Ex-KGB spy: UK tried to recruit me

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

MOSCOW, Russia (Reuters) -- The man charged by Britain with murdering former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko has denied involvement, saying British intelligence and a self-exiled Russian billionaire were far more likely suspects.

In the latest twist to a sensational murder case which has revived memories of the Cold War and seriously damaged British-Russian relations, Britain's main suspect Andrei Lugovoi sought to parry the accusations against him.

"Britain is making me a scapegoat," a confident and combative Lugovoi, himself a former KGB agent, told a packed news conference in Moscow Thursday, which was televised live on state-owned television.

Lugovoi said he did not know for sure who killed Litvinenko with radioactive polonium in London last November but said there were three possible suspects: British intelligence, the mafia and Boris Berezovsky, a billionaire tycoon who fled Russia for London after falling out with President Vladimir Putin.



Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/05/31/russia.britain.reut/index.html

[DFW]

1. Oh, Please

In that business, they all try to recruit each other (or anyone), all the time.
That is neither a defense nor an excuse.

During the Soviet era, the head KGB guy at their TACC ("Tass") bureau in the
National Press Building in Washington tried to recruit my dad, who despite his
government connections, was never anything more than a print journalist, and I
presume the KGB had done enough of a background check to know this.

The Litvinenko hit was a classic KGB job right from the book, and Putin was
not only KGB, but up there in the ranks. He might as well have left a signed
note of regret to the family. Polonium, for Pete's sake! Not exactly available
without a prescription from your corner drug store.

[TheLastMohican]

2. And you are saying this because....

the newspapers told you so? Right?

I know that US and British press has already tried and sentenced Putin for crucifying Jesus Christ, but isn't a presumption of innocent until proven guilty is the key in judiciary system?

[DFW]

3. I am saying this because

I had enough contact with Soviet officials and operatives when they
were still Soviets and KGB, and one of my best friends was stationed
in Russia for five years recently (not an American). Putin may have
traded in his uniform for a suit and tie, but that's about as far
as his transformation goes.

British intelligence does not go around murdering Russian dissidents
on its own soil using exotic elements more available in Russia than
anywhere else on earth. Lugovoi may or may not be the man they are
looking for, but it was a classic KGB-style hit. The Soviets and their
former colonies loved this kind of flair, just like the time the Bulgarians
murdered one of their dissidents in London using a poison-dispensing
metal ball delivered through the point of a specially prepared umbrella
during a rain shower (the assassin probably even apologized before disappearing).

[TheLastMohican]

4. I see

So you are basically saying this because it looks similar to something done very long time ago.

I guess whoever organised the Litvinenko's killing figured out how this should look for the general Joe and Shmoe.

And you don't know what deeds were done by British intelligence. It supported middle eastern soviet republics "basmachi" revolts back in 30's and 40's of the 20 century.

And there is a lot of evidence pointing that the Beslan school-hostage tradegy was also carefully engineered by british intelligence using Berezovsky and Ahmed Zakaev who are kept in Britain despite numerious claims by Russia to extradict them for trial.

So don't you have a feeling that Russia should treat with suspicion whatever comes out of UK? I smell hipocrisy.

[frankieT]

5. yeah you have a nice crystal ball

ex-KGB agents are everywhere, around Putin of course, but also around Berezovski who admitted financing various conspiracies against Russia, and of course in the Russian mafia.

The polonium method is a gross way to make people think it is Putin. It can ben anyone.
But my crystal ball tell me its BEREZOVSKI with some western support ;)

[DFW]

7. This is all true

But the method (the Polonium) is not only indicative of a
government's involvement, but also of a message to others:
we want you to know that there are limits beyond which we will
act.

If someone had just shot him on the street, no one would have
had the slightest idea where to point the finger. The flamboyant
method of execution was practically a signed warning. There were
plenty of other ways of killing off an uncomfortable dissident.
Using a substance that practically screamed "Russian origin" can
only have been one of two things: Putin, or someone wanting to
implicate Putin. As there were plenty of other options (and cheaper
ones) for a western service to implicate Putin, this still looks to
me like his work. With the assassination of Russian journalists
being almost commonplace (coincidentally--NOT) in Russia since he took
power--all opposition journaists, by the way--this is just one more
notch on the gun. Killing off uncomfortable journalists has been
SOP for a while now in Russia. No big western outcry up to now, and
no suspicion of foreign intervention. Even Bush hasn't (so far) tried
to have Helen Thomas shoved in front of a truck on K street.

[frankieT]

8. Russia is historically a violent country

and more since 1991 with the rise of the local mafia. A lot of journalists, politicians were killed during Yeltsin presidency, and this one launched the first Chechen War without too much protests in the West. While mafia was gaining control of the country and self-appointed oligarchs stealing all the wealth and sending it to Zurich, London, or New-York our politicians and pundits were saying that all is going well, and that these problems were unavoidable in a nascent capitalistic democracy.
Since Putin came to power, he took back some of the stolen RUSSIAN assets from these thieves and gained some power on the international stage with a patriotic and coherent policy.
All the sudden, there are "democracy concerns" or "Chechnya concerns" etc.

Your theory is maybe right, but if we strictly observe the facts, the british are absolutely not neutral in this matter. They harbor Boris Berezovsky and some other russian mobsters - uh i mean respected tycoons and some non-russian financial powers who want obviously a weak and divided Russia to keep stealing its wealth.

here is the link to Berezovsky fiery claims "I am plotting a new Russian revolution"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2056322,00.html

Berezovsky admitted also that he financed a large part of the "popular" ukrainian "orange revolution".

If I was a russian citizen, I guarantee you that I won't trust Berezovsky and the journalists he bought all around the world, neither foreign powers who keep commenting on internal russian affairs...
Do I heard Russia protesting the killings of journalists in Iraq by US Army ? Do I heard Russia protesting the unlawful arrests during protests in Europe or US ?

Russia is just fighting for its sovereignty, that's what it is all about.

[MrPrax]

6. British intelligence does not go around murdering ....

Russian dissidents on its own soil?

But they didn't seem to have a problem killing a British nuclear scientist who blew the whistle on the faulty Iraq intel...or was that 'suicide' also the work of Putin?

Or was it simply a depressed man whose government let him down and so he decided to take a anti-coagulant and slit his one wrist while out for a walk in the woods? That's probably it...

Any friends working in Pakistan that could give up the skinny on Musharraf's wardrobe change? What's beating under his suit and tie? Should be easy to find out -- he's an ally!