Jan 16 2007
Russia Under Terror Threat – Is This The Reason For Po-210?
When the Litvinenko death first made headlines and I suspected the PR effort was too smooth and well rehearsed for a surprise death, I suspected the supposed assassination was actually the inadvertent exposure of a terroris smuggling effort. I noted that Litvinenko was hailed as a martyr by Chechen Muslims, not something easily bestowed on a Muslim, let alone a supposed Christian Russian. And we later learned Litvinenko was to be buried in Chechnya – to basically die a Chechen. I and other skeptics of the media noted that Po-210 would make a very deadly and tragic terrorist weapon since small dust-sized particles is all that is required to die the same death Litvinenko experienced. And I have noted over and over again that a nuclear attack in Russia with material that could be traced to Russia (though it could have been acquired outside of Russia) would make an incredible conspiracists bonanza that Putin had attempted to stage attacks on Russian citizens in order to retain power. All very interesting theories and speculation – until you read that Russia has been notified by outside governments it is the target of a possibly pending terrorist attack:
ussia on Tuesday said it had received information from foreign sources which suggested terrorists were planning to strike a Russian public transport system.
News agencies quoted the boss of Russia’s FSB spy service and head of the government’s anti-terror committee, Nikolai Patrushev, telling all citizens and officials to be on high alert.
“The Federal Anti-Terrorist Committee has received information from foreign partners, which is now being checked, on a possible terrorist attack on transport systems and the metro,” Patrushev said through Russian news agencies.
He said he had ordered search operations and preventative action.
Chechen separatists have fought two wars against Russia since 1994. In the past few years, they have attacked Moscow’s metro and concert venues and taken hundreds of prisoners in a theatre siege in the centre of Russia’s capital and at a school in Beslan, in the southern Russian republic of North Ossetia.
Over 300 people, mainly children, died in the 2004 Beslan siege after Russian forces stormed the school.
Chechens are the only terrorists to use a nuclear dirty bomb in a modern city. They placed one in Moscow in 1995, but decided to not detinate it. Is it possible this threat against Russia is tied to the Po-210, which has a time limit on its viability for a weapon of any kind. The smuggling of the Po-210 took place in October – now three months past. If the initial acquisition of the material was 2-4 weeks prior to that time, then the time left for the material to be of much use is rapidly disappearing. Half the material is probably dissipated into lead if it is 4 months from production. So the time to use it is running out.
Much more here at CBS News. Oh, and another reminder that Andrei Lugovoi indicated this case would be making some news after January 15th, 2007. That would was of course yesterday. Lugovoi, for those not following this story closely, is one of the two Russians who met with Litvinenko on November 1st, and is the one Russian who is tied to all three periods of Po-210 smuggling and concurrent meetings, at each point, with Litvinenko. It is my contention he entered a plea agreement to turn in his former friends Litvinenko and Berezovsy.
AJ–You keep identifying the Chechen opposition with Al Qaeda.
That is Russian/KGB propaganda. That is not the position of the American government.
Do these people sound like Al Qaeda, or just Chechens tired of being opressed:
“PRO-MOSCOW CHECHENS SAID TO DEFECT TO RESISTANCE
Three members of the so-called Kadyrovtsy — the armed men loyal to pro-Moscow Chechen Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov — quit their base in Gudermes in November and have gone over to the resistance, the website kavkazcenter.com reported on January 8, citing a source in the Eastern Front headquarters. The defectors reportedly said Kadyrov and his entourage are wholly controlled by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), and that they could no longer tolerate the “humiliation” and forced Russification to which they claimed they were constantly subjected. The pro-Moscow Chechen authorities have announced that the three men are missing. ” http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/01/1-rus/rus-090107.asp
The Chechen opposition has supported the US war on terror and even the war in Iraq. I am pretty sure about that. I posted it a while ago already but would have to find the quote.
Some Chechens are Al Qaeda, but why don’t you read http://www.rferl.org about the Chechen opposition.
There are two “Chechen oppositions” Snapple. The Nationalists and the Islamists. The Islamists ARE backed by Al Qaida.
Hold it. I tripped over the sentence “and they decided not to detonate it,” and fell down, laughing.
Sentence would have worked better IF the detonated it “and nothing happened.”
In other words, we don’t have scientists building bombs! That would be much too complicated an endeavor to terrorists. Who have to buy their shit from magazine ads.
On the other hand? Where is Litvinenko buried? Did his box make it to Chechnya? That would have been an ideal smuggling ploy. And, it would also stop anyone, who looked in, from gaining “more” information about the “poisoning.” Since you could never tell just where the information fell.
A lot of stuff got done “after the fact.”
Before the fact?
Hey, Occam’s still out there with his razor. And, you can’t beat greed and stupidity for the mistakes that could have happened.
On the other hand, if you throw in the Mossad, you can’t make me angry, either. Since there’s so much underhanded spook stuff going on. And, the smuggling operations for russia are a mainstay of their “very big business.”
What is apparent is that SOMETHING WENT WRONG.
After that? Everybody’s guessing.
And, I wouldn’t be surprised if some Israelis showed up in white coats, and perused Litvinenko’s hospital records. If not actually calling in, with promises of “cures.” So that the “family” allowed specialists to come and “have a look.”
You bet. There are curiosity seekers out there, now, galore.
As to Goldarb, and his PR machinery; where are the surprises? Today the media is lock-stock-and-barrel run by BAD GUYS. With agendas.
But right now I am NOT buying that the Chechnyans “built a dirty bomb” and planted it. Only to change their minds.
Is this story gonna pass the smell test?
Can PR be so desperate that whatever gets cooked up, now, falls out as “clues?”
What was up?
We will hardly ever know.
In the “old days” when the CIA ran the media events they wanted OUT, they were able to plant them “successfully.” At least way more so than the Chechnyans and their dirty bomb, never ignited in Moscow, ever got!
Do you know why?
Chechnyans, like other assorted types, wouldn’t be against using blackmail. (It’s in the kit. You know the one. How to operate as a bad guy? Blackmail’s right there, too!)
And, anyone with “plans” that could guarantee a suitcase that would work, say, the way the Ricin delivery on the subway worked in Japan, they’d have something to sell! And, so far, that’s not part of this story.
Seems though, when I look at Dubia, I notice you can sell the HOUSE OF SAUD almost anything.
But they don’t buy from schlemiels. They seem to go for the architects that have the best addresses in town.
And, ya know what? I didn’t think Litvinenko’s body got airlifted anywhere out of Londonstan, either.
And, I’d sure like to know the rumors that got to the imam; who with all the holla-palooza about Litvinenko wanting to be buried “like a Chechnyan” didn’t play in the Londstan mosque.
While the more rumors we get the more likely there are more hands, now, in this brew, for it ever to become clear soup.
CH,
Actually, the Chechens called in the location and type of bomb and let authorities pick it up and never tried to explode it. It was meant to be a warning signal.
They let a lot of nuclear material (Cesium I believe) go unused and fall into the hands of authorities for that message.
Tips…
AJ Strata in the Strata-Sphere wrote “Russia Under Terror Threat – Is This The Reason For Po-210?”
And here I thought Russia just did totalitarian stuff just to keep in practice….
Anything “planted” in russia, that gets picked up, can be planted by the KGB, as easily as by other factions.
However, I did read just now that putin is calling a major alert out. Claiming the threat is to Moscow’s subways.
Again, when you try to “unravel the enigma that makes up the russian apparatus, any particular fact can be true. Or not.
I’m still impressed with how Daniel Pipe’s father (who had been a Russian specialist AND a professor at Harvard; worked in Reagan’s White House in the “early years.”) And, then he wrote a wonderful book! Long before I heard of Daniel, I was mesmerized by the dad’s book.
He specifically mentioned how russia played the Rodney King riots on russian TV. The “higher ups” thought it made America look bad. Meanwhile, the russians had no idea of America. And, had been led to believe we had worse shortages than they did.
Then those images of LA turned up on the russians screens. Pipes’ dad said people lowered the volume. IGNORED the intoned words. And, their eyes popped out of their heads! TV sets! There were enough TV sets in stores that people could steal them! And, then they noticed the clothes! And, how many “poor people” had cars. (Because they were driving in and out to truck the stolen merchandise home.)
This was the eye-opener. That was the first time the russians even knew we didn’t have shortages. BUT ABUNDANCE. And, the poor people? ALL wearing jeans! And, Nike’s. (From that point on, the propaganda in russia fell away. And, the russians began to understand the deceptions.)
Anyway, Daniel Pipes’ dad was on the subway, in Moscow. At that time. And, the train pulls into a station. And, the doors didn’t open. What struck him was that NO ONE CAME TO HELP.
So, here’s the conclusion.
If that train had been in New York City, strangers would have been prying the doors open. Ah. And, if that train had been in Tel Aviv, strangers would have taken the door off its hinges.
It’s important to know that there are big differences in cities. Where strangers come to help. As 9/11 shows ya really happened!
And, in russia, where everyone just sat! Nobody reacts to anyone else’s pain. Or dispair. THEY ARE NO LONGER ATTRIBUTES YOU WILL FIND IN RUSSIA. Because, in russia, half the population works for the KGB. Nobody trusts anyone.
And, sometimes, it’s hard to tell what’s going on.
Putin certainly didn’t like the publicity he got from the missiles russia just delivered to iran.
Lots of things could be motivating putin, now. But pro-active measures against thugs?
It wouldn’t be high up my list of things.
And, IF the chechnyans were “so smart” … and had such a good arrangement all cooked up and ready to go; why was there this terrible “work accident” that’s exposed most of the smugglers to radiation?
And, why were all these sites visited? Just dropping into a country to use a storage container seems very, very dumb.
And, once in London, the bomb making then moves where? Why?
Besides, in russia you don’t have to go to a judge to get a subpeona. You don’t have to sign official papers to eavesdrop. In russia everything is built so information practically flows through the walls.
I sure think putin is playing this for the publicity. It’s not a bad scheme. He just tossed out Western companies who had invested in the gas industry.
Besides, how does damaging Moscow’s subways do a thing to putin? He’s evil. And, he’s still there. It’s not as if someone were aiming to do him harm.
At least in my own theory, “going after something so big it could destroy the top people in our government, could be a motivator that would move lots of money, in europe, around. It’s the GOAL that’s gotta be worth it. Dead passengers on a subway in Moscow doesn’t cut it in the terror department these days. Not after 9/11.
Note the Chechens in the Al Qaida winter digs. That is from ABC blog “The Blotter”.
Crosspatch-WI agree that some Chechens are Al Qaeda, but not the whole opposition.
My impression is that the Russians undermined the nationalists, who were more moderate (ie Maskhadov) and encouraged the radicals (Dudaev) to a point so they would have an excuse to really crack down hard.
A real disaster for everyone.
Last I heard, Al Qaida was pretty much evacuating Chechnya writing it off as a lost cause.
Overall Al Qaida is only making inroads in places where we aren’t, such as Thailand and Indonesia.
Hezbollah is the next big threat, particularly now since they are expanding shop in Venezuela.