Is there a thread about the poisoning of Skripal? [title edited by MNHQ]

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I've not seen a thread about it at all, but surely there must be?

Sounds unlikely to me, Kitten. I did see a report and CCTV pics that there was another (unpoisoned) couple who were initially thought to be the original couple, so perhaps that has confused the picture.

And now I must do some work!

NF is indeed a massive idiot.

Interesting article in The New Yorker. Written before the incident, goes to press next week. Added to other speculation about handlers is opens up the list of potential culprits. Check the last line.

The total lack of public health warning for Zizzi diners ruled out botulism immediately, and indicated someone knew what was happening from the start.

Not a subtle assassination attempt. Who would gain from the Russians being blamed?

I will expect our government to respond to this barbarism in an appropriate manner, sending a firm message to Putin. Nonsense about not going out to play football with him will not cut it. He is laughing his head off at us and our namby pamby ways like free and FAIR elections and our legal system. He is merely taking advantage and in doing so showing his true colours.

Fascinating thread. Thanks for sharing, those of you with knowledge - MN at its best.

The amount of people who have the knowledge and access to correct laboratory equipment to manufacture this kind of stuff in the UK are probably numbered in the low 10s.

Rubbish. The UK is one of the world leaders in the research and development of chemical and microbiological weapons.

I don't have much problem with this - proud of our world leader status in a lot of things (except as a principled young scientist I refused to work on a project associated with this) - but for the fact that we seem to be on the wrong side (as I watch those misogynistic men wrapped in tablecloths courting our leaders).

Counterpoint

You'll note I said 'and access to facilities capable of manufacturing it'.

It s the facilities that are as much of a problem as the knowledge.

Although even if we stick with knowledge alone, are you suggesting that any organic chemist has the ability to make Tabun or Sarin for example? (which are regarded as the 'easiest' to manufacture)

Like I said earlier, ISIS have been trying to get hold of this stuff for years and have failed, are you telling me they haven't managed to get access to any scientists or labs in the entire time they have existed?

It's very difficult to make this kind of stuff. Particularly given that they have now confirmed it's not any of the relatively 'mainstream' G or V series agents.

I think the immense rareity of attacks like this show how difficult it is to manufacture.

I wonder whether the policeman (I read first responder) was administering CPR and hence got so badly affected. Poor him - what a hero, trying to save them in the call of duty

The Telegraph reported today that the poisoned Russian/MI6 spy Sergei Skripal had recently assisted the ex-MI6 spy Christopher Steele to produce the dossier against Trump that listed all Trump's sexual and other activities in Russia. That probably didn't go down too well with Putin.

Though there seem to be so many activities going on unreported between the UK and Russia that I'm sure there is a lot more to this story than we are not being told by the government.

I'm sure you are right Sleep.

It wouldn't be too surprising if an ex spy still had contacts that were considered useful and were sometimes exploited. I wonder how speculative the Telegraph report is.

Shocking re the poisoning of the policeman/ woman (?)
My heart goes out to them and their family.

I thought I read that he was probably still working in some capacity giving lectures to the military, and that’s how he ended up living in Salisbury. The Trump thing is rather interesting.

Yea, very interesting piece in The New Yorker, I can imagine that Vlad. would not be happy with Mr. Sirkal.
Have you seen the threats issued via State TV ( Russian) against any defectors to UK? Sinister indeed.

God to hear the policeman is out of danger.

It is Ursula :)

The police officer has been named.

The bbc mentions that 21 people have been treated in hospital. That has been kept very quiet. Will some of them have been treated prophylactically? www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43337962

And Russian state tv is taunting us www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43330498

It's very difficult to make sense of it. Why was the policeman so badly affected, whilst other first responders (including a doctor who happened to be passing) weren't? Was he actually at the scene, was he the only one who touched an item there, or did he touch something somewhere else.

We've no idea who the other 18 were, not where they had been. And might not find out for some time - same for every aspect of the incident from where the stuff was made, how transported, and how delivered (aerosol or cutaneous?) and by whom.

Salisbury Journal being the local rag has lots on the story.

Talking about this with my husband today. Wasn’t Kim Jon brother assassinated by having a gel containing nerve agent wiped on his skin by a passer by? If policeman on scene attempted to communicate with victims by patting their face or grabbing their hands or something he could have picked up a dose that way?

Very informative (if some what frightening) thread.

Yes, exposure via contact with victims is definitely possible.

(Which is part of) the reason why I was musing on why only one first responder was so badly affected. And it is just musings - I don't want to tip too far into speculation, especially as it may be some time before an account of events is made public.

Why would the Russians kill a spy swapped? It seems crazy to me. This is not a defector but someone the Russians allowed to come here.

Ultimately you will never recruit spies unless they believe they are going to be protected and spy swaps will never happen unless they are granted safety thereafter.

Additionally I am sure the Russians, had they used a nerve agent, would have used one that worked close to instantly and not what looks like an old fashioned one.

Strikes me as a rogue branch of government, the mafia or someone looking to discredit Putin.

It’s seems odd after all this time but my guess would be he was still up to something that someone didn’t like. Have you seen the threats they issued on state tv to ‘traitors’ living in the U.K. in the link Kitten posted below?