OT - Salisbury Poisoning

[Romanis]

So Britain sends Russia an ultimatum. Russia in turn demands proof.

Simply put, they don't give a flying feck to whatever Britain thinks. After the Litvenko poisoning, this is their message to those deemed traitors - you die.

Boris Johnson is a joke. He'll swear at countries like Turkey and other less powerful nations but when it comes to the big boys, he'll issue the standard Foreign Office denunciation. He did the same with Iran, and now with Russia.

Russia is laughing. But before anyone attempts to mock May's Govt, think what the alternative would be the apologist Labour leader Steptoe. He probably say okay now let's set all this aside and work for denuclearisation.

I just hope no further public funds are wasted in pointless inquiries that lead nowhere and are toothless.

[MadAmster]

It's all political posturing. The chemical in question WAS developed by Russia. They claimed, quite a while back, that they had destroyed all stockpiles. Has someone else developed it too. The UK maybe? Stranger things have happened.

Putin has said "it wasn't me". Show me the proof and we can talk.

After the Iraq WMD claim, I am not surprised he's saying "where's the beef?".

It might be possible to prove that the nerve agent was made in Russia. If we do that then Putin will talk. Putin is using international agreements, signed by the UK, to ask for a portion of the nerve agent found so that they can study/investigate it. Not an unreasonable stance.

The ultimatum ran out 7 hours ago. I have not yet seen the News today so have no idea what Mayhem or the Russians have done so far.

Of one thing I am 100% certain. All this posturing is NOT being done for the benefit of the "ordinary Joe".

[Romanis]

It's all political posturing. The chemical in question WAS developed by Russia. They claimed, quite a while back, that they had destroyed all stockpiles. Has someone else developed it too. The UK maybe? Stranger things have happened.

Putin has said "it wasn't me". Show me the proof and we can talk.

After the Iraq WMD claim, I am not surprised he's saying "where's the beef?".

It might be possible to prove that the nerve agent was made in Russia. If we do that then Putin will talk. Putin is using international agreements, signed by the UK, to ask for a portion of the nerve agent found so that they can study/investigate it. Not an unreasonable stance.

The ultimatum ran out 7 hours ago. I have not yet seen the News today so have no idea what Mayhem or the Russians have done so far.

Of one thing I am 100% certain. All this posturing is NOT being done for the benefit of the "ordinary Joe".

I agree. However Putin has very strong card to play. The chemical cannot be specifically proven to be Russian as it was developed back in the old Soviet Union. Of course everyone knows it's the Ruskies but as his EU Ambassador said yesterday, this was made in the Soviet Union, with 16 republics, now independent nations.
How sure can the UK prove that it was Russian, not Georgian, Kazakhstan or any other former Soviet republic. As far s Russia is concerned, 'they have destroyed all chemical weapons' to comply as a member of the organisation that deals with chemical weapons.

So whatever proof the UK has is purely conjecture. That's the Russian stance. Ms May will apparently chair an NSC meeting today and announce some form of sanctions. Which in reality won't mean much, a few embassy staff made persona non grata, some banning of Russian imports and probably banning Russian media outlets in the UK. Which of course the Russians will respond in kind and probably will see the BBC banned in Russia.
Perhaps threatening to give Putin fellatio when they next meet, would be a more terrifying sanction.

Meanwhile another Russian ex-agent who fled the country (former Aeroflot director) was found dead.
The simple fact of the matter is that Putin had long ago declared any Russian who tries to expose them will be branded a traitor and deserves to die like a dog.
And there's nothing anybody can do about it. Unless the UK decides to nuke Russia. The 20 or so nuclear missiles they have ready at any 1 time could well inflict severe damage on Russia, but fail to destroy it. The Russians of course would respond with their nuclear arsenal which would make the whole Britain a desert island.

The best possible response from the UK I think should be to make the obligatory complaints and strongly worded condemnation, some token sanctions and then wait for the matter to die down. It would in the UK's better interests to engage Russia economically now that Brexit is gonna occur. Russia has resources, Britain needs trade partners and investment, while Russia needs an avenue in the West to sell their goods through.

Simply put, if the Americans can do diiddly squat after it was proven that they interfered in their elections, invaded Georgia, annexed Crimea and attacks Ukraine by proxy, what the feck can the UK do? They can bully smaller boys like Libya, send troops to Iraq and Afghanistan and probably teach some puny nations like Argentina a lesson. That's where they can play 'big fish', however when a whale like Russia tumbles into their path, the only thing they can and should do, is get the hell out of the way.

[ramAnag]

Beware of lame dog politicians seeking to restore their credibility by talking tough. As has been said above...there will never be a good time to fall out with Russia and given everything else that’s going on now is most certainly not the time.

[roger_ramjet]

Personally I blame Adi for the whole thing, rather than any nation state. Come to think of it, we haven't seen him around for a week or two now - furthermore, didn't he have a gig at The Mill?

[Romanis]

2 really bad things about this attack, besides the obvious targeting of the agent (and also his daughter and the cop who just ordinary folk), the 2 things I find rather alarming is

1. The high number of people who could have fallen victim to it without knowing until much later, whereby it could have terrible consequences. Rather than pointless bluster by HM's Govt, instead May should go sit down with Putin and explain to him, 'look whatever the issue is, is it fair to put so many innocents at risk? 'Persuasion rather than accusations and ultimatums might have a better result in stopping this.

2. It really took the authorities quite a number of days before revealing the chemical and asking people to take remedial action. It should have been done sonnest, within 23 hours or less. It seems HM's Govt was more interested in pinning the thing on Russia rather public safety

[AdiSalisbury]

Personally I blame Adi for the whole thing, rather than any nation state. Come to think of it, we haven't seen him around for a week or two now - furthermore, didn't he have a gig at The Mill?

Long time ago, and I spewed on the doorman, was a good night. Poisoning at Zizzi's is par for course mind.

[Manofpride]

So Britain sends Russia an ultimatum. Russia in turn demands proof.

Simply put, they don't give a flying feck to whatever Britain thinks. After the Litvenko poisoning, this is their message to those deemed traitors - you die.

Boris Johnson is a joke. He'll swear at countries like Turkey and other less powerful nations but when it comes to the big boys, he'll issue the standard Foreign Office denunciation. He did the same with Iran, and now with Russia.

Russia is laughing. But before anyone attempts to mock May's Govt, think what the alternative would be the apologist Labour leader Steptoe. He probably say okay now let's set all this aside and work for denuclearisation.

I just hope no further public funds are wasted in pointless inquiries that lead nowhere and are toothless.

Steptoe!!! 😂😂😂

[MadAmster]

So, now the cat is out of the bag. They either did it, she says, or they were careless in taking care of the nerve agent.

Here is another possibility. It seems the UK has a stockpile of that very nerve agent about 7 miles from Salisbury. Might it have come from there?

Mrs May told MPs that Russia had provided "no explanation" as to how the nerve agent came to be used in the UK, describing Moscow's response as one of "sarcasm, contempt and defiance".

She said the use of a Russian-made nerve agent on UK soil amounted to the "unlawful use of force".

Hmmmmm - they asked for proof. Not an unreasonable request when accused of attempted murder. They received no proof. It also appears that small taces of the nerve agent have been retrieved from various places like their home, the restaurant, the pub, the park etc. Russia also asked for a sample so they could check if it came from them originally and, hopefully, track its journey.....they received no sample.

Basically, they have been accused tried and convicted of a crime. The prosecution has offered up zero evidence other than that the nerve agent was probably made in Russia. The defence has been given nothing to look at or investigate or even be allowed to offer a defence. Proper stitch up job and I can't think why.

It's like me selling you my AR15. You then shoot up a school. Obviously it's my fault......... Sorry, Mayhem, it don't work that way.

This case looks about as solid as Iraq's WMD..................

[AdiSalisbury]

Here is another possibility. It seems the UK has a stockpile of that very nerve agent about 7 miles from Salisbury. Might it have come from there?

They have everything at Porton Down, but it's unlikely to be the source.