Pretty much, yes.

I got the feeling from the way you phrased it, that you admired Russia for its ruthlessness towards its enemies and traitors.

I just love the notion that only Russians could be so brazen, cynical and ruthless.

Because, like, the British secret services are world famous for being above board, gentle and lovely all the time.

I somehow doubt that we would have used chemical weapons on our own soil to put Putin in the frame! An assassination would have been enough from our side, it's a blatant message, it shows Russia doesn't care about world opinion on it targeting its dissenters and its use of chemical warfare, see Syria! No secret service is nice, and nobody said otherwise.

Wrong pronoun, mate. If you think there's any "we" in this game, you're sadly deluded.

Ah yes, the truth. Didn't Pontius Pilate have something to say on that subject ?
Anyway, so would most people [like to operate on the truth] but many also like conspiracy theories so why not indulge in a few.

The choice of location is particularly interesting, the proximity to the UK's own bio weapons research labs.
That does not imply some UK government role in this, although it would be possible to argue that some rogue scientist, during say the preparations for the departmental 2019 budgeting, hit upon the idea of dumping some nasty substance around the home of someone randomly chosen from the telephone directory on the basis of Russian sounding names. Although it is hard to believe that he would have done so on his own door step. More likely, the location has some symbolic meaning.

I guess that this will not be the last of these mysterious poisoning cases, and maybe we'll be seeing more, maybe including otherwise unexplained outbreaks of exotic pathogens. There was a case some time ago (maybe 20 years ?) regarding a smallpox fatality outside the Japanese lab which forced Japan to give up its stock of the live virus (Mr. Google does not oblige with the details - presumably out of grounds of National Security). Could this have been an organised message that Japan was not trusted with such a nasty? It tends to make a mockery of all that money spent on nuclear weapons, aircraft carriers and other expensive military hardware when a similarly powerful and destructive effect can be achieved by breaking open a small phial.

Also, the leaks which imply the identity of the toxin is known but are not prepared to name it. Presumably, the poison has been identified as one of the "house specialties" of Porton Down and that can't be admitted until some plausible way (plausible in the eyes of the general public) of differentiating it from the local stuff has been found. If the poison were completely new, it would have been immediately christened with some neutral sounding name, for example EB - EvilBear, and the public already informed.

__________________
If you have difficulties with a post which contains a link to a site in one of the Swiss languages, use Google Translate or your own favourite translating browser.

Yep I agree with you totally DB, however I am still a British citizen and there are still sides in this war, whether you agree with it or not. No side is innocent and that doesn't make it acceptable, but I am referring to this assassination attempt on British soil using chemical weapons by Russia and previous assassinations using other poisons. I don't even see a plausible reason for Britain or America to do so. I am not really a supporter of the idea of False flag attacks and in this instance I don't personally see the plausibility.

Did anyone watch Putin the new Tzar last night?

I've recorded it, so no spoilers please

Russian tv are playing good cop bad cop on this story, which makes me think that the truth is somewhere in the middle. From the UK perspective, many people believe the investigation into the death of Boris Berezovsky didn't go fare enough, then this...?

I only saw the first episode of the 'McMafia' tv series in January, but friends who watched the entire series are wondering if this attempted murder was a non-state hit. But just when you wonder if there was a 3rd party at play, Russian media come out with the 'don't settle in England' threat, and the ball falls firmly back into Russia's court. If they don't want the blame, why are they're doing everything they can to bolster accusations.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...tle-in-england

p.s. Just expanding on the post Uncle Max made yesterday as it deserves to be read.

this doesn't sound plausible but naive. Like he turned to a foreign nation so that they could fix his own country for him? all they would do is use the data to the benefit of their own country, giving zero thoughts about patriotic feelings of foreign mere mortals. Most likely he made a Geschäft out of it, plain and trivial. The stakes are just to high in this kind of trade.

I've long suspected that some of you buggers are spies.

It would explain a lot.

There may be a bit of *OHMSS in all of us. One thing I learned was never to be caught drinking red wine if fish is on the menu.

*On Her Majesty's Secret Service for those who don't already know.

s.o.e.

..or Green Tea if Russians are at the table

I gotta politely disagree.

Oh yes. It was "From Russia with Love". I was confusing it with the one shot on the Schilthorn. It goes back a long time now.

Looks like a worried man.

Ex Spy Thinks He Is at Risk of Being Targeted by the Russian Secret Service | Good Morning Britain

https://news.sky.com/story/live-pm-s...eting-11286994

Not long to wait. Wonder how they'll wriggle out of this, and if TM and BJ will grow a pair if they don't.

Three quotes from this link:
https://news.sky.com/story/live-pm-s...eting-11286994


1. Theresa May tells MPs the attack on the Skripals is 'highly likely' to be Russia.

2. Russia says the statement to the House is a "circus show"

3. Mr Tillerson has said the ex-spy poisoning "clearly came from Russia" and "will trigger a response".

Sooo... Is it "highly possible" or "clearly"? Or, if the truth is in the middle, isn't it "circus" indeed?

And the Russian Embassy tweets that traitors to Russia can't hide in Britain shortly after the incident! Either brilliant Trolling from Russia, who are clearly innocent of such doings or an indirect admission of complicity. Who knows eh?