Dec 01 2006
Now If it Was An Assassination Attempt On Litvinenko…
I have been exchanging emails with a very interesting person who agrees with Clarice Feldman and disagrees with me on whether this entire event was an assassination attempt or not. The reason this person is interesting is she is a well known liberal writer and, while disagree on the motivations, she and I agree on all the questionable reporting. Well this person just emailed me one of the best theories I have ever seen that explains HOW the Polonium-210 might have been delivered so as to kill and leave little trace, and to get Scaramella and Litvinenko and Berezovsky all at once.
The creator of this excellent theory is none other than Raw Story’s Larisa Alexandrovna, and she presents her theory here at her blog:
Now many people have argued that because this is so obvious, it could not have been Putin or FSB without Putin. But people fail over and over to grasp what I have already reported and believe given the people with whom I had talked: this was not meant to be traced, they thought they could get away with it. So, if you had something that you thought no one would be able to trace and you wanted to take out three very visible targets, would you not do it? Ah, exactly, FSB would do it, but they must have miscalculated on the dosages.
…
If Mario is not involved, but contaminated, what did he share with Alex and when? The same question applies to Alex’s wife. What was it, a cup? No, because Mario did not go home to visit Alex’s family.
How about this:
A cigarette. In fact, a cigarette would be an extremely powerful way to distribute the polonium via air, causing another to inhale it. But since the only people that would inhale for any real duration would be people in close proximity to the victim, it is certain to do the trick as smoking at most places is not allowed and also because in small vapor qualities it would not be necessarily lethal, so not too much of a danger to the British public, although somewhat of a danger if things went badly.
This a bit of brilliant thinking. I mentioned myself that if Litvinenko and Scaramella were exposed at the same time, an airborne agent would make sense with the lesser (more dispersed) dose for Scaramella. In the true sense of serendipity, I was sent an email a few days ago by blogger AJacksonian regarding an 1987 study regarding Polonium-210 found in Syrian cigarettes. At the time I dismissed this since Polonium-210 is a natural element and it can be found in lots of places – but the point is it can be hidden in cigarettes (I of course emailed this to Larrisa).
Now if we combine Larrisa’s theory on the delivery mechanism with reader Crosspatch’s notes that Polonium-210 would best be brought in disoved in an acid-salt (probably in crystal form since liquids can be dodgy these days on plays) we have enough pieces to put together a good scenario. The Polonium suspension is possible what spilled in the Millenium hotel. Once in a liquid form of sufficient density of Polonium it one would simply need a syringe to deposit some of the suspension down the center of a cigarette and there you go.
Now do I believe this is what happened? Nope. But it is the first good theory that shows a sophisticated assassination plan, not some half baked one. I do not think the air plane contamination can be explained this way. And cigarettes would not explain the contamination in the planes or the Hotel where the Russians where staying. But you have to admire the beauty of the concept!
Clarice…was trying to catch you over at TM’s, but
Happy Birthday Lady!
Who is Sasha? Is it LitVinenko? If so, then the following story from Italy last year would indicate that Sasha was peddling Uranium and Mario exposed the plot.
FOUR ITALIANS PROBED ON SUSPECTED URANIUM TRAFFIC
Source: Corriere della Sera website, Milan, in Italian 11 Jun 05
ACC-NO: A20050612118-BB2A-GNW
LENGTH: 647 words
HEADLINE: FOUR ITALIANS PROBED ON SUSPECTED URANIUM TRAFFIC
Text of report by Virginia Piccolillo, “Uranium to make atom bomb sold to four Italians”, published by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera website on 11 June
Rome: “During the month of September 2004 I was approached by an Ukrainian national, whom I know by the name of Sasha, who wanted to sell me a briefcase containing radioactive material, and, more precisely, uranium for military use.” There is enough testimony by Giovanni Guidi, a Rimini businessman, and by other defendants – Giorgio Gregoretti, Elmo Olivieri and Giuseppe Genghini – to fuel a spy story [preceding two words published in English] worthy of a novel by Le Carre. Involved is a briefcase containing five kilos of highly enriched uranium, half of which would be enough to build an atomic device, which remained for months in a Rimini garage. A briefcase, however, which eluded investigators, and which managed to get back into the hands of the Ukrainian national, who perhaps is still in Italy. Together with another briefcase having a similar content, and a third believed to conceal a tracking system. The entire kit geared to the assembly of a small tactical atomic bomb.
A mystery story fuelled by information supplied the Rimini police department by a consultant of the Mitrokhin committee, Mario Scaramella, who, acting on behalf of the agency presided over by Paolo Guzzanti, was trying to track illegal funds from the former USSR that had transited through [the Republic of ] San Marino. The two defendants’ defence attorney warns that this “could be the trial of the century, but also the century’s biggest hoax”. The mystery, however, continues, and emerges from the testimony of the defendants, who were questioned Wednesday [8 June] night and all day Thursday, and subsequently released with the charge of possession of war weapons.
The uranium was allegedly contained in a hermetically sealed, black, leather briefcase, along with a photo illustrating its content. Five uranium bars weighing one kilo each. Sasha delivered the briefcase to Guidi. “My precarious economic situation induced me to accept,” explains the 46-year-old Rimini businessman, who is married to a Russian woman, and runs an import-export firm that has dealings with Russia and Ukraine. Guidi in turn informed Giorgio Gregoretti, who “placed it [the briefcase] in a cardboard box, which he subsequently stored in his garage.” There it remained until it was placed in the trunk of Gregoretti’s car, where it was seen by Elmo Olivieri, a financial consultant. Time passes “without their finding anyone interested in the material”, says Guidi, and the Ukrainian “asks for the briefcase back”.
Guidi also testified that “even another briefcase was to arrive” from the warehouse of a multinational firm in Basel. At which time he makes another bid, this time asking for 60/70,000 euros, in addition to bank guarantees sealed by a three-million-euro credit letter. “We often went to San Marino,” but nothing came of it, says Guidi. At this point, the three decide to ask for Genghini’s help, “who in the past had proven to be a war-material expert”, says Guidi, who reports having learned from Genghini himself that the uranium was worth 30m euro per kg. Genghini admits having spoken of radioactive material, but “geared to hospital use”. Later, according to Guidi, Olivieri mentions a prospective purchaser: a Swiss multinational. Then, the affair gets muddled. Guidi boasts of being protected by the intelligence services, and claims he was threatened on 2 June. The only sure thing is that the Rimini police, headed by Sebastiano Riccio, start looking for the “atomic” briefcases on 9 June, as soon as they learn that the defendants are planning to transfer to Lugano. The case is by no means closed, with search operations still under way.
Source: Corriere della Sera website, Milan, in Italian 11 Jun 05
LOAD-DATE: June 12, 2005
SBD
Sorry if this is a re-post, but sounding more and more like a Russian version of VIPs, to me…. Polonium-210 is a form of Niger docs…makes you wonder more, what VIPs and ‘Dignity and Honor’ really have to protect…seems like their Nuclear trade.
I don’t believe Litvinenko is Ukrainian and “Sasha” is about as common a name in those parts as Joe is here.
*********
TS, thanks! I was trying to remember how you knew, but then it occurred to me–It’s your borthday, too, isn’t it? Happy Birthday to you if my memory hasn’t failed me!!!!
Very interesting SBD…thanks for posting.
Clarice, happy birthday!
Such a wealth of coverage is out today on this case, I can barely believe it. Thanks everybody for bringing all the good stories back here. This place is Litvinenko Central.
Isn’t it, though?
Clarice…your are just so top drawer and I am honored and feel sort of a cyber connection, that 2 GREAT people bear December TWO!
Contrary to what you believe Clarice, it would appear that someone by the name of Olexandr LYTVYNENKO is listed as Ukrainian. He just so happens to be the right age to be the son of Alexander LITVINENKO and just so happens to be listed as a Director of a company with Alexander LITVINENKO. The company is a communications company specializing in VOIP.
NAT CG LIMITED
Registration No.: 05322747
OPERATING-STATUS: Live
EXECUTIVE LIST:
Olexandr LYTVYNENKO
Nataly DINKEVYCH
Alexander LITVINENKO (Resigned Secretary)
Doctor Roman DINKEVYCH
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * EXECUTIVE * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Olexandr LYTVYNENKO
ADDRESS: Kharkovskaya St. 15b, Dnepropetrovsk, 49015. Ukraine
NATIONALITY: Ukrainian
OCCUPATION: Economics
FUNCTION CODE: Joint Director
POSITION:
Appointment Appointment Appointment Companies House Current
Type Date Document Update Date Position
Appointed as Director 1/1/2006 – 2/21/2006 Yes
BIRTH-DATE: January 1, 1977
Nataly DINKEVYCH
ADDRESS: Eiffestr. 610, Hamburg, Hh 20537. Germany
NATIONALITY: Israeli
OCCUPATION: Secretary
FUNCTION CODE: Company Secretary
POSITION:
Appointment Appointment Appointment Companies House Current
Type Date Document Update Date Position
Appointed as Secretary 5/7/2005 – 6/13/2005 Yes
BIRTH-DATE: April 6, 1976
Alexander LITVINENKO
ADDRESS: Kharkovskaya St. 15b, Dnepropetrovsk. Ukraine4901 5
NATIONALITY: British
POSITION:
Appointment Appointment Appointment Companies House Current
Type Date Document Update Date Position
Resigned as Secretary 5/7/2005 G288 5/31/2005 No
Appointed as Secretary 1/4/2005 – 1/4/2005 No
Doctor Roman DINKEVYCH
ADDRESS: Vogelweide 29, Hamburg, 22081. Germany
NATIONALITY: Israeli
OCCUPATION: Director And Shareholder
FUNCTION CODE: Joint Director
POSITION:
Appointment Appointment Appointment Companies House Current
Type Date Document Update Date Position
Appointed as Director 1/4/2005 – 2/21/2006 Yes
BIRTH-DATE: July 31, 1975
PUB-TYPE: Directors Biography
LANGUAGE: English
LOAD-DATE: March 06, 2006
SBD
Happy Birthday Clarice, today is also my god father’s Birthday and he is a great guy that is so trustworthy, I picked him to be my god father. I would bet you have the same characteristics.
SBD
BTW…Clarice…I was sooooooo glad you posted the story speculating the left’s reaction if this drama icluded Bush ( and I still hold out hope the commies in the media will find some tenuous way to blame him, regardless — it’s commie au natural)
But the column really did illustrate that both Tim Robbns (chill wind) and lying Joe Wilson are two of the he biggest wussies ever to be put on this green earth” didn’t it?
And,SBD–that makes him the Sasha who Scaramella provided evidence against? The same Scaramella who flew to London to warn Litvinenko of a plot against his life?
Don’t think so.
__PSHAW TS–But thanks.
Now how would it be possible to poison sushi is a buffet?
We know Lugovoi ate there with him. We know he was under constant scrutiny and observation.
We have seen reports that his mobile phone was tapped so his tails knew when he was going where.
If he regularly ate the same stuff..wouldn’t it be easy to make sure there was only one of that kind available when he arrived–a package that had been enhanced?
SBD–I don’t know how trustworthy I am, but I try to be. Thanks for the compliment though.
Apparently it wasn’t a buffet. The customer places an order which was relayed to someone behind the counter who places the order into a clear plastic container that was then sealed with some sort of a label. The order when then brought to the customer who then broke the seal and opened it to eat. This according to an interview in a British tabloid with the waitress who served him that day.
She said he did get up to use the restroom leaving his food on the table.
I have to say, I think the pre-pakage poisoned sushi to to be incredible…did he go to the bathroom? Did he wipe his hands on a napkin provided by a waiter? Did he ask for water? Did he ask for pepper? Did a waiter place his napkin or fold it when he went to the bathroom? Did he ask a waiter for a fork? Or chopsticks? Did he look at a menu? ALSO…did he buy his paper at the same place? Could the paper been wrapped in plastic and then handed off to him? Did he make a trip to the bank that day? Or retreive mail for the mai box???? Could have been like the Antrax mailings.
There seem to me a lot of ways – and since he was easting he was theoretically putting contaminated hands to his mouth.
And I am not sold on the cigi method.
Hmm–If that report is true..that would leave the likeliest method, a passerby or a confederate in the kitchen..
http://express.lineone.net/news_detail.html?sku=814
“And I am not sold on the cigi method.”
Neither am I now that I have learned how much of the stuff he ingested. He got way to much to have inhaled or gotten from a cigarette. It had to have been placed in food or drink.
The express article conflcits with the Times, piece which indicates a Russian Orthodox funeral is being arranged. My vote is with the Times over the Express.
The Times reports:
“The funeral arrangements are yet to be decided, but the traditional elements of Russian Orthodox ceremony have been ruled out. The Health Protection Agency will not allow mourners to pass the body of the former spy in an open casketâ€
Here is what I think happened to Litvinenko…
he was a “member” of the rouge KGB version of VIPs Russia…they were moving nuc to fund their cause and in some sanfu a few became contaminated (could be a sub-plot they were intending on poisoning someone and pin it on Putin – dunno still seems flimsy) — knowing his fate— Litvinenko , blamed it on Putin in a dramatic but almost contrived way.