
I’ll disagree on that one. Yeltsin was a disaster, that’s certain...but Putin has been excellent for Russians and for conservatives.
Who’s asking for charity from Russia in foreign affairs? Certainly not I. “States don’t have friends, only interests”. At this present juncture in time, Russia should be a partner as Buchanan has stated, not an enemy.
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