Dec 11 2006
The Emerging “Dirty Bomb” Theory
Finally we are seeing some people using science, analysis and logic to address the fact we have a series of sworn enemies of Russia, who are aligned with allies of Al Qaeda, turning up exposed to massive amounts of Polonium 210 (compared the amount needed to kill one person), a material used in nuclear bomb triggers and a good candidate for a dirty bomb:
Therefore, without sounding as unhinged as the conspiratorial hordes that we seek to expose, we must seriously consider the possibility that Litvinenko was not assassinated but died after somehow exposing himself to Plutonium 210. The “dirty bomb†theory is one of the most likely means of exposure. Plutonium 210 has certain industrial uses that make it relatively easy to obtain; however, Litvinenko was not involved in any business that would have had a legitimate reason to use Plutonium 210. He was, however, intimately involved with a Chechen terrorist organization that had, in the past, made a “dirty bomb†from radioactive material similar to Plutonium 210. The possibility, therefore, exists that Litvinenko was at some point in a location where Plutonium 210 was being used to assemble a terrorist weapon. Such a prospect is far more disconcerting then your simple, run of the mill, Kremlin-ordered “hit†of a political dissident; and it is a possibility which should be explored by the British government and the civilized world.
Indeed it is. One thing not being reported is whether anyone thinks they have accounted for all the Polonium 210 associated with Berezovsky’s long time associates (Litvnenko and Lugovoi). These are not Putin’s people. A dirty bomb is a realistic option in this case.
Lizarde, great, meaty article in Der Spiegel, so much information I’m going to read it again later. Obviously Kovtun was already contaminated.
Enlightened, this was explained http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2484295_1,00.html
This is why doctors treating Litvinenko when he fell ill were baffled. He exhibited classic signs of radiation poisoning, including vomiting, hair loss and organ failure. But when they tested for gamma radiation with a geiger counter, they found nothing unusual.
The police who interviewed Litvinenko in hospital initially did not know what had caused his illness and had little to go on. There was no trail to follow.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA), a body that merged with the National Radiological Protection Board in 2005, was out of its depth. Polonium is so rare that nobody thought to look for it.
Eventually a sample of Litvinenko’s urine was sent for testing at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Aldermaston. Again geiger counters showed only a tiny amount more gamma radiation than the normal background level. In the end scientists decided to use an alpha detector and were shocked to find a stream of helium nuclei being emitted from the sample.
This, though, was only part of the answer, since various substances emit alpha particles, and they wanted to identify the precise emitter. Once again there was a risk of polonium remaining undetected since it is notoriously difficult to isolate.
“It’s not easy because the standard methods you use do not work for polonium,†said Priest. “The methods were worked out at Aldermaston.â€
Really amazing that it was discovered at all.
Scaramella?
Wouldn’t it be funny if the particles were sprayed on the money?
Guaranteed the money would be handled. And, then? The fingers “licked.” Especially if your counting large sums.
And, the money could have looked new. Been American. And, been wrapped just like you get them from the bank.
“Really amazing that it was discovered at all.”
As early as it was. They could have simply watched the radiation decay and discover the isotope without having to chemically isolate it but that would have taken a couple of weeks or more.
Carol, someone here — was it Lizarde, CP or Enlightened? — hit on that idea last week. It’s pretty good.
In a separate development Monday, a French police report obtained by The Associated Press said Yevgeny Limarev, who reportedly had blown the whistle on Russian agents’ plans to target Litvinenko shortly before he was poisoned, has gone missing from his home in the French Alps with his wife and teenage daughter.
Mario Scaramella, an Italian security expert, who met with Litvinenko at a Piccadilly sushi bar on Nov. 1, reportedly said he had shown him materials that came from Limarev suggesting Russian agents’ involvement in the October killing of Russian investigative journalist and Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya. The materials also reportedly indicated that the Honor and Dignity group of Russian security veterans were plotting to kill Litvinenko and other Kremlin critics.
The group’s head, Valentin Velichko, has rejected the allegations as nonsense.
Limarev, whom Russian newspaper Izvestia reported is close to self-exiled tycoon and Kremlin foe Boris Berezovsky who lives in Britain, has not been seen in his home in the town of Cluses in the eastern Haute-Savoie region since Friday.
I thought of the money thing in conection with Litvinenko paying at the sushi bar – that the money in his pocket came into contact with PO because that’s where the container leaked and he licked his fingers while counting but others developed the idea that money itself was marked with PO. These are still possibilities – a lot of PO could have stuck to money in his pocket if the container was also in his pocket or the money as others suggested was deliberately contaminated.
That’s my point about PO, Mariposa. Everyone says it this were a hit they wouldn’t be so stupid as to use something that left a traoil. But the point is, this was a difficult substance to detect.
Thallium has been used as a poison by the Russians before, and undoubtedly, it was the Brits’ first thought. When that didn;t fit, they had to resort to radiation experts. And then, they found out only just before Litvinenko died.
“Yevgeny Limarev, who reportedly had blown the whistle on Russian
agents’ plans to target Litvinenko shortly before he was poisoned, has
gone missing from his home in the French Alps with his wife and teenage
daughter.”
If I were involved in a polonium smuggling ring, I might “disappear” too.
Yevgeny Limarev along with his wife and daughter have supposedly “gone missing”. He is a close ally of Boris’ and if he knew anything about any smuggling of polonium or mob hit on Litvinenko, he might have reason to make himself scarce.
Limiarev is the guy who sent the “hit list” to Scaramella.
Hmm, interesting. It is interesting that the “hit list” shows up on the day that Litvinenko is poisoned but now the person who provided it to Scaramella has “gone missing” so he can not be asked any questions about it. He has “gone missing” with his entire family, apparently.
I can’t figure out who Drudge is referring to..
Scaramella? He’s reportedly still in the UK with the investigators.
Lugovoy? Is he a whistleblower? He was supposed to be interviewed by the Brits today after the Russians postponed the interview 3 times.
Goldfarb?
WAIT- nobody is commenting on what I think is the most interesting tidbit?–Litvenenko told those guys that he was sick because he’d “poisoned himself” a few days earlier!! What the crap!?!?!?! So isnt’ this FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH saying he poisoned himself with the stuff!! Meaning no assassination.
The Russians would have no reason to eliminate this guy or prevent him from talking to investigators or the press. But Boris might if somehow this is a hit on Litvinenko to cover polonium smuggling.
Clarice …
Yevgeny Limarev
Oh, and I found out why cut/paste sometimes causes posts to be thrown out. Put hard carriage returns at the ends of the lines. That fixes it.
“Limarev, whom Russian newspaper Izvestia reported is close to
self-exiled tycoon and Kremlin foe Boris Berezovsky who lives in
Britain, has not been seen in his home in the town of Cluses in the
eastern Haute-Savoie region since Friday.”
yep I read yesterday or the day before Limarev saying he was fearful for his life so he’s probably gone into some kind of hiding
anybody who read the der spiegel article in English – wasn’t it creepy reading about how they were out in the sauna house, said the regular house was too “dirty” and had some kind of tape all over the door knobs? And this was 5 days before Kovton was in the hospital
That is one piece of the puzzle I was looking for. The person that got the list to Scaramella. I believe that list and Scaramella’s visit were key in getting the finger pointed at Russia. They couldn’t poison him until they knew Scaramella had given or was about to give him that list.
I don’t believe he fears for his life so much as he fears Scotland Yard.
here’s Luguvoi’s explanation in der spiegel interview:
Lugovoi sees himself as a victim and said someone was trying to frame him: “I don’t rule out that I’ve been deliberately marked with polonium.” And then, at the end of the sauna meeting, the suspect himself laid two trails. One leads to Moscow, where the personal protection specialist says suspects are frequently marked, for example when corruption cases are being investigated.
Lugovoi’s second trail leads to London. He points out that he too received documents from Litvinenko, who had often given him “small gifts.”
“One could imagine that if something like that was planned a lot of thought was put into it in advance.”