Comments on: Spymania: Was Litvinenko poisoned twice?

By: THeDRiFTeR

THeDRiFTeR — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 20:11:56 +0000

“Never attribute to ~~conspiracy~~ malice that which can be ~~more easily attributed to incompetence~~ adequately explained by stupidity.”

stonemeister on January 7, 2007 at 10:47 PM

Hanlons Razor.

By: kaltes

kaltes — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 05:52:28 +0000

Litivinenko is an enemy of Russia. He despises Putin for reviving Russia’s fortunes. He was a good friend with the criminal oligarch Berezovsky (who defrauded the Russian people along with the now-jailed Khodorkovsky) who is a fugitive in London.

I can’t believe we have a Putin apologist here on the Hot Air comments.

By: stonemeister

stonemeister — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 03:47:12 +0000

“Never attribute to conspiracy that which can be more easily attributed to incompetence.”

By: SWLiP

SWLiP — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 03:26:03 +0000

If the first poisoning failed, why would Lugovoy and Kovtun have tried another dose of polonium — worth millions of dollars — instead of just shooting him?

Because organizations tend to stick with what they know. And poisoning was a preferred assassination tactic at the KGB for many decades.

By: stonemeister

stonemeister — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 02:18:47 +0000

I’m sticking with the Woody Allen, Annie Hall scenario. I believe Litvinenko was involved in a deal to sell or transport polonium as a terrorist weapon, and he opened the container on two occasions to inspect it. On the first occasion, Litvinenko was exposed to a minor, micoscopice dose. But on the second, he either spilled a little or (my favorite) sneezed into the container (ala Annie Hall and the cocaine scene), resulting in the expensive, fatal dose.

I know it sounds stupid, but we live in a pretty stupid world.

By: Mazztek

Mazztek — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 01:37:16 +0000

PLEASE USE A DIFFERENT LITVINENKO PICTURE

I am so sick of that same picture.

By: jic

jic — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 01:20:27 +0000

why would Lugovoy and Kovtun have tried another dose of polonium — worth millions of dollars — instead of just shooting him?

My guess? They had the stuff lying around, they couldn’t make money from it easily, and it didn’t come off of their department’s budget.

By: aengus

aengus — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 00:19:55 +0000

The Russian government may be assassinating their enemies on British soil, that is newsworthy. Putin seems to be adopting a Cold War posture. A Russian spy just got deported from Canada recently.

By: Speakup

Speakup — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 00:16:00 +0000

What did he have against Putin, as a smuggler?

Litvinenko was imprisoned in Russia and most likely he blamed Putin (perhaps rightly so) for that also.

By: MoonbatMedia

MoonbatMedia — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 23:53:18 +0000

Why is this such a big deal?

Beats me too. Not newsworthy.

By: Neo

Neo — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 23:41:55 +0000

Why is this such a big deal? So the Ruskies offed a Ruskie, with radioactive material. Big whoop, other than the Dr. Evil angle of using a rare/expensive radioactive material to kill someone. Of course the Ruskies (Commies) have always had a penchant for odd-ball assassinations such as the poison pellet umbrella.

By: Speakup

Speakup — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 23:15:07 +0000

Could be simply a case of two assassination teams working the same target.
Not so unusual, I should think.
Given the uncertainty of dosing (radiological poisoning wouldn’t quite so obvious, like a bullet hole in the head)two teams makes even more sense.

By: Mojave Mark

Mojave Mark — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 23:12:09 +0000

So why was he killed anyway?

Was he going rogue islamofascist? Did the ruskies off him before he used his spy skill set against innocents in his own country? Or… is this a non-explosive dirty bomb technique intended to kill Englanders that went awry?

Myself, I haven’t a clue.

By: MoonbatMedia

MoonbatMedia — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:54:57 +0000

Here is an interesting article about Leonid Nevzlin, who is wanted for numerous murders and could be implicated in the Litvikenko case.

By: Pablo

Pablo — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:47:23 +0000

What did he have against Putin, as a smuggler?

He was a Chechen sympathizer, ex-KGB agent. That alone puts him seriously at odds with Putin. Smuggling may or may not have anything more to do with it.

By: THeDRiFTeR

THeDRiFTeR — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:43:38 +0000

Litivinenko is an enemy of Russia. He despises Putin for reviving Russia’s fortunes. He was a good friend with the criminal oligarch Berezovsky (who defrauded the Russian people along with the now-jailed Khodorkovsky) who is a fugitive in London.

MoonbatMedia on January 7, 2007 at 4:40 PM

Oh. Ok, thanks for that.

By: MoonbatMedia

MoonbatMedia — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:40:04 +0000

But why would he have us believe it was Putin? Why not say, Saddam, or Tony Blair? What did he have against Putin, as a smuggler?

Litivinenko is an enemy of Russia. He despises Putin for reviving Russia’s fortunes. He was a good friend with the criminal oligarch Berezovsky (who defrauded the Russian people along with the now-jailed Khodorkovsky) who is a fugitive in London.

By: Mark V.

Mark V. — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:33:57 +0000

This story is as bone dry as Grandma’s britches.

By: THeDRiFTeR

THeDRiFTeR — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:33:19 +0000

Who he thought, or who he wanted us to believe it was?

MoonbatMedia on January 7, 2007 at 4:18 PM

I would have to say that you’re right, and I honestly couldn’t say which. But why would he have us believe it was Putin? Why not say, Saddam, or Tony Blair? What did he have against Putin, as a smuggler?

By: MoonbatMedia

MoonbatMedia — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:18:54 +0000

Well, this sorta leaves no doubt as to who he thought was responsible for his death.

Who he thought, or who he wanted us to believe it was? Litvinenko was a shady character, he was no hero at all.

By: THeDRiFTeR

THeDRiFTeR — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:14:19 +0000

Well, this sorta leaves no doubt as to who he thought was responsible for his death.

By: MoonbatMedia

MoonbatMedia — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:07:18 +0000

The involvement of the criminal fugitive Leonid Nevzlin is very possible. He is currently hiding away in Israel.

By: MoonbatMedia

MoonbatMedia — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:04:23 +0000

It was also, in all likelihood, ordered by the Russian government.

You’re a funny guy Allah. Keep on dreaming.

By: Squid Vicious

Squid Vicious — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:02:59 +0000

Although I admire their thoroughness, all I can say is WTF? This whole plan was so overly difficult and screwy it brings to mind something Dr. Evil would do.

Scott Evil: I have a gun in my room, you give me five seconds, I’ll get it, I’ll come back down here, BOOM, I’ll blow their brains out!

Dr. Evil: Scott, you just don’t get it, do ya? You don’t.

By: bdfaith

bdfaith — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:00:41 +0000

A J Strata is still making a good case for accidental poisoning in the course of smuggling Polonium. For now I have to side with him.