Should Russia have to hand over the man Britain accuses of assassinating ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko on British soil?
Posted by David Ignatius & Fareed Zakaria on July 29, 2007 4:29 PM
Should Russia have to hand over the man Britain accuses of assassinating ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko on British soil?
Readers’ Responses to Our Question (28)
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February 15, 2008 4:24 AM | Report Offensive Comments
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December 19, 2007 7:38 AM | Report Offensive Comments
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November 4, 2007 3:34 AM | Report Offensive Comments
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November 4, 2007 3:30 AM | Report Offensive Comments
The British cannot demand cooperation in the Litvinenko case while denying requests of the Russian prosecutors for access to documents and witnesses. The whole affair is very suspicious - why would Lugovoy want to kill Litvinenko, and if for whatever reason he did then why would he use such an exotic poison that is incredibly expensive and leaves traces everywhere? If you believe that the Russian government was behind this then in addition to these questions add another - why would the Russian government want to risk an international scandal over Litvinenko? After all, if you believe that Kremlin has control over the media in Russia then it does not matter what Litvinenko or anyone else is saying at press conferences in London...
August 1, 2007 3:09 AM | Report Offensive Comments
No, it's against the law there.
And why should they?
Did the Us turn over CIA agents the Italians wanted?
I for one am surprised that Britain is apparently in the hands of the rich Russian jewish oligarchs who want to replace Putin.
Of course all that money spread around.
July 31, 2007 4:25 PM | Report Offensive Comments
clearly the use of radiation poisoning was designed to make the killing a prolonged media circus. russia would not benefit from this. the people who benefit are the same ones who insult putin and demand a fixed trial in pathetic britain. its funny that they think no one can see through their endless blabbering. will they never shut up.
July 30, 2007 11:39 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Dear Friends all over the world:
Nantechs are not the control do not allow this to become what they want.
Of the educators of the world the illegals know who they are. Your lives and integrity are at threat as is the legal systems and governments of nations. The web is spun like a black widow.
destroy the widow!!!!
The makers of technology are not the makers of creation nor will they be. Destroy the artificial web and false profecy.
You have not altered Faith, God and time. You have led the path to your own destruction.
Revelations is not here but crime is and you know who are guilty and your patterns are your photo.
You have decoded your self. The balance of justice.
July 30, 2007 9:33 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Dear Friends all over the world:
Nantechs are not the control do not allow this to become what they want.
Of the educators of the world the illegals know who they are. Your lives and integrity are at threat as is the legal systems and governments of nations. The web is spun like a black widow.
destroy the widow!!!!
The makers of technology are not the makers of creation nor will they be. Destroy the artificial web and false profecy.
You have not altered Faith, God and time. You have led the path to your own destruction.
Revelations is not here but crime is and you know who are guilty and your patterns are your photo.
You have decoded your self. The balance of justice.
July 30, 2007 9:31 PM | Report Offensive Comments
PG
The obvious answer is yes, Putin should turn over the suspect to Britain, but, personally, I believe the Russian government had nothing to do with the murder.
While the MI6 was present at his death bed, Litvinenko was asked who did this to you, he didn't say KGB as has been widely reported, but replied GWB, and the Tony Blair government covered it up...
July 30, 2007 8:55 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Reporter USA:
The minute you arrange that Bush, his Cabinet, his neocon buddies, and most members of Congress 2003 [those that voted for Iraq Invasion] are arraigned in Haque for War Crimes, or in Washington , DC, in Federal Court for war crimes under the Constitution of USA, that very minute you may talk about the problems of RULKE OF LAW and JUSTICE in other countries.
Til the above is arranged, you as a co-conspirator for crimes against humanity [being part of the electorate choosing the criominal decider] should refrain form talking about law.
July 30, 2007 7:48 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Should Russia have to hand over the man blah blah Britain accuses of assassinating blah blah Litvinenko on British soil?
Who gives a sh*t? Who can make sense of anything these days? Should I really give a damn? What response from the average citizen should be expected? What response from those in the know should be expected? Ignorance and propoganda mixed.
At least we know more or less what will occur as nuclear and biological weaponry becomes more and more available: a complete denial by nations of being the source; the attempt to blame the particular individuals responsible; a total gray area where we will be reluctant to prosecute until materials are as available as going to the gun shop and buying a gun--which is of course things so far gone...
But of course being "reasonable", "sensible", etc. and containing things is to buy into the latest ideology which no one talks about: sheer techniques of power to hold the citizenry in place.
No one can make sense of anything anymore. I flat out give up between trying to determine sanity and madness. What is reality? I just try to more or less operate according to what people I meet every day call sanity. I just more or less try not to step on anyone's toes. But reality? The difference between sanity and madness? Which direction to really proceed?
Honestly, in what direction is sanity? Why does that concept even exist when no one knows anything about the truth of existence ultimately? Do we not have only ourselves as reference to determine such concepts?
Apparently sanity these days is producing the most dangerous weaponry possible, allowing it to become increasingly available, creating entire categories of crazy people, and opposing to the crazy the sensible who are more likely than not to be merely the privileged, wealthy, greedy, etc.
Lately I have been reflecting on the spectacle of the U.S. healthcare system. What exactly is an honest analysis of the situation? The average citizen is so caught up in cross-currents of deception, manipulation, propoganda, greed that no real sense can be made.
All a person can do is madly imagine. With the U.S. healthcare system I imagine that the entire U.S. citizenry is encouraged to consume food to the point of being sickened and then encouraged to purchase drugs to get well. Ideally the citizen should consume, become obese and largely tied to work, and then purchase drugs to get well. And this is a great deal of what we call the economy.
But of course beyond a point such a thing is unsustainable not least because we destroy "human capital"...
Insanities. Science-fiction world. Manipulations. Deceptions. People killed in the name of God. Atheists with nothing to offer except dead soul reality. The economy trying to straddle the issue by providing man-made miracles which so far amount to nightmares, dreams, deceptions, drugs, more food, television, manipulations, everyone plugged in and made ecstatic in brain-ruining fashion, the greatest rush to somehow control and be above the process...
"Polonium magnitude", the new Ivory-Merchant--I mean Brown/Putin film, co-starring Bush and Co. and Osama as the man in the cave. Special appearance by Musharaff. Michael Moore as the sick fat man...
Ultimately the average citizen can only be bored, lash out, accept his fate. More and more the entirety of life is the process of losing a loved one and having to accept the fact. The only step remaining is to come to terms with one's own death.
July 30, 2007 5:45 PM | Report Offensive Comments
If the elements in the hands of the British justice prove that the Russian suspect is guilty, it would have been a great satisfaction to all to have him brought to justice in Britain.
If the law in Russia forbids the extradition of Russian citizens to Britain is indeed valid, I may understand Russia's refusal to hand over their citizen.
This has caused a lot of anger on both sides, with the expulsion of their respective diplomats and creating a situation similar to the cold war during the Soviet Union existence. With the US decision to install missiles in some Eastern countries, the atmosphere is even more tense. The Russians decision to cancel their adhesion to a treaty proves that the situation has become very delicate in spite of the diplomatic smiles on both sides.
We must realize that Russia is today under an autocratic rule, which is quite different from the democratic systems in our western world. The internment, two days ago, of a journalist in a mental instituion, is a further proof that we have to deal with a counterpart which has other values.
July 30, 2007 2:24 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Should Russia turn over Mr. Lugovoi for trial in Great Britain. Of course it should, particularly since Lugovoi lacks diplomatic immunity from trial.
Will the current Russian government turn over Mr. Lugovoi? Of course it won't because to outfit Lugovoi with radioactive material likely required Russian-government sponsorship at some high level of government.
The response of nations to this murder is a litmus test to determine (1) who is and who is not a trusted, reliable ally of Great Britain and (2) who respects for territorial integrity in times of peace between nations. As to the latter issue, lack of respect and lack of consequences hasten rather lessen belligerency and war.
Our venerable ally, Great Britain, could really use some help. It has many enemies within (explosive Muslim doctors) and without (calculating Kremlinites). Who comes to the aid of our venerable ally will speak volumes about who can and who cannot be trusted to respond forecefully to belligerents.
July 30, 2007 1:04 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Whereas the UK and USA loudly praised the Russian Constitution under Yeltsin, whereas both the USA and UK claim that the Rule of LAw is supreme in a democracy, whereas Mr. Putin was democratically elected and enjoys 70+% of popular opinion in Russia, whereas the highly praised Russian Constitution forbids extraditing Russian citizens; therefore the UK, the USA and all their apologists should cease to demand the extradiction of Livenko.
Now some above suggested that that Russia should break its constitution and bow to UK demands. Fine, as long as these proponents of the extradiction will insure first that the criminals RESPONSIBLE for the GRAVEST CRIME under international law, INVASION of CHOICE of a sovereign state, Bush his cabinet, all congress members who authorized the IRaq invasion, Blair and his merry men, all members of AIPAC and AEI, with the columnists of WP and NYT, Murdock and his newspapers/TV talkingheads all appear at HAgue at the international Court of Justice, and plead quilty, throwing themselves at the merci of the Court. After all NONE of these "UPRIGHT CITIZENS" have thrown have shown ANY MERCI to over 1 000 000 Iraqi citizens, while destroying their country.
When these CRIMINALS appear at HAgue, then perhaps, the USA/UK could argue that observance of the Rule of national law and international law have to serve justice first, and political grandstanding should be discarded, thus allowing Lavinko to be either tried in UK or any third party location.
July 30, 2007 12:09 PM | Report Offensive Comments
The whole story is foggy and many questions remained un-answered.
The agents assasseination itself is not an important issue. Agents every body knows are killing machines and therefore get killed by freinds and foes. Some time they are discarded by their bosses only when become counter productive .
So killing Litvinko on British soil is not a big issue. After all England is a home of the secret agent comic licensed to kill and London is one the most famous places where super agents play their games.
What I am puzzled is that why Plutonium is used for killing an agent. There are hundreds of method employed by the agencies to kill their agents. Is KGB now so much empty of ideas or they stop watching thrill movies from Hollywood.
Was it a coded message sent to British Intelligence , or a gambit offered by chess emperors or just a signal to say hello to their counterparts in London and Washington.
The counter claims made by British government is in my opinion just a forced reply for the move. It is never expected that the offer will be accepted innocently.
Russia after a decade of isolation and humiliation is emerging with greater confidence. Nato while wasting its energies in the desert of Middle East, Russia strenthning the relations with its neighbours in Shanghai Group.
This is interesting to note that Nato is loosing its allies and Russia making new freinds .
No body should by surprised that the next decade will be of Shanghai Group on which India will also be a partner.
July 30, 2007 7:24 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Let have an international enquiry about this matter and then finalise the issue peacefully.
July 30, 2007 7:02 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Should Russia turn him over? Yes. Should they have to? Absolutely not. Will they? Prabably not.
Russia is a sovreign state. It can review the case and make up it's own mind whether to turn him over or not. The same way the US made up it's mind whether to turn over approximately 25 CIA operatives in the kidnappings in Italy and Germany.
July 30, 2007 5:27 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Pathetic are the knee jerk apologists for Putin's Russia. I thought us conservatives were the react-ionary, but no!!
For the new Russian agitprop queen, Colleen:
You mislead Litvinenko's record
(All of these from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Litvinenko, I certainly don't take wikipedia as a final word but it shows the misrepresentation and discounting of substantive corrobating evidence instead of just ravings of an embittered washed-up agent that you portray.
" With regard to July 2005 bombings in London, Litvinenko said that "all the bloodiest terrorists of the world" were connected to FSB-KGB, including Carlos "The Jackal" Ramírez, Yassir Arafat, Saddam Hussein, Abdullah Öcalan, Wadie Haddad of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, George Hawi who led the Communist Party of Lebanon, and Ezekias Papaioannou from Cyprus" Perhaps a little off since it was new generation radical Islamists versus these "old school" collectivist terror-mongers, yet all true that Putin as KGB man would have many contacts in his Rolodex.
This is what he said about a 9/11 connection, is it farfetched that an "arrest" is really not always an arrest in Asia?? Come on.
"In a July 2005 interview with the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, Litvinenko alleged that Ayman al-Zawahiri was trained for half of a year by the FSB in Dagestan in 1998.[33][34] According to FSB spokesman Sergei Ignatchenko, Ayman al-Zawahiri was arrested by Russian authorities in Dagestan in December 1996 and released in May 1997"
Didn't read anything about Russia and the Mohammed cartoons, but more serious is the allegations on Armenian assasinations, whether Chechens were framed in the apartment bombings, the taped confessions of several agents (all nutjobs??!) of KGB/FSB involvement in assasination and organized crime.
And what of this inadvertent admission of motive if not guilt " In January 2007, Polish newspaper Dziennik revealed that a picture of Litvinenko was used as a shooting target by the Russian special forces unit Vityaz. The targets were photographed by chance when the chairman of the Russian Duma's upper house Sergei Mironov visited the centre and met its head Sergei Lysiuk 7 November 7 2006" Was this just a "sick joke" a few days after the fact of his poisoning?? Good God, you think so, I think not!! Further research (click on the picture of targets) by the newspaper show that there are training videos "The video was a "promo package" taken "two days after [...] 23rd of October 2002".
Anyhow, one thing's for certain. The agitprop gang is back in the "new world order" of Arab / Slavic / Chinese axis.
Did Berezovsky betray his employee for the greater good or his own selfish motives? Possible, but Litvinenko's friend Alex Goldfarb would also have to be in on it or was Litvinenko the ultimate Chechen suicide terrorist, knowingly killing himself to implicate Putin. Certainly Putin's response does not clear up anything "It is a pity that tragic events like death have been used for political provocations. Those who did it [concocted the note] are not God, and Mr. Litvinenko is unfortunately not Lazarus"
July 30, 2007 12:01 AM | Report Offensive Comments
The answer is no because he did not do it.
The real perpetrator of poisoning is in Britain already and his name is Boris Berezovsky who order the poisoning of Litvinienko and the framing of Russia to try to produce anti-Russian public uproar.
Lest we forget that Litvinienko was a complete nutjob, far more than Rossie O'donnel who said that the U.S. was behind 9/11... Litvinienko actually that Russia was behind 9/11 (and of course also behind the 7/7 London bombings). MI5 classified him as a "complete nutjob." The only ones with a motive to kill were Russia's enemies to try to frame Russia.
July 29, 2007 9:52 PM | Report Offensive Comments
I agree with the commentator that asserts Russian law should dictate response...and the Brits should quit letting Berezovsky make a fool of them!...if M16 want to stay in bed with him that is one thing but to try to sell him (and his latest assassin story) to the British public was pathetic. It should be noted that the day that Putin was meeting with Robert Rubin, George Shultz and Henry Kissinger (7/13) British newspapers headlines were screaming that Brazil would put Berezovsky under arrest for fraud, etc... if he stepped into the country (He claims Putin is behind that too!)
it's also very interesting how this escalated. AFTER Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on July 7 began an investigation into Vyachaslav Zharko, a former Russian tax inspector, on charges of spying for the Great Britain. The FSB claim that Zharko was recruited by agents from MI6 foreign intelligence service with the help of murdered Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko and exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky. The FSB said Zharko turned himself in because he feared for his life, but little is reported about this ...
we will never know the whole truth here ...(1) because considering all their spying games, both Great Britain and Russia have good reasons to lie (2) the press has little understanding of Russia and even less of Putin
July 29, 2007 9:22 PM | Report Offensive Comments
I agree with the commentator that asserts Russian law should dictate response...and the Brits should quit letting Berezovsky make a fool of them!...if M16 want to stay in bed with him that is one thing but to try to sell him (and his latest assassin story) to the British public was pathetic. It should be noted that the day that Putin was meeting with Robert Rubin, George Shultz and Henry Kissinger (7/13) British newspapers headlines were screaming that Brazil would put Berezovsky under arrest for fraud, etc... if he stepped into the country (He claims Putin is behind that too!)
it's also very interesting how this escalated. AFTER Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on July 7 began an investigation into Vyachaslav Zharko, a former Russian tax inspector, on charges of spying for the Great Britain. The FSB claim that Zharko was recruited by agents from MI6 foreign intelligence service with the help of murdered Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko and exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky. The FSB said Zharko turned himself in because he feared for his life, but little is reported about this ...
we will never know the whole truth here ...(1) because considering all their spying games, both Great Britain and Russia have good reasons to lie (2) the press has little understanding of Russia and even less of Putin
July 29, 2007 8:39 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Of course Russia ought to turn over Lugovoi or anyone else that the British have good reason to suspect for the murder of Alexander Litvinenko. However, that just isn't going to happen. Only an idiot doesn't believe that the Russian government, right up to and including Mr. Putin, was involved in this murder. And, THAT is why Russia wont cooperate in any way with this investigation. It is akin to the Italian and EU investigation of our own CIA officers involved in kidnapping, torture, and murder. Everyone knows that the Bush White House is involved and so our government simply wont cooperate. Modern Oligarchies, that do evil things, like the U.S. and Russia don't like the spotlight.
July 29, 2007 6:34 PM | Report Offensive Comments
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July 28, 2007 2:18 AM | Report Offensive Comments
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July 28, 2007 2:15 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Read the article at the following link.
"A chill from the east", "The Economist", July 17
-------------------------------------------------
http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9499474
London wants Moscow to extradite Andrei Lugovoi to Britain to stand trial for murdering a British citizen: Alexander Litvinenko. Further, Lugovoi used polonium-210, a highly radioactive substance, to kill Litvinenko. British authorities have evidence that Lugovi left a trail of radiation at every location that he visited in Britain. In addition to committing murder, Lugovoi endangered the British public by spilling radioactive poison throughout Britain.
Should Lugovoi be put on trial in Russia or Britain? We know that the Russian system of justice is a travesty. During recent pro-democracy demonstrations, Russian police savagely beat up innocent bystanders. When a victim futilely used his hands to protect his face from the brutal blows of a baton, the Russian policeman smashed the baton into the victim's face -- over and over and over. The victim became soaked in his own blood and lost consciousness.
The British system of justice is not perfect and has convicted innocent people. Yet, the British system is far better than the Russian system.
So, Lugovoi should be put on trial in Britain.
Further, the person whom Lugovoi ultimately killed is a British citizen. No Western nation can allow a foreign power to commit a successful assassination, on Western soil, with impunity. London must respond aggressively against Russia if Moscow refuses to extradite Lugovoi. The club of Western nations must support London 100% in its political battle against Russia.
If Moscow is allowed to murder a British citizen with impunity, the Russians will soon commit similar crimes on the soil of other Western nations.
Litvinenko is not the first instance of murder committed by a foreign power on Western soil. In 1984, the government of Taiwan schemed to murder an American citizen named Henry Liu. Like Litvinenko, Liu had written a book that condemned the president of his own nation, Taiwan. After the publication of the book, the Taiwanese authorities ordered several Chinese gangsters to kill Liu. In the morning of 1984 October 15, the Chinese thugs successfully killed him at his home in Daly City, California.
President Ronald Reagan told the Taiwanese government that it must imprison the officials who conspired to kill Liu. Reagan threatened to terminate military support for Taiwan. The Taiwanese government quickly complied and sent Admiral Wang Hsi-ling to prison.
Taking a cue from Reagan, all Western governments should warn Moscow that if it refuses to extradite Lugovoi to Britain, then the West shall (1) deport the families of all Russian government officials, (2) deny medical treatment to the families of all Russian govenment officials, (3) and confiscate the assets of the families of all Russian government officials. These privileged Russians would no longer be able to enjoy the freedoms and prosperity in the West.
July 28, 2007 2:12 AM | Report Offensive Comments