Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder if USA are behind Sailsbury attack?

148 replies

Adelino · 14/04/2018 18:09

Perhaps I've been watching too many spy dramas, but to me, Russian nerve agent being used to blatently target ex Russian spy screams of a set up from somewhere.

USA are embarassed by the increasing evidence that Russia was able to influence their democratic election.

Forcing their 'closest ally' to condemn Russia for an attack on British soil (and therefore condemn Russia) seems like a way to bring the world back to seeing America as top dog.

Why such an immediate jump to the obvious answer?

OP posts:
Justanotherlurker · 14/04/2018 21:52

I can promise I haven’t been on any trump or brexit threads under any name. But feel free to think what you like if it makes you feel better.

Hey. feel free to ignore the fact that intel was shared and everyone is still blaming Russia...

If you think the US is involved, why would Germany expel Russian diplomats, especially considering that the expansion of nordstream is going through?

Heatherjayne1972 · 14/04/2018 21:52

Lol. At Hand back your pen license

Justanotherlurker · 14/04/2018 21:56

Russia specialises in cyber attacks and distortions of the news and media. They have troll factories with literally 1000’s of people working full time, scanning chat rooms and blog sites comment section ect

A significant chunk that people miss out on this it, it isn't just some "right wing" factory, they muddy the waters and have their fingers in many left leaning groups as well.

scaryteacher · 14/04/2018 21:57

QuuenDoris No wonder I kept getting lost on the way to Cornwall if it's on the Swindon ring road.

Anniegetyourgun · 14/04/2018 22:01

scaryteacher they move it around on a sort of proscenium arrangement, in order to misdirect invaders.

Lweji · 14/04/2018 22:09

they muddy the waters and have their fingers in many left leaning groups as well.

Yes, their intention is to muddy waters and increase polarisation.

But they won't have a bad word to say about the Motherland.

Gregoria · 14/04/2018 22:10

I miss claig. S/he was rather a good read.

Not like these ones they get now that can't even spell. And have no sense of humour.

Dogjustguffed · 14/04/2018 22:25

A couple of points here.

Firstly, this same nerve agent (which has been verified internationally as belonging to the Novichok family) put a Police Officer in hospital too. That’s how dangerous it is. The number of UK Govt people who would have had to be involved in developing, transporting and then planting this stuff is a lot- so if you buy this conspiracy, you’re accusing a lot of Brits of knowingly putting the public at huge risk. They doesn’t sit right with me at all. The Russian Govt, on the other hand, has been carrying out extraterritorial killings for years (check out Trotsky as a starter...)

Secondly, and perhaps more compellingly, wtf would the UK government kill off their own double agent? The UK’s failure to protect Russian agents will discourage other double agents from assisting us, because we cannot protect them. So that is valuable intelligence sources we will have already lost thanks to this. Why would the UK shoot itself in the foot like that?

Would be keen to hear views...

scaryteacher · 14/04/2018 22:33

Annie and I though the satnav was wrong. I hope they don't move it in June...I might have to go to Winchester instead. let's hop[e that stays in place.

headstone · 14/04/2018 22:42

Yanbu OP , I've also found the whole poisoning odd if not a bit fishy. If Russia wanted them dead why did they not give a dose guaranteed to do it. Why was the antidote so easily obtainable and how did they know straight away what they were poisoned with when half the time in hospital doctors are struggling with a diagnosis.
We have as a country done away with spys or people who know too much, it's not just Russia who does that.
Anyone remember that MI5 worker that killed himself in a 'sex game ' that involved him locking himself in a sports bag in Pimlico?

headstone · 14/04/2018 22:48

Why would the UK kill a double agent.. my theory would be perhaps they didn't trust him. Im not saying it was the UK, but double agents must be pretty dodgy

Dogjustguffed · 14/04/2018 22:52

@headstone I don’t understand your antidote point. Are you saying that the UK did it, but then someone in a dark coat randomly turned up at the hospital with the antidote and handed it over to the doctors, and no one questioned it? Or are you saying that the doctors are in on it too?

From the reports I have read, it was clear that this was a nerve agent. They may have made some guesses in the urgency but the options for treating nerve agent attacks are limited. In other words, it would have been fairly easy to decide how to treat.

If I understood you correctly, the suggestion that the medical professionals in Salisbury are in on this attack- when their entire professional ethos is to make people better- is very insulting. Sorry if I have misunderstood.

Dogjustguffed · 14/04/2018 22:59

@headstone now I am really confused. Are you saying that the U.K. did or did not want this double agent dead? If the U.K. did, then why do you then suggest that someone provided an antidote to save their lives?

Your second post implies that you think the UK did want them dead- in which case why do it by risking poisoning the general public and (actually) a police officer, and bring a whole load of other govt workers in on this conspiracy? It’s a lot of people to have to keep silent!

Yes, it seems logical that double agents are dubious characters. But we need them, though, and your answer still doesn’t explain why the Uk would risk putting off other double agents from helping us, in demonstrating that we cannot protect them from assassination.

headstone · 14/04/2018 23:01

I think you have misunderstood yes. Obviously the doctors were told it was a nerve agent. It's not something the a& e doctors would come across normally. Obviously the local doctors are not in on it, nor would they have the knowledge how to treat it.

headstone · 14/04/2018 23:02

Anyway I'm not saying it was the UK. I'm just keeping an open mind as I find the whole situation extremely odd.

Dogjustguffed · 14/04/2018 23:04

@headstone okay, but to be clear, there was no magic antidote www.england.nhs.uk/south/2018/04/10/updates-on-the-salisbury-incident-7/

Justanotherlurker · 14/04/2018 23:07

Anyway I'm not saying it was the UK. I'm just keeping an open mind as I find the whole situation extremely odd.

Keeping an open mind isn't refusing to accept what our government is saying, the fact other countries have asked for our intel and got rid of russian consulates, including germany which are trying to keep russia sweet at the minute, kind of shows your mind isn't really open..

headstone · 14/04/2018 23:09

Look dogjustguffed it's getting late in Moscow and I'm tired ....

Moanranger · 14/04/2018 23:13

Occam’s razor.
Look it up.

SometimesMaybe · 14/04/2018 23:17

Fucking hell. I really have heard it all now. The Uk/USA was responsible for the Salisbury attack? Out of all the bonkers shit that is available on the internet that really is peak crazy.

biscuitmillionaire · 14/04/2018 23:23

YABU.
And while we're at it, no, facebook has not made it so that if you type bff and it goes green it means your data is safe.

Sigh.

lljkk · 14/04/2018 23:26

Novichok is supposed to work so quickly that it looks like a heart attack. This event went very wrong.

I had dinner with a load of Porton Down people (biologists not chemists) few days after the attacks. They were Shock that something like this could happen in their sleepy town. It's their community. Would you cause a terrible chemical attack in the place where your kids live, where you & your family shop & go to hospital & gym & work? Think about it.

AgnesSkinner · 14/04/2018 23:26

If Russia wanted them dead why did they not give a dose guaranteed to do it.

Gloves.

hollieberrie · 14/04/2018 23:38

Yanbu op. I also think our government are behind it.

YoloSwaggins · 14/04/2018 23:40

Also, how shit was this "military" grade nerve agent that no-one actually died and everyone is now fine

Apart from the pets that starved😡