BREAKING NEWS - Prime Minister Theresa May Says it's highly likely Russia is responsible for the ch

C'mon guys, surely Russia isn't behind this. I mean what reason could Russia have for wanting this guy dead? It makes about as much sense as Russia hacking the US election/buying themselves a president.......

a reply to: Zcustosmorum

Woah, hold on a minute. It does seem it's looking more and more likely this was an attempt made by Russia or some group inside Russia. There are still a lot of questions to be answered and Russia state has been given the opportunity to prove it's not their doing.

Are we going to sit back and say f#ck, claim it and move on? If it is credible and the Russian state did this then this would be very serious not only for the UK/Russia relations but Russia will also have to explain themselves to the rest of the world.

I'm sure big Don will have something to say

"firm action"

haha im sure putin is shaking....

So, as I see it, the options are:

1. It was enacted/approved/allowed by the Russian government
2. The Russians have lost control of their stock of Novichok
3. It wasn't Novichok and the UK authorities are lying

I'm not sure which I find more worrying.

a reply to: Wayfarer

C'mon guys, surely Russia isn't behind this. I mean what reason could Russia have for wanting this guy dead?

In the film, Mr Putin says that he may forgive some things, "but not everything". When asked by Mr Kondrashov to clarify what cannot be forgiven, the Russian leader says: "Betrayal."
www.bbc.co.uk...

Skripal was an army officer who betrayed Russia , he handed identities of Russian agents operating in Europe to the west. Putin is the former head of the FSB so I assume that he took that betrayal quite badly.

Russia has a habit of killing ex-citizens who have worked against the Russian government. In Litvinenko's case it was uncovering criminal corruption of the government. In Skripal's case it's because he blew a Russian spy network in the West.

Russia have also used "odd" assassination methods. In Litvinenkos case it was radioactivity and his assassins nearly got away with it. In Skripal's case it seems a nerve agent was used - a nerve agent developed by the Russians. It was clearly a failed attempt, which had it been successful may have been undetected, just like Litvinenko's very nearly was; just another ex Russian dying of a heart attack etc...

Anyway, the ball is in Russia's court to explain what is what. The Russian propaganda machine will go into overdrive and turn this into a circus of false news and distraction.

Russia's pariah state status will be upheld, just in time for Putin's re-election. What a guy, eh?

Interesting.

More so since the majority of the known Novichok supplies are in the hands of the US government.

a reply to: peck420

Really? How so???

a reply to: woodward2

The only known production facility was in Uzbekistan.

After Uzbekistan achieved independence in 1991, they contracted the US government to handle the disposal and cleanup of the production facilities, as Uzbekistan did not have the resources to do it themselves.

originally posted by: peck420
Interesting.

More so since the majority of the known Novichok supplies are in the hands of the US government.

That's very interesting indeed.

I imagine being threatened by Theresa May would be a bit like getting scolded by a little old lady for kicking your ball into the garden and climbing over to get it without asking for permission...

a reply to: peck420

How does that in any way imply what you're claiming? You don't think Russia would have moved out all the product when they abandoned the facility?

a reply to: woodward2

so our alert status has risen from slightly irritated
to a bit miffed!

i am deeply suspicious of the whole thing
the "agent" failed to kill its targets yet its touted as "military grade" nerve agent (is their any other kind?)
now i have "some minor experience" of the effects of said agents and if the substance touted
had been deployed in any quantity it absolutely should have killed both targets and probably
quite a few others before dispersing in the environment.
and not even a whiff of possible suspects from the CCTV footage yet they have the targets on tape?
now i dont like shouting false flag but with all the anti Russia chatter in the MSM i would not put it past
MI6 or another agency offing a former Russian double agent as a way to point and shout at Russia.
either that or the standard of competent assassins they employ has fallen some what interesting times!

a reply to: peck420

Not that I don't believe you, but do you have a source for that. How did the US get it? Only way I can figure is by means of one of the Balkan states after the Soviet breakup.

a reply to: Hazardous1408

“A firm response...”... Uhhuh...

Soooo... More nonsense sanctions, basically.

Beat me to it.

Firm response = sanctions.

Someone had to put Putin in check at some point. His next land grab is coming soon.

Classic Russia/ classic Putin, test everyone before your real moves.

originally posted by: WarPig1939
Nvm. Not worth commenting on. The big bad boogey man Russia did it. Yup. I'll believe it. I don't think for myself.

And those who think for ourselves and saw many Russian state run media outlets say in different ways defectors will be felt with.

Maybe you're right, but they're essentially taunting at this point.

Not exactly a sign of innocence. If they didn't do it, they would have offered condolences and assistance as they have in the past when things point towards them.

originally posted by: lakenheath24
a reply to: peck420

Not that I don't believe you, but do you have a source for that. How did the US get it? Only way I can figure is by means of one of the Balkan states after the Soviet breakup.

www.nytimes.com...

This reads like the plot line for a James Bond movie. Somebody could have kept or collected some old test chemicals for a rainy day.

originally posted by: Xcalibur254
How does that in any way imply what you're claiming? You don't think Russia would have moved out all the product when they abandoned the facility?

I doubt those that were in the know cared.

The USSR was into full collapse when Uzbekistan went independent. Even if the USSR had wanted to cleanup all of their 'black sites', I don't think they had the capability, at the time, to do much more then watch the fallout.

originally posted by: lakenheath24
Only way I can figure is by means of one of the Balkan states after the Soviet breakup.

That is pretty much how it happened. USSR was foolish to place a 'black site' in a vassal state. When the vassal went, so did the site.

a reply to: ShayneJUK

I agree. Something definitely doesn't add up here.

How could both the restaurant and the pub be contaminated without "collateral damage"? If either of those sites had been the source of the attack, surely others would have been affected?

I'm not saying it was a false flag, but maybe things are being played up for political effect. Though without any resulting definitive and decisive action by the government, what would be the point?

I'm still inclined to believe it was actioned or, at least, sanctioned by Putin as a warning. As such, a lethal result is not necessary for the message to be sent, and a trail that leads back but can also be plausibly denied adds to the effect. Maybe it was some kind of micro-dose (is such a thing possible?). Although I still have a nagging doubt that the daughter was somehow involved. The timing just seems off.

a reply to: peck420

Interesting ... although that doesn't mean that Russia didn't/doesn't have a stock themselves.