Jan 05 2007
Another Polonium-210 Site Found In London
This has been a bad week for Londoners and those who visited the city last October. After a 4th hotel was implicated in the Po-210 trail and smuggling recently we find today another restaurant is added to the sites where Po-210 was tracked.
An Italian restaurant in Mayfair is the latest location to be contaminated with the radioactive element that killed the Russian former spy Alexander Litvinenko, it was disclosed today.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said polonium-210 had been discovered at the Pescatori Restaurant in Dover Street.
Staff there are being offered urine tests to see if they have been contaminated.
The restaurant is believed to be among the locations visited by three Russian men who met Mr Litvinenko at the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair on the day he fell ill.
The fact that urine tests are being proposed indicates the contamination may not have been a minor ‘spot’ as authorities have described much of the trail. Of note is the comment about three Russian men who met Litvinenko at the Millenium Hotel. Two of these men are Andre Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun. The third person may be Sokolenko and it may be a yet identified 4th Russian.
But what is really key here is the timeline again. Recall that the meeting at the Millenium Hotel’s Pine Bar between Lugovoi, Litvinenko and Kovtun was late in the afternoon just before Lugovoi, his family and Kovtun left to watch the CSKA-Arsenal soccer game. There was no time for a trip after the Pine Bar to go to an Italian Restaurant. The last line reads “The restaurant is believed to be among the locations visited by three Russian men who met Mr Litvinenko at the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair on the day he fell ill.”. This visit was on November 1st. It was not before the game and I doubt it was after the game (but it could have been). The interesting thing here is if it was where these three had lunch. Recall the Litvinenko had a meeting sometime before he met Scaramella at the Itsu sushi restaurant at 3:00 PM. Litvinenko then supposedly left Scaramella a little before 4:00 PM and dropped by Berezovsky’s office (though this is in dispute and tought to see time-wise) before going to the Pine Bar.
My theory has been Litvinenko met Lugovoi before lunch, picking him up at his room (since Lugovoi’s family was off sight seeing). Sokolenko was off sight seeing with his family. Lugovoi was to go on business meetings with Kovtun. Lugovoi and Litvinenko and, at times, Kovtun visited UK security firms when Lugovoi was in town. Three of these firms have shown signs of the Polonium-210 trail. I suspect the morning meetings for Lugovoi and Kovtun did include Litvinenko. And it was before or after these meetings Litvinenko was in Lugovoi’s room where the massive ‘spill’ of Po-210 occurred. Litvinenko went on to have lunch with Scaramella. And it would make sense Lugovoi and Kovtun decided to get something to eat as well – and they went to this restaurant. The timing here is very important because if Litvinenko was not honest with police about his whereabouts then it would indicate he knew (or suspected) what was the root cause of his illness. And if he knew and was trying to cover his tracks and protect the others then we have a clear indication something other than assassination was going on.
Just a side note. I have heard that Litvinenko may have been the one who sugested the Hospital check for Thallium poisoning. If that is true then it is possible the Thallium was a deliberate ruse to throw everyone off the Po-210 trail. Is it possible Litvinenko ingested a non-lethal dose of Thallium to provide a cover story for his medical treatment? There are strong indications that Litvinenko and others went out of their way to hide some of the key events in this drama. If it is determined Litvinenko tried to cover his tracks, then we should assume he tried as hard, and in as many ways as he could think of, hiding his tracks.
Also, another thing to note is the fact that the Scaramella investigation is exposing a side of Litvinenko which calls into question his credibility. Apparently it is coming to light that Litvinenko lied for Scaramella for money.
According to Maxim’s testimony, one of the last things he did for Scaramella was sit down in front of a video camera last spring in Rome and repeat an accusation that Prodi may have had ties to Russian intelligence.
Litvinenko sought assurances that the video would not be leaked to the press, and warned that he personally knew nothing about Prodi, Maxim told investigators.
But then, cameras rolling, Litvinenko said former FSB deputy chief Anatoly Trofimov warned him in 2000 that he should not move to Italy because Prodi was “one of their men”.
“My brother said he didn’t have any documents against Prodi or other Italian authorities,” Maxim told investigators.
“He said only that he had spoken with a general from the Russian secret services … (who) responded that in Italy there was Prodi, then-president of the European Commission, who was one of their men.”
Maxim said he was paid 200 euros (135 pounds) cash to translate on the day Scaramella recorded the video. Scaramella paid Litvinenko 500-600 euros to cover travel expenses.
If this is also proven to be accurate (and much of this is coming from Litvinenko’s own brother) I think it would be dangerous to take Litvinenko at his word. And the idea he was naive enough to think his false claims could be kept out of the media demonstrates Litvinenko was not the sharpest of dissidents. If he was working for Berezovsky and knew he probably faced death, what deals would he make to ensure his family was taken care of? If he would lie for a small sum of money, what would he die for?
Here is the announcement from HPA on the latest contamination site. Note ‘remediation’ was required. In other words they had to clean up the contamination, it was not safe.
Update:: It seems the restaurant is a popular location for Russian emigres and visitors:
The manager of Pescatori, Luigi Lavarini, told BBC television: “We have
no memory of Mr Litvinenko coming to the restaurant. We really don’t know who it could be.”Asked about Lugovoy and Kovtun he replied: “This name doesn’t mean anything to me. Nobody of this name appears on our reservation list.”
He said the restaurant had lots of Russian customers.
Wonder who else likes to dine there?
Major Update:: It seems the Pescatori restaurant is a haunt of Alex Goldfarb and Boris Berezovsky [translated by Yahoo]:
The close relations of Alexandre Litvinenko are persuaded that poisoning was orchestrated by the Kremlin.
IT IS ALMOST eleven hours of the evening, day before yesterday, when the portable of Alexandre Goldfarb, spokesman of Russian ex-spy Alexandre Litvinenko, sounds in the Pescatori restaurant, with two steps of the hospital University College, in London. Boris Berezovski, celebrates it deposed oligarch who contributed to the election of Vladimir Putin before being forced with the London exile in 2000, is at the end of the wire. Goldfarb listens, then turns to the scenario writer Andreï Nekrassov, another member of the circle brought closer to the ex-spy, who fades. ” Sacha died”, announces it calmly.
So Alex Goldfarb was with the media (nice PR move there) at this restaurant when he got the news about Litvinenko from Berezovsky. What a strange coincidence. Here is another translation from German.
This is easy to solve, now.
The al-kay-duh dudes were planning a “Guy Fawks” day. Could have been parliament, in Londonstan, again. But, I doubt it.
There’s a DC connection. And, lots of dots.
The al-kay-duh dudes had been practicing with plane hijackings for decades. Got away with them, too. As airlines relaxed the rules. And, let the hijackers on board live. That’s what changed on 9/11.
And, there was plenty of “chatter” going into this thing, too. We just ignored it. And, played by an out-dated rules book. Politically ambitious men, who change course based on their hairdressers’ advice. If you asked me.
But this was different. The arabs WANT nukes. But are pretty much brain dead when it comes to science. So what did they do here? Seems like Londonstan is the kind of town where spooks abound. And, are more out-of-control than they are, even in Instanbul. These idiots, with money to spare. Went to the ex-pat russians. The russians are not just a bad lot; they’re the worst. Their mafia uses bombs to blow up innocents; and anything they want to threaten. And, the one’s with money? Pulled strings. So they got out of russia with visas. And, they own billions. Plus, they want “more.” So I’ll bet ya, the saudis helped them out.
What’s the best clue, here? The imam. Who didn’t allow the coffin into his mosque. Shows ya, there was plenty of “chatter” about radiation. Tasteless. Odorless. Easy enough to release in a “spritz.”
Now, what were they up to? I’ll put my bet on Bush’s upcoming State of the Union Address. Where a few days later, ALL THE LEADERS who be hospitalized for severe radiation poisoning. Perhaps the “spritz” would be built in to the podium? You laugh. But the easiest access into congress is through the innept police. Who’d never question a janitor. Even if the janitor was asleep, verticle, using his broom for balance. That’s just the way DC is. Practically as easy to get into as getting on a commercial jet was on 9/11.
Homeland Security? A joke. But it’s not funny that now your luggage stands a good chance of being robbed away. While you get radiated with X-Rays. And, the dumb rules that just holds up traffic.
While nothing impeded the al-kay-duh ring from designing a plan (which they weren’t exactly technically able to carry out). So they involved the russian mafia. And, polonium. Which spilled all over Litvinenko.
Now you can pick. Were there ears listening into this stuff? Did someone come up with a way to “tamper” with the safety cap on whatever containers were holding the polonium? You know, I have no idea. Occam’s Razor is as satisfied with greed and stupidity as any other theory you throw at this INCOMPLETED “JOB.”
Incompleted, it is!
Now. Scaramella. I called him a “buyer” before. But I’ve changed my mind! He was SELLING. He was adding to the “stash.” And, within his travels he got to the “oligarth” office, for da’ payoff dough.
When Litvenenko got sick, he got sick after eating raw fish. And, he vomited. Major vomit. So he was sure he was poisoned. That’s what he told himself. And, when he didn’t feel better within 24 or 48 hours, he toodled to the hospital. Mad as hell as all get-out, at Scaramella.
So, that unwinds that thread.
Calling this a “dirty bomb” is a misnomer. This, instead, was a “release.” And, it was supposed to out-do 9/11.
Now? Not a chance.
But everyone’s free to play with the dots. Sherlock couldn’t do better than what I’ve just done, though. And, you bet. The HOUSE OF SAUD is still a threat!
Taking out the president, and the vice-president? They sure must be proud of themselves, paying obscene amounts of money to FOOLS.
Well, you didn’t think the arabs were building anything, were you?
Now, if we could only remove James Baker, and the HOUSE OF SAUD, from inside Bush’s pants pockets; we might get to see daylight, ahead.
Carol_H,
Interesting angle there. The Po-210 would play havoc if released on airplanes….
Yes, interesting train of thought.
I don’t see Berezovsky saddling up to AQ, not with his Israeli citizenship and comfortable station in the UK. I can’t see him agreeing with their ideology, and why do this for money if he already has $1 billion or more? There’s always the chance of getting caught.
I also don’t see him wanting to attack the US with a stealth weapon. It means thousands or tens of thousands dying, and for what? I have not seen him denouncing the US anywhere (although I plan to do some digging on him this afternoon.)
To me he was after the polonium to detonate a nuke, or nukes. That would get peoples’ attention in a big way, and if the world traced it back to Russia, might trigger an attack on Putin, or at least lead to his ouster.
I believe Berezovsky had something more sophisticated in mind. No clue what, but he doesn’t strike me in the least as a run of the mill, kill ’em if you got ’em terrorist.
In fact, think about it: The polonium was coming from Russians who lived in Russia. The operation has already been traced back. Yes, I agree with Carol, the cover has been blown and this operation, whatever it was, will probably not take place (thank god), but I think we can figure out what it was, thanks to the leaks.
Gotta love those leaks, who’d ‘a thought.
Crosspatch, how much polonium do you need to detonate a suitcase nuke? Is it a “the more the better” calculus?
AJ: Great post.
Here’s some news, 60 minutes has a story about Sasha blackmailing BorisB:
http://www.drudgereport.com/flash2.htm
On the blackmailing, what blackmailer would tell a journalist of his plans? No way.
“how much polonium do you need to detonate a suitcase nuke?”
No idea. It probably depends on the age of the nuke. I would guess that the engineering involved would require an amount packaged in some specific manner as to be properly inserted into the weapon. I wouldn’t expect it to be much. Maybe the size of a sugar packet. That much polonium at once would get pretty hot and it might best be broken up into several shipments in order to move it without melting the container it is in or requiring a container that is going to attract suspicion.
Also note that while it isn’t likely that Boris had a direct relationship with al-Qaida, he was a direct supporter of the Chechen islamists where were in turn directly supported by al-Qaida. So while Boris might have interests in supporting Chechen terrorists operating against Putin’s government, the Chechen rebels might have a broader interest in supporting islamist actions globally in return for the global support given them.
The angle I am on here is that once something is given to the Chechens, there would be no guarantee what is done with it. The Chechens could then use that resource on behalf of al-Qaida or simply give that resource to them outright.
So Boris could have been supporting al-Qaida indirectly through support of the Chechen rebels.
“Chechen islamists where were in turn directly”
meant to say:
“Chechen islamists who were in turn directly”
Thanks CP.
I have seen reports that Boris is Israeli, which I have a hard time squaring with his supposed support of the Chechnens.
This is going to make a hell of a movie someday.
Boris is playing “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” game. The Chechens are the enemy of Putin. Putin put the kabosh on Boris’ empire building in Russia and so by supporting Chechens, he gets even with Putin. Originally he supported the Chechen nationalists in order to get Putin into power, now he supports the islamists in an attempt to get Putin out of favor with the people.
It is pretty much moot at this point as the Russians have for the most part torn up the islamists and al-Qaida has been leaving. They might have been going for one last spectacular event, though. Or maybe less spectacular. It is quite possible that whatever they were going to do with the polonium has already been done and we simply haven’t seen the evidence of it yet. And if that is the case, when we do see what they did, it would be too late to do anything about it.
CP that’s why I think we’re dealing with a nuke, with polonium they may not even realize they’ve been attacked. With a nuke Boris gets a loud, clear statement. I may be naive but I don’t see Boris wiping out thousands of civilians, like the Islamists. He wants to be the mouse that roared. He wants his bomb.
Now, this is news, and good back tracking also AJ, about the Pescatori Restaurant. From those old reports and their translations, provided in AJStrata’s original post, I get the idea that the Pescatori is located near the University Hospital where Litvinenko died, but I haven’t checked a map on that yet.
The information about the “fourth hotel” posted here yesterday (or the day before?) is not current. According to old reports (7 December 2006) on a UK gov. web site, at least “26 venues” are involved, and of those FIVE are hotels:
1) The Millennium Mayfair – “in the key public areas there is no significant risk to public health”
2) Sheraton Park Lane – “in the key public areas there is no significant risk to public health”
3) Parkes Hotel, Beaufort Gardens – “monitoring has been completed and traces of localised contamination found. These were remediated and there is no public health concern”
4) Best Western, Shaftesbury Av. – “monitoring completed. No findings of concern for public health”
5) Ashdown Park – “has been checked and nothing of public health concern has been found”
Complete report here: http://www.londonprepared.gov.uk/statements/statement-20061207.jsp
Also, again AJ, I don’t know that Litvinenko necessarily lied in his taped testimony. He repeated information that he said was told to him by Trofimov about Prodi — thereby providing only a statement of hearsay to the Mitrokhin Commission. By saying he “knew nothing personally,” (also acknowledging the statement is hearsay) he protected himself from libel and slander suits. But sure, he could’ve been lying about Anatoly Trofimov tossing off a remark about Prodi.
Also, don’t forget this interesting bit in an old interview — one of the best I have found anywhere on Mario Scaramella — also speculating that Scaramella strong-armed Alexander Litvinenko’s testimony by threatening Maxim Litvinenko’s visa status in Italy http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1787322006:
Yet a bright light was shone on the relationship between Mr Scaramella and Mr Litvinenko, who was quoted in a previously unpublished interview [I would like to see more of this “previously unpublished interview” — Mariposa] as saying that he believed the professor threatened to have his brother evicted from Italy in order to secure his testimony before the commission.
He described how Mr Scaramella had paid for his flight and hotel expenses to give evidence.
Mr Litvinenko said: “We arranged that I would come to Italy in February 2004. Then around that time something unexplainable happened. I have a brother called Maxim who has lived in Italy for four years. A month before I was due to arrive Maxim called me in a desperate state.
“The police no longer recognised his education visa and were going to expel him and send him back to Russia, which meant certain death. I asked Mario for help. He said not to worry and that [prime minister Silvio] Berlusconi had taken a personal interest in my information and that it would be sorted out and Maxim had nothing to worry about.
“I gave the commission all the help they wanted and Maxim was given political asylum. Maxim told me Mario had gone to the police station in Rimini and spoken to the police. I’m certain the whole thing was done to convince me to co-operate.”
I still think the Chechens were somehow part of this… This story is really moving along and further and further away from the assasination theory. Wouldn’t it be interesting if Boris himself had the stuff in his possession at the Italian restaurant and left his own little trail. Hope they are on to his movements in the timeframe. Where is the rest of the stuff we all continue to want to know unless they just spilled it all over the place in every hotel, restaurant and office building in London as well as all over planes. I think by dumb luck/clumsiness some sort of an attack was thwarted. Wonder what made investigators check that restaurant – was it something Lugovoy and Kovtun said?
Checking that restaurant could have been connected with the Scotland yard detectives returning from London : All nine Scotland Yard detectives who went to Moscow to investigate the murder of Alexander Litvinenko have now returned to the UK.
http://www.stv.tv/content/news/main/more_news_display.html?id=feeddb:17514785
from the times online:
Luigi Lavarini, managing director of Pescatori restaurants, said he had only learned of the contamination on Wednesday.
He said that police had telephoned to say they wanted to come and see the restaurant and arrived a short time later with public health officials. After sweeping the restaurant with a “little detection machine” they were told there was some evidence of polonium contamination.
However, he said that analysis had shown the level of contamination was not large enough to pose any significant health risks.
“little detection machineâ€
Yeah, that would be something that causes the emission of a photon when an alpha particle strikes it and the device counts the photons it sees. You can buy a visual one from United Nuclear to use as a toy or teaching aid. In fact, you can probably make a very simple one yourself. Break a small fluorescent tube and get a piece of the phosphor coated glass (careful, sharp glass can cut you). Now, in complete darkness (allow your eyes at least 15 – 30 minutes to adjust to the dark) bring the phosphor side of the glass close to the alpha source. You should see flashes of light when an alpha particle strikes the phosphor. You will need to be very close to the source because only a few centimeters of air will shield the alpha particles and be sure you place the phosphor side toward the source because the glass side will also shield the phosphor from the alpha rays.
CP – hilarious – I will get right to work on this experiment at home – though what do I do when I find an alpha particle – call 911?
Some info on Berezovsky:
–Now 60 years old, born to a Jewish family in Moscow.
–Studied forestry and applied mathematics, doctorate in 1983, chair of laboratory in Institute of Control Sciences
–Seems to have gamed system by buying cars destined for export and selling them domestically, against the law or rules.
–Survived assassination attempt in Russia that decapitated the chauffer of the car he was riding in. Probably mafia-connected attempt.
–Very political personage, has run for office, very pro-liberalization, major supporter of Yeltsen and (initially) Putin, prior to well-publicized falling out.
–Has gone into business with Neil Bush, specifically education software.
–In 2000 founded the Int’l Foundation for Civil Liberties, based in NY and headed by Alexander Goldfarb. The IFCL gave $3mm to support the Andrei Sakharov Museum, whose namesake was a nuclear physicist.
–One year ago (1/06), stated in a Moscow radio interview that he was working on overthrowing the Putin administration by force.
(source: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Berezovsky )
–Became Israeli citizen in 1993, while living briefly in Tel Aviv. Also reportedly spent time in the US.
–From business dealings etc it could be that his ties to Chechnia were cultural , business-based, and political (anti-Putin) rather than ideological.
–Owned several media outlets; supposedly friend of Ted Turner.
–In 1996 became Joint Secretary of the Security Counsel (Russia); was required to give up Israeli citizenship to do so.
(source: voltairenet.org http://www.voltairenet.org/article30030.html )
–Could be worth $3 billion, according to Forbes.
–“While in exile, Berezovsky launched the Liberal Russia Party, with an anti-Putin platform. Recently he has taken out full-page advertisements in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, warning the United States not to trust Putin.†(PBS)
–“I’m sure that Putin doesn’t have the chance to survive, even to the next election in 2008. I am doing everything in my power to limit his timeframe, and I am really thinking of returning to Russia after Putin collapses, which he will. Today my number one priority in life is politics. I enjoy that. And I am sure that if I decide to continue to participate in Russian political life, I shall participate in power.â€
(from a BBC interview, 9/05: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4286284.stm )
I’ll keep digging. What can we say about him with certainty? He’s a corruptable businessman that wants to influence Russia politically, and is a sworn enemy of Putin.
He probably is not interested in supporting the Chechnens per se; as Crosspatch has put it, he’s more interested in the “enemy of my enemy” angle. He is comfortable in Britain, and has ties to the US, but I don’t think we could rule out an “attack” on either one if it would incite a massive military response against Putin’s Russia. He’s an opportunist, and probably a bit sociopathic to boot, given his long history of looting Russia for personal gain.