Litvinenko

Here’s my two cents on the very sad murder of Aleksandr Litvinenko:

My bet is on the Kremlin, but possibly an oligarch or mafia clan (Litvinenko had many enemies). It’s quite interesting that after promising ‘full cooperation” that Russian authorities have placed many restrictions on the British investigators ability to perform a full-out investigation within Russian borders. The British are not able to take the lead, but must have Russian officials conduct interviews of potential suspects and/or witnesses. What’s more, the Russian Prosecutor-General Yury Chaika announced that any Russian citizen implicated in the murder case will be tried in Russia, not in Britain. He went on to say that there will be no extraditions, and then added a few words about Britain’s failure to turn over the self-exiled Russian oligarch/businessman Boris Berezovsky and Chechen separatist envoy Akhmed Zakayev. The Russians want these men badly, but the Brits have refused. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Despite the bad press Russia is getting, perhaps this is exactly the type of bargaining chip for which it has been looking…. And, perhaps the Kremlin is so self-confident that they could care less if half the world thinks they are actively silencing and takin gout dissident voices, basically anyone perceived to be a threat or doesn’t tow the Kremlin’s line. Don’t forget about Viktor Yuschenko, the President of Ukraine who nearly died of dioxin poisoning and has a permanently disfigured face.

One more interesting note… from what I’ve heard translated from Russian news one of the theories being touted within Russia is that Litvinenko was a rogue, trying to prepare some sort of dirty bomb, which he planned to explode, but in the process it backfired and killed Litvinenko himself. I have to wonder what other messages are being carried along those airwaves and TV. But, I really don’t want to become yet another person with a last name ending in “KO” to reach a very unfortunate end so I’ll stop there.