England gets Russian journalist killed (06PARIS7904)In November 2006 Alexander Litvinenko was fatally poisoned with radioactive Polonium-210 in London.Alexander Litvinenko was a former Russian secret service agent, writer, dissident and public critic of the Russian secret service. He was best known as the author of “Blowing Up Russia: Terror From Within” and “Lubyanka Criminal Group”
After his death there has been a multitude of theories of what happened in the media. Most of them accused Russia of the murder. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_ ... n_theoriesIn Cable 06PARIS7904 Hofmann reports on a meeting between Russia and US on counter-terrorism. The Presidential Representative Safonov points out that “Russian authorities in London had known about and followed individuals moving radioactive substances into the city but were told by the British that they were under control before the poisoning took place.”
The result shows, that they were not under control. Why didn’t the UK stop people smuggling radioactive material into London? Or at least watch them closely enough, that something like this can’t happen?
Instead they call the Russian authorities back, who might have been able to foil the assassination. This could be interpreted as support for the murderers of Litvinenko.
Be that as it may, as it stands the UK is directly or indirectly responsible for the death of Alexander Litvinenko.
On 20 January 2007 the British police announced they identified Andrey Lugovoy as the assassin. Two months later, the British Foreign Office officially submitted a request to the Government of Russia for the extradition of Lugovoi to face criminal charges in the UK.
Russian authorities have formally refused to extradite Andrei Lugovoy.
Another cable reveals there are constitutional and other legal prohibitions against the extradition of Russian citizens.
Instead they offered to put Mr Lugovoy on trial in Russia if the evidence is forwarded to them.
That was in 2007 and there has not been a trial.
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Related cables:
http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2006/12/06PARIS7904.htmlhttp://213.251.145.96/cable/2007/05/07MOSCOW2429.htmlThe GOR is highly unlikely to extradite former FSB officer Andrey Lugovoy to Britain, citing constitutional and other legal prohibitions against the extradition of Russian citizens. Official and unofficial Russian reaction to the May 22 British announcement that Lugovoy would be charged with the murder of Aleksandr Litvinenko has been nearly uniform in rejecting the UK request that he stand trial in London. The MFA held out the prospect of further cooperation in the investigation, while citing the impossibility of extradition, but other Russian commentators were more categorical, suggesting that the British charges were politically motivated. A few opposition voices called for Lugovoy to voluntarily submit to British justice. The British Embassy expects a further worsening in the UK-Russia and EU-Russia relationships.
http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2009/08/09MADRID869.htmlLitvinenko tipped off Spanish security officials on the locations, roles, and activities of several “Russian” mafia figures with ties to Spain. He allegedly provided information on Izguilov, Zahkar Kalashov, and Tariel Oniani to GOS officials during a May 2006 meeting.
http://www.wikileaks.ch/cable/2007/09/07MOSCOW4599.htmlAndrey Lugovoy fills number two position on Liberal Democratic Party of Russia’s ticket.
The Kremlin had pushed Lugovoy onto the LDPR list in order to somehow provide him with protection.
http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2008/07/08LONDON1837.htmlAldred said the cost of the fall-out to HMG from the Litvinenko issue was an end to close cooperation with Russian intelligence (FSB) on counterterrorism and other global issues.
Brown and Medvedev made little progress on the issue of diplomatic visas, which are still being restricted by both countries as part of the fall-out from the Litvinenko case.
http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2008/10/08LONDON2643.htmlThe UK has had more experience lately than most western European countries with Moscow’s ire, going back to the Litvinenko poisoning case
http://213.251.145.96/cable/2006/12/06HAMBURG85.htmlSummary: Hamburg State Police (LKA) confirmed December 14 that Dmitry Kovtun had left positive traces of polonium 210 in Hamburg prior to his departure from Hamburg for London on November 1. A senior official in the Federal Interior Ministry in Berlin also confirmed the reports and noted the ongoing investigation. Hamburg police continue to examine where Kovtun was and what he did while in Germany, but are not yet able to confirm if Kovtun was transporting polonium or if he had been contaminated through contact with the substance prior to his arrival in Hamburg on October 28.
http://213.251.145.96/cable/2006/12/06PARIS7755.htmlspeculation
Quote for lulz:
Independent (UK newspaper): Did you murder Aleksandr Litvinenko?
Andrey Lugovoy: Prior to answering such a deep and thought-out question, …
Other topics in the cable (06PARIS7904):
US and Russia agree on engaging the private sector in counter-terrorism.
Russia (Safonov) cites a scientist regarding terrorism as an indicator for larger problems.
US suggests they direct the Sandia National Laboratories in Mexico to undertake terrorist scenario modeling. They already worked with Russia on nuclear safety and biological weapons threats.
The CIA failed to provide Russia with all the requested information on the kidnapped and killed Russian diplomats in Iraq within six months. Although that is portrayed as something positive in the cable:
“CIA had already met all but one of the Russian information requests that had been made since June of 2006.”
The US side said “there was a pressing need for the G-8 to establish uniform criteria for designating terrorists and terrorist groups.” Considering the wars and occupation of countries because of terrorism it is baffling there apparently isn’t a generally accepted definition on what we are actually fighting.
