Along with doubling down on the economic sanctions on Russia, why not expel all Russians with any direct or indirect affiliation withe the Kremlin back to Moscow ?
Putin remains in power because many/most dissidents with means leave Russia.
Return them . . . the pressure and heat within the Red Balloon will cause it to burst.
Have you noticed how bold our adversaries have become after Trump took office? They see America as weak and they are right. While Trump focuses on deregulation, tax reform, gun control and a wall, they are moving full speed ahead testing Trump and establishing themselves in the void that we allowed him to create.
6
There is some (little) room for doubt about Putin's involvement in this attempted assassination. However, since all the circumstantial evidence points towards Russia, it is (to me) strange that Putin would not be active in getting to the bottom of this if he had no involvement.
3
It's amazing that Tillerson would find this hard to believe Russian or any country could use nerve agent publicly: he lacks an understanding of history and is inexperienced if not destructive in the art of diplomacy, sure, but his job demands this kind of imagination. He has to face the fact that another state could openly my use nerve agent publicly against its own people, like in Syria. How else can be do his job if he shows lack of imagination and inability to face reality.
So let's see Trump's predictable response: "But there are good people -- on Both sides."
5
In a way, Mrs. May's has only herself to blame for this latest incident following her weak response to the Litvinenko assassination and all the other incidents. She, and other politicians need to stop thinking that positive relations with Russia are necessary or even possible so long that Mr. Putin is in power.
Sending the Russian ambassador home, dramatically reducing the number of Russian diplomats working in Britain and the closure all Russian Consulates is warranted. Ban all Russian airlines from landing in Britain and close all British ports to Russian flagged ships. And don't forget to kick all Russians identified as spies out of the country.
Finally, if a few business men are hurt, whether they be British, western or Russian, then so be it. A tough response might just help to prevent the next war.
5
What am I missing here? If I were a witness under interrogation by Mr. Mueller and indeed had information against the great Donald re Russia collusion, and read of this poisoning of a former spy and his daughter, would I think "that could be me in x years"? Perhaps the timing is not relevant to upcoming elections in Russia but to persons being examined by Mr. Mueller, and whether they choose to perjure themselves and face possible legal consequences, or perhaps to face more dire consequences, for themselves and their families, at some later unknown date and location.
1
Living here in the UK I have an awful déjà vu feeling about this nerve agent attack on us to what took place in the past when we stood alone against a tyrant and his regime decades ago. I hear kind words being expressed about the awful use of a nerve agent against us but I hear no strong condemnation or words of real support from the leader of our strongest ally, even fewer from the EU Commissioners of countries where we once shed so much blood to save them. Feelings of ‘going it alone’ are in many UK people’s minds and I fear that in the coming weeks if we do, as we should, stand up to this aggressive weapons attack on us all we will go it alone again and suffer the consequences for standing up for what is right. I hope others support us when we do need help and support?
4
What's puzzling about this attack was its sloppiness in the injuries to the innocents and the traces of the chemical left in public. That wouldn't be expected from a Russian state actor, especially since it would be obvious from the beginning who approved and planned the attack. You would want to limit the damage. Was the carelessness due to a third party contractor? Or do the Russians feel so powerful now that they think it just doesn't matter? Whatever the response will be from the U.K. and its allies (looking at you, President Trump), it must convince the Russians that henceforth, it does matter.
I was rather surprised to see Putin's reply to a question on the use of Russian nerve gas in the attack in London. Just a matter of fact reply. I thought he looked angry or irritated. He would answer the question when he had evidence. Critically, no denial or expression of regret or comment on the propriety of such actions. I am sure CIA interrogators or police officers would say that a failure to deny is one indication of guilt!
1
Where is real investigations with real experts, where are real evidences ? is the truth based only on empty words and accusations and fantasies ??
1
I forgot to mention this before I was cut off. It isn't strictly on topic, but I remember during Margaret Thatcher's time in office that there was an Iran-born man with British citizenship who was collecting soil samples in evidence of Iraqi use of chemical weapons. He was arrested by Iraq, and when Britain demanded he be returned, the Iraqis hanged him and dumped his body with a rude note on the steps of the British embassy. Margaret Thatcher refused to say or do anything because Britain was doing such wonderful deals with Saddam Hussein. Their money was good up until the time they invaded Kuwait.
2
“Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom, and I will come back to this House and set out the full range of measures we will take in response,”
May goes Trump and beyond.
What does she expect?
Putin crawling up to No. 10 and asking for forgiveness?
When did the UK leave the path of reality?
May has no proof and if she had, she would have a very hard time to press charges against, whom?
Putin? Russia?
Killing foreign agents has been a spy's game for as long as spies were around.
Everyone has done so with countless collateral damages.
So yes, this may or may not have been the Russians but, like all others, they will never accept responsibility because this is what spies are all about - secrecy.
May is far away from reality.
And if this is just another attempt to argue a new set of sanctions against Russia, it may well become a backfiring exercise when considering how tightly the only real ally of the UK, the US government, is colluding with Russia these days.
1
What will Great Britain do? What can it possibly do? Very, very little.
It can recall and expel to it's heart content but they will just be replaced. They could sharply reduce the total Russian embassy staff in London to a skeleton crew.
They could round up Russians they suspect of being spies and send them back.
They could also force out all the money the Oligarchs have deposited in London and return it to them in Russia. They won't do that. Money talks.
The fact is that dictators can kill with impunity today. Russia has been doing it for a long, long time. No place in the world is safe. What is the West going to do? Nothing of substance. All smoke and mirrors and pious announcements.
I can’t think of a better way to undermine NATO than to provoke the UK to call on Article 5 and for Trump to fail to respond. This is the nightmare scenario.
With Trump so solidly in Putin's corner, the incident begs the question: what if it happened in the US? Would it even have become public? Would anyone have been warned to wash their clothes? What would the US do in these circumstances? In ordinary times, the entire Western Alliance should be putting Putin in his place! No more meddling, no more attacking our citizens with poisons or with fake news! Draw the line!
I'm sure President Trump can solve this crisis with a simple chat at some upcoming G20 summit or the like. He'll simply ask Vlad, "Vlad, you didn't order the murder of those two people, the former spy and his daughter with a highly toxic nerve agent produced by your country and also that potentially put many British civilians at risk, did you?" And Vlad,with all sincerity, will assure President Trump with his smiling Cheshire grin that he would never do such a thing. Diplomatic crisis solved.
1
Just an awful display of Trump deferring to Putin again.
We are losing alliances faster than Stormy's legal motions.
1
One thing for sure. US political/ social turmoil has opened a window of opportunity for Russia's FSB to operate in Western US allies. This is the second time a former Russian spy turned collaborator being killed cruelly on British soil. Teresa May's threat of a 'robust' response is a joke.
3
Rex Tillerson can't believe that any state actor would use nerve agent for assassination. What rock has our Secretary of State been living under? Oh yeah, he's the former CEO of Exxon Mobil and was given a friendship prize by his buddy, Vlad the former KGB agent.
The US, and others have drawn "red lines" prohbiting chemical weapons (such as nerve agents) to be used in Syria. But it's OK in the UK?
I would have to concur with the Russian assessment that the British and American governments are weak, and can be ignored and lied to.
It's time for consequences. No more appeasement for Russia.
2
A coalition of democratic nations needs to be established to put Putin in his place with severe sanctions. Unfortunately the nation in the best position to form such a coalition is now governed by a traitorous president under the control of Putin and a political party conspiring to keep him in office.
1
For spies, even for retired ones, even for those who worked for us, being killed is just a professional hazard, isn’t it?
Meanwhile, the only one in the Trump administration who supported the premis of the UK Prime minister over the position of no comment by the Putin apologist in our White House was fired by that same apologist.
I may not have liked Tillerson, but I find the timing of this stunning...Manchurian Candidate stunning.
1
The British PM puts the blame squarely on Russia, Putin says nyet. Trump isn't sure.
Whom to believe? Depending how one answers that question, its rhetorical implication a given, should tell anyone with a smidgen of common sense who is friend and ally, and who is foe.
DD
Manhattan
3
Yes, yes.
We already knew that Donald Trump's Republican Party role model Vlad Putin murders his opponents at home and abroad, and that Donald Trump's Republican Party role model Vlad Putin also supports Assad's use of chemical weapons.
4
I am now officially old. When I was growing up the Reds Under The Bed theory was lampooned by us younger people as a paranoid fantasy peddled by our know-nothing parents.
We sang along with Sting as he hoped the Russians loved their children too, we laughed at the movie "The Russians are Coming!" as an example of the lunacy of the Cold Warriors.
We chuckled at Obama as he put down Romney for warning about Russia with his "the 1980s called..." zinger.
Turns out we were wrong, they were right all along, the New York Times and all other liberal progressives are now telling us that the Russians (famously dismissed as Upper Volta with rockets by Henry Kissinger) do pose an existential threat to the West.
Who knew? Better get that fall-out shelter built, the new Cold Warriors are ramping up the rhetoric.
2
The real question is why are the Republicans not more concerned about Russia. I remember duck and cover drills in school when a nuclear war with Russia seemed imminent. Now with cyber warfare and Russian agents poisoning civilians there is no outrage but instead quiet acquiesce. Why is that? What does Putin know that he is using for blackmail.
1
Voter - No, the real question is when did Russia become such an enemy? It certainly wasn't under Obama's reset or when he was asking for more time, or with SecState Clinton.
Could it have anything to do with Democrats believing their own lies and paranoia? Does Russia need to be an enemy in order to deflect blame from the Democrats loss in 2016? What really happened between "give me some space" and now, other than your humiliating election loss? Stop it the US does not need another war.
Time will tell if May deals with Russian fallout better than Trump.
State-sponsored assassination is a scourge of the age and another sign of the break-down of international law in recent years. The Soviet Union and communist states such as Bulgaria, of course, of course never cared about international law. What is shocking is that Western nations have given into the same temptation: France murdered Greenpeace activists in 1984 in New Zealand; the US once used to condemn Israeli state assassinations but, after 9/11, it 'went to the dark side' and gleefully joined in. Israel itself is addicted to the stone-age mantra 'if someone is going to kill you, get up early and kill them'.
2
Hypocrisy how the British Conservative Party receives funds from dodgy Russian oligarchs giving them safe harbor to known Russian criminal on the run from justice. Anything to undermine Russia delivers unforeseen consequences?
Salisbury incident will be another example if the Russian defector wakes up?
And our President, who insults every non family member he encounters, remains unable to speak a negative or even an equivocal word about Vladimir Putin. Is that not remarkable?
As Russia becomes more aggressive, to the point of interference with our democracy, we find ourselves lead by an obscene clown. And that is the best case scenario.
6
How were the Skirpals poisoned? I have not read any possible scenarios. If this happened in a restaurant then it appears a restaurant worker was involved in the crime since the deadly agent has been found there. I read that the former MI6 agent who was poisoned in 2006 the poison was placed in a cup of tea. If you're a former Russian spy best to cook your own meals and never eat out unless the waiter does a taste test.
1
Can’t help but notice today that President Macron sends a message on behalf of the French yet it is Tillerson who speaks on behalf of the US....
Interesting.
1
Tillerson replaced by former CIA chief in keeping with new COLD WAR agenda. Senator McCarthy era revisited; a worthy cause? Russia and US could be good friends. Not just on joint space missions as the only time they are on the same planet? The question now whether Russia believes America really wants a war.
1
Putin's leash appears to have more power over trump's twitter feed than any other power.
3
This attack by Putin is an outrage, using a highly toxic nerve agent in a public place where many more could have died. Putin is a menace to the world. Does anyone have the courage to stand up to him?
Folks are overthinking it. It is more base and banal. Putin and crew don't like traitors pure and simple. These acts are barbaric and are supposed to convey strength. They convey the opposite.
Russia must know it cannot kill people in Britain. Pure and simple.
2
putin's a murderer. that's how he's got trump bamboozled. "you do what i say or i eliminate you!" "yes sir master putin!"
2
congrats, you are so creative )
We'll see if the British have the guts to do something about this. There is a lot they could do. A registry of property ownership; expulsion of all Russian intelligence personnel; freezing bank accounts; there is a long list. It would invite retaliation of course but Britain doesn't have great commercial exposure in Britain. It would also probably be a smart political move by May. The country needs something to unite around at the moment and resistance to Putin and his thugs is as good a other as any.
11
The Brits, longtime lapdogs of the US military industrial complex and the warmongers running the show behind the scenes in the US, are jumping on the "Blame Putin" bandwagon for the assassination attempt of the two ex-Russian spies - who, btw, were found on a park bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire, near Porton Down - the UK's largest and oldest facility for research into and the production of chemical and biological weapons…coincidence? They lived, openly for years, in Salisbury. So why try to kill them now?
Well, we need an enemy for our new Cold War budget buildup, someone we can blame for all the problems and chaos WE have caused. Russia and China are our new enemies because they threaten our hegemonic policies of the Petro-Dollar - a policy we established with the Saudi's. We agreed to supply them with weapons and quietly back them up politically as long as they would use only the dollar for all energy transactions throughout the globe. As our economic star fades into the sunset, we are trying everything possible to keep it from being overshadowed by the Yuan and the Ruble, two currencies that have gained more acceptance and usage across the globe. These two currencies are now more strongly backed by gold and with our past policies of off-shoring everything to China, India, Mexico, and Asia, our own economy has (despite the blovation of how good things are) become weaker in the process.
So is it all about oil? No, but it figures very strongly in the ongoing cupidity.
Assad has used nerve agents on its own people. Kim has used it to murder his own half-brother on foreign soil. Putin has used it repeatedly against his enemies in UK. Only President Obama has tried to put a stop to Syria's transgression and it worked for a while until Russia reneged on its word as the guarantor
10
Want it to end? Recall the UK's ambassador from Moscow for "consultations". Then, expel enough diplomats from the Russian embassy and consulates to make a powerful statement. Make it clear that you don't believe Putin's denials and that such activities will not be tolerated.
10
The attack happened within convenient travel distance from Porton Down, the location of Britain's secret chemical and biological research laboratory and the Defence CBRN Center. It's possible that the poison used in the attack may have come from one of those laboratories instead of Russia, possibly an inside job perpetrated as an opportunity to demonize Putin.
10
"It's possible that the poison used in the attack may have come from one of those laboratories instead of Russia,"....Yeah right. And the missile that brought down the Malaysian airliner was probably made in somebody's basement in Western Ukraine. Troll
55
An opportunity to demonize Putin. Really?
No, they know the chemical that was used, it was Russian.
Trump won't say it was Putin because he is being blackmailed by Putin. It's so obvious Trump is Putin's puppet. Hillary was right!
39
It’s interesting that a female stands up to V,Putin, but self-proclaimed “tough” guy DJT won’t/can’t.
It is my understanding that Russia’s President is seeking a hearing by the U.S. House of Representattives.
10
And Donald Trump has still not signed off on the new sanctions Congress over-whelming passed. No collusion???!!! In a pig's eye!!
34
May presented no verifiable proof that the Russian Government committed this act. Until there is that verifiable proof. I will not accept this accusation. Just like in US America, there is only Russia, Russia, Russia..some elites want war with Russia, just like Iraq and Afghanistan. But this time they may get more than they bargained for - fire and brimstone on the Homeland's shores Help Us!!
3
"May presented no verifiable proof that the Russian Government committed this act. Until there is that verifiable proof. I will not accept this accusation."....And why would anyone expect that a Troll working for the Russian propaganda machine be satisfied with any kind of proof?
43
As much as this could have been ordered by Putin, happening 1 week before the Russian elections is just stupid timing. Putin is smart. This was done by someone wanting to embarrass Putin before he elections. What’s most worrying is there’s probably a power battle going on in Russia we don’t know about. Power battles usually have unpredictable consequences.
6
Putin is a ex-spy riding this latest wave of typically Russian, reckless, act now then deflect in the most preposterous way treacherous foreign policy. He seems to be becoming reckless though. Why would he do this before the elections? Why wouldn't he !!! He's going to win anyway.
Putin is not intelligent smart. He is expediently shrewd, like a cold-war spy. And he certainly knows how to rattle the cage.
It's Putin, just accept it. He showing his power since he won't loss the election
I'm not sure how "smart" Putin is, but if you have some inside information the British intelligence services don't, I suggest you contact them. The vast majority of people inside Russia who are likely to vote for Putin either won't hear of this incident, or won't care.
IFF Britian declares this to be "an enemy act" by Russia; and calls for NATO to condemn it as such, it will have one very real unintended consequence. It will make Trump's conspiracy (not "collusion" which is a term from civil and contract law) with Putin in the 2016 election fulfill the US Constitution's definition of Treason.
It also will make anyone who assisted in the conspiracy, and everyone (phony Congressional investigations) who obstructed justice or tried to divert attention and protect Trump guilty of treason and conspiracy to commit treason.
12
And give DJT another reason to dislike NATO.
Apparently the Russians are more of a danger to Western countries than Muslims or Mexicans. Why are Russians not being deported and blocked from entry?
27
The Brits May revoke the broadcasting license for RT but the. Brits want the Russian money which is pouring into London real estate. Putin knows there will be no meaningful response because he has already murdered several people in the UK and there has been no retaliation. We will find out real soon just what cowards run the UK. Talk is cheap.
7
"The Brits" want Russian money? No they don't. The estate agents (realtors) and the lawyers might - they make a fortune from conveyancing. The average Brit just looks at property prices now and despairs.
"Brits want the Russian money which is pouring into London real estate."
Which Brits? I doubt they are the Brits who are struggling to scrape up the money for a deposit and mortgage to meet ever-increasing property prices especially in London and the Home Counties.
It's the property developers (rich mates of the Tories) who are benefitting.
Something very similar happening in Australia (except that it is not Russian money).
The question remains, between a conflict of UK and Russia, where will the Republican party stand. I'm afraid I know the answer. Very sad.
TREASON for Trump and his collaborators.
17
We'll see how well the Admiral Kuznetsov fares the next time, wheezing and blowing smoke, it tries to transit the English Channel.
4
Tillerson can't understand why a state actor would undertake such an action. Well, Rex baby, just read this article and go back to running your oil company.
18
Rex spent his entire youth and professional life in civilization, ruled by law.
Russia does not reflect nor conform to either of the adjectives civilization or law.
1
Please, don't be harsh on Rex, he still has some work to do in demonstrating he's the worst Secretary of State ever. Then he can retire.
Is there time to weave this into a story line on the upcoming final season of "the Americans"?
2
With all due respect, Skripal was not an "innocent civilian". He was a traitor to his country who has done severe damage to it by disclosing identities of Russian agents in Europe. As to his daughter and the British policeman - unfortunate collateral damage.
3
When you attack a private citizen in a foreign country you are committing an act of war.
28
Ok, so what. He was ALREADY in custody IN RUSSIA and was recently swapped in an exchange for other Russian agents who were caught by the British.
You even think if the Russians really wanted this guy dead that he would have been dead a LONG time ago?
This was murder, perpetrated on the soil of a sovereign nation by a foreign nation, of an ex-spy purely for the purpose of continuing to send the message that you can, and will be murdered, no matter your 'crime,' no matter where you might be. It is nothing other than rule by fear and terror
and it's got Putin's ex-KGB, cold war MO all over it.
May will do nothing. Appeasement is part of their culture and there will be no support from the US government for at least for two to six years. Putin has a free reign.
7
The Rule of Law is part of our culture mister perrywhite, Mrs May will do what can be done within the clear restrictions the British People and its democracy have placed on all our heads of government.
No support for U.K. actions from the U.S. is guaranteed.
It was rather curious that the Trump campaign kept drawing attention to Hillary Clinton's cough while she was still thinking it was only an allergyic reaction. Until she publicly collapsed at the 9/11 memorial, making her appear weak and fragile.
Conspiracy theory about biological warfare anyone? But of course the Russians would never have pulled something like that!
9
Well, of course the British government is weak.
Mrs May-be-not can't sell anything to her own back benches. The so called Question Time - has become a political theater - like this statement.
Nothing substantive except "gotcha."
Of course, Russia will go after it's traitors.
America does want its traitors in a hostile country.
Think Mr Edward Snowden - we would not do what Russia does but we sure want him brought to America for justice - at any cost.
Russian assassinations of traitors goes back in their history and continued with a particular lethality by the communists (Trotsky comes to mind) and current czar.
Britain has become a killing field for Russia to act with impunity. And they will do so again.
The horrible picture of Britain still considering if these corrupt oligarchs should find a welcome mat shows how bankrupt Britain has become - financially, perhaps but morally, for sure. These oligarchs own some of the crown jewels of Britain in terms of sports teams, properties and flaunt them. Worse, Brits fawn over them.
Just about every country has its corrupt citizens living safely in London. It's extradition procedures are so cumbersome and expensive that most 3rd world countries cannot afford them.
Of course, British courts use all kinds of excuses to deny an extradition. Witness this recent British hacker who was allowed to escape extradition to America because he claimed our jails are too tough.
And you don't think Russians know this??
4
Britain is "for sure" morally bankrupt? I'm so glad you didn't stoop to using hyperbole.
Don't expect any condemnation of substance from the Trump administration. Even if this happened in the U.S. it would be swept under the rug. Trump and Putin are buddies.
11
Trump is just a smart and wise man, he doesn't believe fair tales and propaganda
Oh the irony! Despite all of DT’s attempts to debase women, the leadership of the free world now rests in the hands of two women: Theresa May and Angela Merkel.
9
In my opinion, Merkel is the strongest and best leader of the free world.
Thank you Prime Minister for speaking out against Putin's murderous regime. That this would occur on the same day that House Republican preposterously denied Russia's interference in our elections and sovereignty. Is this not treason? Have these people not sold out their nation? November can't get here fast enough.
18
The WH cannot even condemn Russia in support of the UK? Just how deep in is Trump with Putin? Could this have been a Putin test for Trump to gauge his response of whether he sides with the US ally, or stays on point with Putin. Putin must have something extraordinary on Trump...follow the money.
19
Putin couldn't possibly have had a hand in this. After all, Russia has signed chemical weapons treaties that prohibit the production or storage of any nerve gas. We can rely upon treaties, can't we? ;-)
5
From the time of the Russian revolution, Russian governments have sought out what they consider opponents living in Europe and tried to silence them-often with murder. After the revolution, the Bolshevik government of Lenin had many agents in Paris to quell the Russian refugee aristocracy and other elements of opposition.
To punish wayward Russian expats living in another country is almost standard practice for Russian governments and continues without ceasing today. Western cultures cannot really appreciate this Russian penchant for seeking retribution on Russian citizens living abroad=but it is entirely understood in the framework of Russian cultural heritage. Of course, it further defines current Russia that a former KGB person is head of state.
7
This continuous need to punish possible threats goes way back when the Soviets killed exiled Trotsky in Mexico City. This is their culture.
5
Since long before the Russian Revolution, actually.
3
Many governments historically sought to silence citizens living abroad when they become overly critical or dangerous to the regime. This has nothing to do with "the time of Russian revolution". Calling yourself Pushkin you should probably know that. (Note for non-Russian readers: Pushkin was persecuted by Russian Czar for his poetry). And this practice includes Britain - just "ask" the members of the IRA eliminated abroad by the British secret service.
Now what does this pretty ordinary fact have to do with proving that Russian government is behind the poisoning of Skripal? Former Russian spies, "businessmen" and common crooks who found refuge in London continue their shady and dangerous dealings in England for a very simple reason that they do not know how to do anything else. The probability of Skripal being targeted for one of those schemes is hundred times higher than some sort of epic revenge by Vladimir Putin.
1
Guys, the story doesn't make any sense to me. Why russians tried to assassinate (and failed) a useless ex-spy whom they willingly released more than 10 years ago? Why they used an easily identifiable agent of russian origin formulas of which were disclosed in the press? Why they did it just one week before their elections? What is the logic behind their actions?
7
#1: It sends a message to anyone tempted to spy on Russia for a Western power.
#2: It plays to Putin's base on the eve of the election.
19
Troll
9
With respect, I'm not so sure about your arguments:
1# The penalty for a treason in russia is life imprisonment. And the guy was caught and convicted long ago. Is it not a message strong enough that he went away for life?
2# putin will be reelected no matter what. He was not even campaigning. And I dought a murder of an old ex-spy and his daughter would improve his chances. Quite the opposite.
There must be something else.
But the Republicans in the House told the public that there wasn’t any collusion.
4
His own Secretary of State agrees with the British assessment but Trump himself won't acknowledge it. When will his Congressional enablers wake up to the fact that our president is a Manchurian candidate firmly under Putin's thumb. I don't know if it's the money laundering he did for Russian oligarchs or the videos of his sexcapades in as Moscow hotel room but he is proving the veracity of Steele's dossier on an almost daily basis. And the Republicans who always prided themselves on being the "party of national security" now say it's OK for our president to be taking orders from the Kremlin.
12
Trump won't respond and admonish Russia in any way. He's terrified that Ivanka, or someone else close to him, might meet the same fate as the Skripals and others. Not once has so-called-president Trump criticized anything Russia has done. What has happened to the Republican party?! Have they just handed over our government to Trump and his inside coup? It's stomach turning.
10
The Brits seem to think that the Russians will kill their own people but not the nationals of another country. If they started doing that, it would be time to think about Russian security personnel both here and in Russia.
Of course the assassins conveniently left the breadcrumbs like the nerve agent produced in Russia in the 80s. Just like the "hackers" left the metadata of a document created in Russian version of Microsoft Office. This definitely points everyone to look in the right direction. And if someone still does not get it, the "experts" and the "intelligence community" will provide some helpful comments.
Everyone whose brain is at least half working from being constantly bombarded by the anti-Russian hysteria will recognize a false-flag operation and will ask a question - "Who benefits?"
5
If you listen to what the Russians are saying and its vast unbelievable stupidity it would have to be a false flag operation run by the Russians. Does this make sense?
I watched PM Mays announcement and the subsequent spirited debate with a mixture of anger and sadness.
Anger that that mass murderer Putin is able to do this with impunity and sadness that the UK is alone in its stand against him.
The British people who have been evilly attacked with a lethal gas cannot expect any help from Trump notwithstanding the fact that the UK was the first to join us in our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan even though those wars were misguided and in the case of Iraq totally wrong.
Due to Brexit the Europeans will be lukewarm as well even though they face even greater danger from Putin.
I do hope NATO can be persuaded to act , they do not have to resort to force one simple decision would be for all member states to boycott the World Cup.
This will devastate Putin, the Russian people who may then begin to question Putin.
Meanwhile it is my sincere most likely forlorn hope , the UK can back off Brexit join the EU in meaningful reform recognizing they are on their own, against an aggressive Putin, a Chinese Dictatorship and will get no hope from a fading power , the USA which would rather fight them than cosy up to Russia
14
Theresa May will in the end protect the Russian Oligarchs who support her, and the business interests that want access to Russia, more than she will protect the people of the UK. The same as the "elite" ruling class anywhere in the west.
These rich people have sold out. It doesn't matter to them that a chemical attack happened on their own soil. It doesn't matter that British people have to literally clean up the mess themselves while cleaning their clothes. It doesn't matter that a policeman was injured in the attack.
Theresa May and her Cronies will, at best call the Russian Ambassador and speak to him.
She will do nothing and the Russians will continue on course, because the west is sold out. The leaders don't care about their own people.
Donald Trump's administration won't say Russia in this case, and all I hear from Democrats is crickets.
1
If it looks like a fish, smells like a fish, and swims like a fish, the odds are, indeed, that it is a fish, plausible deniability notwithstanding,
Putin, like most popular dictators, will push and push until someone says NO! Following Poland's lead, he is now even claiming Jews and some ethnic groups can't be Russians. As Eastern Europe gallops toward national self-definitions of ethnic majoritarian homogeneity, Western Europe finds its liberal values under major challenge not just from abroad but even domestically.
For all our many problems and hypocrisies, America still stands out as a beacon, a country whose very definition is prescribed by ideals largely embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the amended Constitution. We measure our failures, success, and even our legitimacy as a nation by how far we are from achieving those ideals. What other country can say that?
As we rightly criticize many of Trump's actions, let us be careful not to give him the power to define our country. We are much, much more than his mean-spirited and limited vision. Perhaps the very absence of Trump's America as a temporary force for good on the international stage will prod other countries, such as Great Britain, to flex their own muscles, when it comes to maintaining liberal values. For too long other countries, especially Western Europe, could pretend all was well, as it built its admirable social safety net shielded by America's international leadership and military protection.
11
I would not go to any extremes in political thought, checks and balances is a concept that keeps us from getting over our heads with particular ideology, whether liberal or conservative.
2
Theresa May has more courage and patriotism than the Republican members of the US House Intelligence Committee who have betrayed their country and bowed to Putin and Trump today. I hope that is the end of the GOP Party in America. You go, Theresa.
43
I tell you, Putin is quaking right now at the might of Theresa May. Quaking I say!
Saying it’s “highly likely” is just mere steps from her upgrading her position to “rather miffed” (which is the UK equivalent of Defcon 2).
Full disclosure: I cannot stand Theresa May, but I am also realistic as to the modern power of my country, or lack thereof and also the perniciousness of Russian cash making its way into political parties as well as how delicious Russian oil and gas is to politicians and energy CEOs who also bankroll politicians. I would however be impressed if May undertook any actual action that made Russia look up, such as ejecting an Ambassador or seizing lots of assets, but I don’t expect anything to happen.
6
Russian money has reached and corrupted the very heart of the british political establishment. That is true.
10
It will be quite illuminating to see how Trump responds, or not, to this crime executed on America's closest friend.
He responds quite vociferously to the silliest things at all hours, except when something casts a passing shadow on Putin.
24
Every Republican in Congress should look at the concerned, serious faces on every member in the British Parliament as Theresa May is addressing this Russian attack on British soil.
Theresa May please show the complicit, cowardly, and derelict Republican President, and his complicit, cowardly and derelict Republican Congress what a full range of measures looks like in response to a Russian attack.
32
Howie, would exactly are you asking for?
John, to begin with DJT should enforce the Russian sanctions Congress voted for LAST YEAR.
1
One good thing will come off this horrible murder attempt: Trump will be forced to reveal his cards sooner than he and we thought when the Brits decide what to do and ask for support from the US.
13
Honestly. This last year-plus seems like a bad James Bond movie where the President is actually a Russian counterspy and the bad guys win at every turn. While congress sits there reading their shoelaces. What a nightmare.
27
What does the Left Coast want them to do? Since Obama did nothing, please provide a suggestion instead of whining.
Two words: Oil Embargo.
Time for some real sanctions, for a change...
8
It's too bad so many in the EU need Russian gas.
That's another plus for getting off fossil fuels - strangling the money flow of the Russian gas station.
The only way to discourage a bully is to stand up to him. Putin's attacks will only grow bolder and more outrageous if he is not stopped. Appeasement didn't work on the 1930s, and it won''t work now. Britain should freeze the assets of any Russians associated with the Putin government, and expel them from the country. Time to call upon the spirit of Sir Winston Churchill.
20
That is exactly what Putin wants - the main motivation for this act actually. I bet Russian oligarchs are already moving their liquid assets back to Russia, even as May's ultimatum clock is ticking. Putin couldn't be happier.
So, it’s a double murder attempt by the state, it’s Putin-Russia intimidation, sending the message to any not loyal to Putin. Ring kissing time in Moscow? So, President Trump ignores Prime Minister May’s statement. Guess he wants to blow up the Special Relationship. A Putin Asset in The White would be expected to behave so. Sarah Huckabee Sanders sings the Trump line, destroying her name. Paul Ryan is so quiet. Oligarch’s Russian money is flowing west. To Germany. How much was spent on North Korea since 1948? Mr. Kim bragging. Mr. Putin bragging. Big toys. Hear Trump’s silence. Putin assets do the Putin Polka. The music is not familiar. Written in Russian?
6
those gosh darn Russians, killing people in other countries with poison, they and the North Koreans. This is worse than "Spy vs Spy" in the old Mad magazines, but only one side is doing it. Of course we are not exactly innocent I'm sure in the whole scheme of things, it is just that our stuff is kept secret. The Russians complain from time to time about this and that, but usually don't complain too loudly as they want to keep the skullduggery as quiet as possible. (I guess - who knows what lurks in their frozen minds?)
1
That the Russian government feels secure enough to attack, injure and kill civilians in Western capitols and then joke about it on Twitter, says everything you need to know about the resolve of the West today.
17
A western capitol giving refuge to a traitor. Can't say that I blame Putin.
Who was this message sent to? Maybe straight to Don? Along with a warning on super missiles so that he won't do anything stupid. Family members travel a lot and they are vulnerable.
7
This type of barbarian behavior---killing someone by means that can cause a great deal of pains in such a ruthless fashion (eliminating father/daughter at the same time)---will put Putin perpetually in the same category with his predecessors such as Stalin, Hitler, ... etc.
British public and government must condemn it loudly and strongly, for this is not the first time cold-blooded Putin ordered to execute such cruelty in British soil.
11
THIS is how to shut- up the Donald. Blame something on his friends, the Russians. Wow, who knew ???
5
Once wealth is concentrated in a few individuals in each state, the state is weak, meaningless. Too many wealthy individual Britons would suffer too much if the British government just 'did the right thing.' The same is true in the US, as we all know. In fact, it is true everywhere. We can all sing about the voice of the people and of social welfare triumphing over narcissistic and evil greed, but the uber wealthy laugh at us as we do, because we think that our outrage will right things. It won't. This is where we are, people. It is The Matrix, only with wealthy humans - not supercomputers - creating and controlling our reality.
3
Has Trump twitted about the attack yet? "BOLD! Sends a strong message! Very strong! We need to start doing that!'.
2
Obama refused to punish CIA agents who actively participated in the torture of individuals during the Bush administration, which torture the FBI declined to be present for and warned of its illegality. A CIA official destroyed records and video tapes of these torture events and went unpunished. Obama didn't want to open the book on this bit of nastiness during his administration.
We look the other way while the Saudis (the same folks who flew the planes into the World Trade Center towers on 9/11) kill hapless Yemenis. We ourselves are disloyal to the Kurds in the face of Turkish aggression in northern Syria after the Kurds were our true ally in defeating ISIS on the ground.
So, why would Russia be fearful of poisoning a former double-agent who worked against them? There really isn't much Britain, or the U.S., or the E.U. can do to punish the Russians, unless we want to start really killing agents, in which case there are many American/European agents available as targets to kill as Russian agents. Or we can start a cyber-war with the Russians, but Obama recognized in 2016 that the West has more to lose in a cyber-war with the Russians than the Russians do because of our vast dependence on internet controls of mechanical systems such as nuclear power plants, electrical and water grids, factory controls, banking systems, the stock markets, etc. And one never knows when someone is going to go too far with cyber-war attacks and end up in real shooting war.
6
Replying to
> There really isn't much Britain, or the U.S., or the E.U. can do to punish the Russians ...
This is simply not true. Russia is not North Korea, in that it is still firmly integrated into the global commerce and depends heavily on exporting its natural resources. Unlike with North Korea, the world has not even started applying any serious economic sanctions to Putin's regime. The West can, and should punish Russia by refusing to buy their oil and gas.
2
It would seem reasonable to assume that the attack happened while the Skripals were sitting on the park bench. The police officer and others who helped them were affected very quickly, and the people in the restaurant would certainly have become ill by now. We can hope that the impact of the poison will not be widespread.
1
The Russians are shaping up for some biggies in the next ten years. Mad Maudlin's Almanack predicts-
The EU will see it's eastern border fade away when the Poles and Hungarians are asked to become net contributors to the EU budget following the departure of the UK. The Russians will tease and taunt. The Poles and Hungarians will be seduced away from Brussels.
The Turks will leave NATO and the Russians will build bases in Turkey. By 2028 the Turks will have invaded and occupied the Dodecanese islands and NATO will do nothing. The EU will cobble together a rag-tag task force composed of fat German troops commanded by an elderly French General, who will take up an attitude of 'defence' in mainland Greece.
I predict. It will come to pass.
1
And that, Mr. Clown president, is how one accuses Russia of wrongdoing. Prime Minister May is showing you up. I guess that's to be expected since Putin isn't *her* handler.
36
Putin, Kim, Duterte, Assad, Xi, keep going. A group, not very long ago, Republicans would have accused Dems of being soft on. Where're all those "patriots" now I wonder? And still...Trump. Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and Mount Rushmore are all shaking and cracking. Come on, November.
27
Being English I am very interested to see how all this plays out...I really hope Mrs May stands her ground...and if she does then she will be a far greater and braver person then the President of the United States.
58
scarlett,
I can say with certainty that regardless of what Prime Minister Theresa May does she's "a far greater and braver person" than the current president of the United States.
22
It's unsettling to learn of the 14 previous suspicious deaths that haven't been treated as suspicious by the U.K. police. Trump's known ties to NY Russian mobsters and Russian Oligarchs were largely ignored here Pre-Election. Did exposing Trump's ties pose a threat to our own dark Russian monied interests as they appear to be loath to expose Russian dark monied interests in Britain?
15
This man was in jail in Russia and was released through a swap for Russian spies in the US.
But Putin could not let it go. I am sure those informants involved in the Steeles dossier have been either pushed, or will be soon.
British spies hav defended their country against Russians for decades. I trust I think the Steeles dossier could be mote trusted than Republicans in the Congress and Senate.
12
One of the most troubling things I have read in the past weeks is that Obama resisted publicly accusing Russia of meddling in the 2016 election for fear that Putin would order our electrical grid crippled. Apparently, Russia has that capability. For years experts have been warning that our grid is insufficiently protected and for years Congress has refused to release funds for upgrade nor pass laws requiring utilities to protect one of our most critical assets. And now we are basically at the mercy of Putin.
10
...and we are doing LESS than nothing. Trump is actively supporting them!
5
During the White House press briefly AFTER this announcement,
President Trump ignored Prime Minister May's asserting Russia's involvement. Even in this Trump will not condemn Putin.
15
Plausible deniability notwithstanding, the odds are if it looks like a fish, smells like a fish, and swims like a fish that, indeed, it is a fish.
Putin, like most popular dictators, will push and push until someone says NO! Following Poland's lead, he is now even claiming Jews and some ethnic groups can't be Russians. As Eastern Europe gallops toward national self-definitions of ethnic majoritarian homogeneity, Western Europe finds its liberal values under major challenge not just from abroad but even domestically.
For all our many problems and hypocrisies, America still stands out as a beacon, a country whose very definition is prescribed by ideals largely embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the amended Constitution. We measure our failures, success, and even our legitimacy as a nation by how far we are from achieving those ideals. What other country can say that?
As we rightly criticize many of Trump's actions, let us be careful not to give him the power to define our country. We are much, much more than his mean-spirited and limited vision. Perhaps the very absence of Trump's America as a temporary force for good on the international stage will prod other countries, such as Great Britain, to flex their own muscles, when it comes to maintaining liberal values. For too long other countries, especially Western Europe, could pretend all was well, as it built its admirable social safety net shielded by America's international leadership and military protection.
4
And the United States continues to act as the Chief Enabler. So far, not a word from the president of the United States. His spokesperson, Ms. Sanders, also continued to avoid taking any stand, employing the usual vagueness, generalizing about the special relationship with the UK, protecting The Boss. Why wouldn't Putin continue to engage in disrupting the democracies of all the Western countries, and with the blessing of the United States? Unless and until we take substantial action, like Pres. Obama began to do while he was still in office, this Russian monster has free reign.
11
Congratulations to Theresa May for a vigorous response to Russian activity in Britain.Do we hear echoes of the "Iron Lady"?Her principled response to Russia makes Mr.Trump look even more conflicted and wimpy.
15
Is not Trump a Putin asset? Is not Mr. Kim?
Is Putin asking for war? Watch him walk.
Self-Conscious Angry - his walk is his tell.
Interviewed, he responds like a good KGB man.
Not like Mr. Gorbachev. Who had a good marriage. And was a good man.
Where have all the good men gone?
Long time passing.
3
if you don't know it yet after Gorbachev the country become dramatically poor, economy and great industries got ruined,... there was war inside of Russia and many other bad things happened... that is why the West loves Gorby, including you.
I did not vote for him, but it is pretty clear that HC lost the election to DT because of the 70 rust belt electoral votes she assumed she had, but since she did not campaign in the rust belt and DT did, he got them. The point is DT is so egotistical that any time Russian is in fact responsible for some atrocity as here or some other bad act, DT will not agree because he seems to think to do so, lends credibility to the narrative that he owes his office to Russian. Until Mueller says so, it did not happen that way.
1
In point of fact-if they are still permissible- the agent allegedly used was manufactured in Uzbekistan whose government has , since 1991, co-operating with the US to dispose of its chemical weapons stocks.
May, wrongly, suggests that only Russia knows how to produce these agents developed by the USSR. In fact they are being produced by Porton Down, eight miles from the park bench where this poor man and his entirely innocent daughter were found.
The word Russia has become a licence in the 'west' for dropping all rules of evidence and decency and barking like a dog of war.
8
You give no proof that Britain produces this nerve agent. The former Soviet Union did produce it, and its destruction with U.S. help in one of the Soviet republics, Uzbekistan, by no means indicates the agent became obsolete in the others. Putin has approved extraterritorial killings with plutonium. All fingers logically point to Moscow.
4
you sound so funny, you need proof that it was not Britain and at the same time where are your proof that it was made by Russia ? Where is proof that Putin gives orders????
If there's one thing we've learned about Russia's MO, it's that if something works well the first time, they will continue the behavior over and over again. To Russia, its oligarchs and politicians, the rest of the world is their playground and it belongs to them.
3
This was a terrorist attack on British soil. No one wants to call the Russian government out, because we don't want to believe they are just as bad as any other rogue nation. They are. Get over your reluctance to believe what's obvious.
12
Just wait until Trump weighs in, telling us that Russia couldn’t possibly have been involved in this attempted assassination because they have denied involvement.
10
So the UK is a NATO member and as such can expect support from NATO members in the event of an attack. Use of a nerve agent on British soil can only be seen as an attack.
How weak and spineless will the US president be in response?
6
Totally! He would be risking exposure by the Russians as a covert, bought operative.
3
It is time for the West to retaliate with full force.
When are weak politicians in the UK and in the US understand that the only language Putin gets is the language of violence and retaliation. Non action only means weakness to a KGB agent. At this point I am also not only in favor of all kinds of sanctions but also on keeping military options on the table. NATO should be strengthen to respond in Poland the Ukraine and the Crimea. Russians need to understand that they can potentially be destroyed in a conflict with the West otherwise they will continue to do whatever they want.
Of course this cannot be accomplished because we have a Russian agent/puppet/clown in this white house for president!
4
Strikes me as peculiar why whoever did the deed didn't buy one of the handguns (smuggled in deep concealments in cars by east European or Baltic criminals-isn't the EU lovely?) currently for sale on the black market in a city like Manchester. Pop, bang, chuck the weapon in the North Sea on the way back to Mother Russia.
Why use traceable chemicals? Either the Russians are thick, or....oh, hang on...
4
The subterfuge, the denials behind a smirk, the James Bond quality of it all sends a message and circulates a fear in dark circles that a crude shooting never would.
Because that is the reaction they are after. Nobody cares about a washed-out retired traitor-spy. They chose him as a target only because they had zero pity for him.
Russia shows here that it cannot be trusted in treaties and agreements.
A swap is a swap.
Russia agreed to swap Skripal for Russian agents he wanted back.
The agreement was not to release Skripal so that he could later be executed.
Why hasn't Trumpler commented on the bad faith of this pal Putin?
Or for that matter, why haven't the PutinPublicans spoken against Russia.
Guess we'll have to wait until the blue tsunami in November.
10
No doubt the lack of a robust response – apart from a fraught relationship – from Britain to Litvinenko's death in 2006 had emboldened Russia. BBC Steve Rosenberg met Putin in Krasnodar today and aksed if Russia was behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Putin seemed amused and said he would discuss the issue, when Britain has “got to the bottom” of the case. He really believes there’s nothing Britain can do to retaliate. In 2013 Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman told Russian journalists that Britain was diplomatically irrelevant, calling it “a small island no one listens to.”
Now the world awaits Theresa May’s next move. Many in Britain urged her to call for international solidarity to punish Russia. The problem is that she can’t expect much from the EU, as some member states have good ties to Moscow. Unlike the old days, she can no longer ask Trump for help. We know why.
There are a few unilateral actions that Britain can take without risking a tit-for-tat from Russia – like boycotting the upcoming World Cup and freezing the wealth of the Russian oligarchs in Britain. The many other actions – designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, cutting it from SWIFT, EU-sanctions etc. – require international support.
21
The UK can stop the oligarchs from laundering money through UK real estate. There's are start.
12
Right on. If Putin can't stop them, why not let May do it for him?
1
Any guess why Paul Manafort is willing to go to prison rather than tell Mueller what he knows about the Kremlin, Russian oligarchs and organized crime figures?
Prison is a lot safer than being on the street when you've crossed the Russians, which they just wanted to remind everyone.
50
I still think he will turn but you could be right
The prisons are full of Russian mobsters. Manafort is no safe there than on the streets. I'd be more concerned about one of Trump's hired "fixers".
How can secret agents that the Russians know are UK agents actually be useful sources of intelligence?
5
The victim in this case contributed to the Steele dossier as I understand it, and it's possible that it was the motive for the attempted murder--can't be interviewed by Mueller now.
7
I certainly hope we go after CIA agents who are disloyal with a vengeance as well. When someone joins foreign intelligence, they give up the right to defect just because of the nature of the job.
There is no story here other than the fact that someone has access to a nerve agent in UK.
5
Troll
10
This is complete and utter nonsense. The person in question had, in fact, been arrested in Russia and sent to jail. He had not absconded abroad and defected. He part of a spy swap, meaning the US and Russia traded assets that had been caught. The unwritten rule of these swaps is that you do no go after the people you give away.
You do not understand the basics of this case. Get informed. We do not murder assets who have freed in prisoner exchanges. Those are the actions of a mad dog, and if you behave like a mad dog, eventually you'll get put down like one, too.
6
You have to appreciate Vladimir Dzhabarov's response. He didn't say "We would never kill a British informant living in the UK." He said "Sergei Skripal wasn't worth killing. Why are you looking at us?" There's a pretty blunt distinction between the two narratives.
14
Seems like a dog whistle to any others swapped in these exchanges.
Good response, but when, when, when will the UK acknowledge that Russia had a role in the "Brexit" run-up and vote, just like they did in the US election. When will the UK hunt down all the sources of funding, and who received it, for pro-Brexit stances?
37
I think you will find that if you follow the money you will find yourself at the front door of the Labour Party, which more recently has become the Communist Party. Brexit was the biggest democratic mandate in UK political history and resulted because we are fed up with being ruled by an undemocratic EU dictatorship whilst being bled dry for the privilege. Let me ask you, would you be happy if China were making 75% of your laws and you had to pay through the nose for it - no I didn't think so.
1
MikeC - Literally no-one has talked about The Labour Party secretly funding Brexit! (??). That statement itself is embarrassing to even write. And nor are the Labour Party a Communist Party - this is just the same old boring errant nonsense harking back decades and decades. Corbyn is an old leftist, but the Labour Party is a social democratic party filled with mainly centre-left MPs taking note that their support base has moved. The majority of Labour members want a fair deal in the country where billionaires pay taxes, the NHS is funded properly and politicians don’t spitefully target disabled people or the poorest in society like the Tories do. 99.9% of them are not Communists at all - they believe in fair democracy (btw, I’m not a member) and are the complete opposite of statists.
However there have been legitimate questions asked - in Parliament - about possible Russian interference in Brexit via social media, or credible questions about funding and donations for the Leave groups. Farage, Banks et al have all been named (Banks is in an inquiry as to where he got a lot of money from). Even the DUP have refused to reveal the sources of huge donations due to a curious NI law. Farage speaks highly of Putin, met with Assange (and lied about it), and got very ruffled when a journalist put him on the spot (what, unflappable old Nige? Just having a laugh and a pint? Ruffled you say?). Whether they swung it is unlikely, but they were involved.
A complaint from a Briton about someone setting laws from afar and making the subject pay through the nose? Where do I remember that from? Seems so familiar! Hmmmm....1776 or something, wasn't it?
1
Nerve agent? I think we can eliminate a robber from Slough.
5
The entire western alliance is under direct attack by Putin and Russian counterintelligence for some time. Only Republicans pretend this isn't happening.
54
I've lived in London for over 35 years. Through the IRA bombings, Jihadist attacks etc. but this has a particularly worrying aspect to it, and so many seem to just want to ignore it.
I've read a number of apologists for Russia here and in reaction to the US Administrations connection to Russia and it depresses me. Their logic being that the West has done the same kind of thing to the Russians.
What these people don't understand is that the West may have assassinated spies on foreign soil and tried to influence public opinion in Russia but what they didn't do, which is the distinguishing point of this and the Litvinenko murder, is adopt a method that will inevitably endanger the lives of average UK citizens.
One of our police was made ill by this poisoning and several innocent UK citizens who happened to be in the wrong place have become ill thanks to the Litvinenko murder. This was done without any concern for the public. It is an attack on our soil and people. It's outrageous.
It would be reassuring to have the support of the United States President and administration. I see no sign of that happening.
Perhaps this was not ordered by the Kremlin but it is near certain it was designed to warn any Russian who tries to subvert the Russian State that they will be murdered no matter where they hide.
This is extremely worrying and the UK really needs it's friends in the West to come together to help try to stop this insanity...lest it happen in your town next.
54
"I've read a number of apologists for Russia here and in reaction to the US Administrations connection to Russia and it depresses me." .....The Russians have a very active propaganda program working on U.S. social media, and that includes the comment section of the NYT. If you read the comment section regularly you can tell whenever Russia or Putin are the subject of an article the tone and tenner of the collective comments make a distinctive change.
5
I totally second your view on it. I hope my country,France shows support to the UK. We should redraw our teams from the next football World Cup in Russia.
7
Unfortunately for Britain "friends in the west" no longer includes members of the
EU. Brexit said adios to them, and seeking support from that group of nations will likely get the reciprocal response.
What I don't get is why wasn't Skripal given more protection/new identity, and furthermore why as part of a prisoner exchange, was he still a known visitor to the Russian Embassy? Complacency? The backstory is a little odd.
Apparently we were blind-sided by this incident. After Litvinenko, Markov and others, this is somewhat difficult to swallow. The Tories have dragged their heels over supporting Labour's attempt to introduce a British equivalent of the Magnitsky Act, for technical reasons! Meanwhile, it's on record that since 2010 Russian oligarchs have donated £3 million to the Tory party. Cash for influence!
We don't need Russian spooks; to be used as a laundromat or to legitimize corrupt Russians. Here's hoping the government will at last do the right thing and expel, sequester assets and block future entry.
18
What happened to beyond reasonable doubts? Seems like 'likely' and 'highly possible' are good enough now.
3
this isn't a court of law we are talking about
1
Because only the Soviets have produced this kind of deadly nerve agent. Why are so many Republicans suddenly interested in due process for Putin.
6
Yeah, reasonable doubt as to who would like to dispose of a Russian double agent, someone who Putin has already threatened to kill, using a neurotoxin? You're right, it could have been anyone at all. Not.
2
While keeping an open mind, the odds are if it looks like a fish, smells like a fish, and swims like a fish that, indeed, it is a fish.
Putin, like most popular dictators, will push and push until someone says NO! Following Poland's lead, he is now even claiming Jews and some ethnic groups can't be Russians. As Eastern Europe gallops toward national definitions of ethnic majoritarian homogeneity, Western Europe finds its liberal values under major challenge not just from abroad but even domestically. For all our many problems and hypocrisies, America still stands out as a beacon, a country whose very definition is prescribed by ideals largely embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the amended Constitution. We measure our failures, our success, and our very legitimacy as a nation by how far we are from achieving those ideals. What other countries can say that?
As we rightly criticize many of Trump's actions, let us be careful we do not give him the power to define our country. We are much, much more than his mean-spirited and limited vision. Perhaps the very absence of Trump's America as a temporary force for good on the international stage will prod other countries, such as Great Britain, to flex their own muscles, when it comes to maintaining liberal values. For too long other countries, especially Western Europe, could pretend all was well, as it built its admirable social safety net under shielded by America's international leadership and military protection.
14
We have spent a lot more money than what was needed to protect them from Russia. What we need to spend money on now is paper ballots
1
So apart from the false flag conspiracy theorists this now seems pretty clear. Either as a result of state direction or, more worryingly perhaps. potentially as a result of repudiatable parties outside direct Kremlin control Russia has organised the use of chemical weapons on the streets of Englans, a country which, if not exactly "friendly", is at least not as yet in a state of war.
Just as with the Crimea, the Russian propaganda apparatus has gone into its normal deception overdrive. "What? Soldiers? In Crimea? No, not ours! They're not even wearing Russian uniforms! This is obviously a Ukrainian plot to discredit Mother Russia!" Lavrov is wheeled out to bluster the impossibility of Russian involvement. Meanwhile Russian state-controlled television channels make hardly-coded suggestions that the deaths of Russian "traitors" is only to be expected.
Britain's circumspect response to Litvinenko's assassination is widely repeated as a sign of weakness with causative reactions for Skripal (and, it seems 5-10 other "odd" deaths in recent years.
So what can Britain do now? Many advise financial sanctions against Russian oligarchs, but many of these are in London because they are the remnants of opposition to Putin, so that's not so clear. Our US allies, even cum-Magnitsky may not rush to help either.
I think, given a week to pull out the 1,000+ "serious" UK intelligence assets now in Russia, the answer may be to just tell the world all that we know. All.
6
If sanctions didn't effect them they wouldn't be going to extreme lengths to have them removed
3
You do not mention that the poisoning of unintended(?) targets (Ms. Skripal and the policeman) is new and really outrageous. I hope they all survive without bad effects, but it seems unlikely.
Russians can no longer be treated as part of the civilized world.
15
Great Britain, seize all the properties of Russian nationals.
If the oligarchs are denied living in safe, stable areas abroad -- they'll begin to get weary of Vladimir Putin.
Add to the economic sanctions and bring the Russian economy to its knees.
Putin will be dispatched.
25
...and Trump continues to deny that Russia is still a bad actor and that they have active programs involving all Western countries. They must own him - follow the money!
18
Let me add that the appearances of Marion Maréchal-Le Pen and Nigel Farage at CPAC was no outlier. The "conservative" movement is worse than an oxymoron. It is now part of treason to a foreign power.
18
If Britain's Prime Minister can criticize Russia for attempted murder on her home soil, why can't the president take Russia to task for election espionage in the United States? Russia's attack on the American electoral system in 2016 was certainly not "a circus show".
20
He's afraid of being poisoned.
3
Trump could, but for some strange reason he doesn't want to.
1
The obvious answer is that Trump doesn't want to undermine the legitimacy of his close election victory by acknowledging that it may not have been a fair race. I think he's on the record acknowledging meddling, just not meddling with a dispositive effect. I agree it was not a circus show but a hall of mirrors op that was run out of various places.
1
Stop the Russians from buying real estate, freeze their bank accounts., put a special tax on real estate or other assets they try ad sell and most of all find out where Putin is hiding his money in a British colony.
Hit them in the pocket book that will tame mr. putin.
18
How would one detect and remove individual grains of a powder, presumably as fine as corn starch or flour?
Assuming the Russians to be guilty of this assault, how is this any less an act of war than would be the dropping of a bomb from a plane, piloted by a Russian officer under the directions of Putin, flying overhead?
Assuming Trump will not renege on our NATO commitment, we are obligated to come to their aid in such a situation. Or am I mistaken?
7
You are indeed mistaken. You really don't understand how is this different from dropping a bomb? God help us if such confusion also penetrates our leadership.
Let's see, David, a weapon of high potential of mass-lethality is indiscriminately deployed in a metropolitan area by a foreign power, and this is not an act of war? Unlike the murder of Litvinenko, who died from swallowing a radioactive poison, the attack on Skripal could not be so precisely focused as on Litvinenko by the very nature of the weapon used. When merely being within breathing range of the weapon is sufficient to cause injury or death, whether the "collateral damage" is intended or not, it becomes an assault on all, not on one or a mere few. When the assailant is a foreign government, it is, indeed, war.
If the Russian government is using Sarin, or some other banned nerve toxin or agent abroad as a weapon of less-than-discriminate or discrete assassination, that is a lot worse than just your garden variety murder, as it exposes scores, perhaps hundred of innocent civilians to 'collateral harm.' If this was done or authorized by Putin as an act of State . . . It is an act of war!
9
The blatant use of a poison that is military-grade and could only have been made in Russia shows the impunity with which Putin now thinks he can act against Western countries now that the President of the USA refuses to challenge or confront him in any way at all. Those videos from Trump's 2013 Moscow hotel room are paying off big-time.
6
Imperial Russia was an expansionary state for centuries, starting with Ivan the Terrible, and taking on far more in the 18th and 19th centuries. Stalin's Soviet Union expanded its empire even farther into central Europe and intervened through support for local Communist Parties and propaganda worldwide. By the 1960s and '70s, the Soviet Union was engaged in Cuba, Africa, and Afghanistan, while Indira Gandhi's India was at best a "fellow traveler." Putin's Russia follows in that tradition: He seems to own a fawning scam artist whom he helped install in the White House to divide and inflame Americans; Le Pen and Farage have taken his money; and the Italian right, now about to take a more active role, applauds him. Bribery, blackmail, electronic hacking, bots on social media - these are not enough. Poison, nerve gas, and assassinations await dissidents and threats to Putin's gangster state, after his massacres in Chechnya and blowing up civilians in their apartments in Russia. Are Americans, incited by the far-right, really ready to accept a subordinate status to Russia, not just in the Middle East, but world-wide? Tillerson has done his utmost to destroy the State Department. Trump won't protect Americans from Russian interference in the mid-terms this year. What a sad plight for the country!
7
So in Britain, they poisoned a spy and his daughter.
In the US, they installed a Russian agent in the Oval Office, stole and election.
The question is, what response.
Because until their are consequences for Russia breaking international conventions, it will continue.
14
If "Stormy Daniels" dies suddenly, we can assume the trumpster asked Putin to do it.
4
Russia poisoned people in UK. Trump does nothing. Russia meddled in American elections. Trump does nothing.Russia is all over social media now. Trump does nothing.Congress passed sanctions on Russia. Trump does nothing. WHY? PROTECT AMERICA. PUT THE RUSSIAN SANCTIONS IN PLACE. Ray Sipe registered Florida voter AARP member
16
Start seizing Russian state assets.
8
Seriously? There are far more British and American assets in Russia then Russian assets in UK. The score will be like 50:1 in favour of Russia value wise if we go that route.
Trump says it might have been a 400 guy sitting on the edge of his bed that orchestrated this attack.
3
What he did in Britain is terrible but Putin saved his most powerful nerve agent for us.
6
The only thing Putin cares about is keeping his citizens fooled, which he does via a controlled media. There have been several poisoning, invading Crimea, killings of journalists and on and on. Their media presents such news so as to make others responsible as Russia did in Crimea calling her soldiers there to be "on leave".
Putin is a gang leader and not a statesman.
6
Apparently, Putin does not have any compromising information on the British Prime Minister . . . wouldn't it be nice if Americans could think that Putin does not have any compromising information on their President, also?
8
See, donnie, that's how it's done.
4
Western impotence , lead by agent Trump , in full display.
5
Its all fake news or maybe just another witch hunt.
1
Huh? There are some very sick people with highly unusual symptoms seen by non-political medical staff and cops.
2
Putin's "Yeah, so what?" attitdue regarding meddling in the 2016 presidential election will again be brought out for the poisoning of a former Russian agent in Britain. Trump refuses to sanction him, because, Yeah, so what? The surprise will be if Theresa May and Britain actually do anything about it.
13
What should she do, I wonder...?
1
Vanessa - we don't hold our breath for any action on anything from May. Let's see but my guess is she'll vascillate, then make a big staged announcement leading to nothingville. Coming from a country with decades of infiltratration by Russian spies, it makes me somewhat sick.
1
Get on with it Ms. PM. Kick the oligarchs out.
34
Putin is acting like a villain in a Batman movie.
He's just a two bit mob boss robbing his own country and with his "associates" looking to expand their territory. He deserves to be an international pariah.
41
Spy games, nuclear brinksmanship, retrograde race and religious views. At least McCarthy didn't kow tow to Russia. Donald really is bringing us back to 1952 - about the time his emotional growth ended.
But we the people will have the last word. VOTE!!!!!
26
Our nation should break off diplomatic relations with Russia ! as a veteran i believe that Russia is far worse threat than North Korea . Its time that Congress take action since our President continue his delusional of Russia , and most likely owes the Russians for his Presidency !
25
And let me guess....not a word on this from our President.
24
No not at all,
When 9/11 happened Britain came and stand with us. N
Now USA is turning back the favour with Trump absolute betrayal.
So much for our allies.
2
What does this say about the validity of the Steele Dossier? Coincidence? I think not.
30
There’s Links
Big Time !
3
Wow! A World leader who puts here Nation's interests ahead of politics? Let us guess what The Donald's response would be to a similar attack on American soil.
8
What? How is that in UK interest to destroy relationships with Russia over a dead spy? That would be just stupid. That would also beg the question: Who is really interested in UK's destroying relationships with Russia?
"Hey, it could have been anyone, even someone sitting on their bed who weighs 400 pounds."
Thoughtfully offered,
DJT
17
It was thought at the time that perhaps Carl Proffer, head of Ardis Press, and publishing gadfly of the Russian leadership, who died at 46 of cancer might have been poisoned somehow. So do not think Russia has not reached across the Atlantic. Words matter in Russia and repressed literature. It is worth recapturing the time when novels were potential weapons.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1988/02/15/the-russian-...
4
From ice-picks to nerve agents, Russia has always been ruthless in taking care of it's "enemies of the State." How else can one explain the longevity of it's leaders? I don't see Putin going anywhere anytime soon!
5
The timing is rather odd, though. Why would Russia do this at this time? They are gearing up for a global charming offensive with the upcoming World Championship in football (soccer), so why would they put that in jeopardy? I am just wondering. A man like Skripal is bound to have a lot of enemies who might like to serve a cold dish of revenge. Yes, it looks like the sort of attack that only a state could be behind, but the timing is certainly very strange.
7
To your point, timing is odd. Prince William bowed out of his ambassadorial soccer responsibilities before anyone had a handle on this. Weird.
1
The poison might only be available to the Russian government.
And maybe that was the idea, to do this at a time when it would seem 'rather odd,' to lend plausible deniability - as if any time isn't 'the right time' for the criminal Russian state to off its opponents.
1
What is an appropriate response (assuming Russian responsibility)?
I have no specifics to offer, but surely the guiding principles should be 1) complete debilitation of all means at Russia's disposal to violate British law now and for the next 5 years (even if this involved closing the Russian Embassy and sending the Russian Ambassador to Great Britain packing), and 2) maximum financial pain, both short- and long-term.
Any response that could be characterized as purely or mainly symbolic would be completely inappropriate.
8
That is just insane. Who really thinks that one dead retired spy is worth all that? Come off it. It will all blow over as it always does. There are more important things.
Russia has a huge landmass, but that's really is as far as its greatness goes. It has a population roughly the size of Pakistan and an economy $500 million smaller than Italy. It has one aircraft carrier designed in the sixties which spends more time in port being repaired than at sea. A vast amount of its wealth is syphoned off and shared amongst Putin and his criminal band of thieves. Pensions are roughly $100 a month. Russia puts millions of dollars into interfering in other countries politics and pretending it's a great power. It isn't!
58
Is there any historical precedent for one sovereign parliament calling another 'a circus' for allegations of state-backed murder?
2
I am not sure the Russian Federation parliament is 'sovereign' in any real sense.
2
Is it possible under the U.N. Charter to revoke the outlaw Russian regime as a permanent voting member on the Security Council? If feasible, steps should be taken to begin this process. First, the unlawful seizure of Crimea, then the ongoing electoral sabotage in a number of Western democracies, and now this highly dangerous act perpetrated in England. Putin's Russia should be isolated and sanctioned to the greatest extent for its systemic, threatening, warlike behaviors to world peace.
10
No - Article 23 is outrageous but incontrovertible, there is no process to revoke permanent member voting rights
Thank you, Ms. Jones, for the information.
Between this and past targeted assassinations/assassination attempts in the West, attempts to undermine democracy in multiple western countries, and the overt actions to bolster a barbaric chemical weapon user in Syria...Russia has become as much a rogue nation as North Korea. Putin and Russia must feel very real pain in the aftermath, or we just encourage such behavior and validate the Russian belief that the West is weak.
20
Right now would be a really useful time for the UK to be able to count on strong support from its NATO allies... but...
23
Then Parliament should follow the money to UKIP and Farage, the one-trick pony party that brought about Brexit. I wouldn't be surprised if it were a Putin front.
14
I think if you followed the money you would most likely find yourself at the front door of the Labour Party which has transformed more recently into the Communist Party. The reason that the UK voted for Brexit in the biggest democratic mandate in UK political history is that we are fed up with being ruled by a undemocratic EU dictatorship whilst being bled dry for the privilege. I know, I live here.
@MikeC
So do I, and I can say you are speaking nonsense. Labour funding Leave campaigns?! Er, no.
What can the UK really do that doesn't stop the money train flowing into London, or doesn't interrupt power supplies running from Russia through Europe? When the proposed response to attempted murder on British soil is to pull UK government officials out of watching a game of soccer — itself run by FIFA, a notoriously corrupt organization in its own right — it's clear that Britain has virtually no leverage over Russia, and that it has no wish to rock the boat beyond such meaningless and trite displays.
7
Putin holds a lot of cards. Our threat over the football was crass but we can keep their money and ill gotten assets. If he turns off the gas pipe, he's affecting the whole of Europe and will be even more broke. Let's hope it won't get that far as I hate the cold and he likes his tanks, planes and bombs too much!!!
1
I think you will find that there will be substantial diplomatic and economic measures taken but there is only so much that the UK can do on its own. We really need our friends and allies to step forward and join in a united front that will amplify the effect that any action taken by the UK has. Russia has to be hit in its pocket as it is money and power that they worship above everything else. It is a shame that there has been a virtual silence about this issue from world leaders, particularly Trump.
1
Trump's silence certainly implicates him as a collaborator. Ultimately, however, it is upon Theresa May and the UK government to take seriously the matter of public safety where Russian-led terrorist attacks are concerned. One way for May to show serious pushback would be to lead a push from the United Nations for international condemnation of Putin and the gangsters he leads. Not showing up to a football match is theatre; it is not how serious people deal with matters of national security.
Don't hold your breath waiting for condemnation of the terrorist Putin from our POTUS. He admires Vladi and likes the idea Xi and Putin will be presidents-for-life.
Leaders such as Trumpsky need to be impeached, removed from office and tried for their crimes. Can't happen too soon!
31
Theresa May deserves credit for having the guts to call this exactly what this is and who is responsible.
Unlike Donald Trump who refuses to acknowledged what the CIA and NSA have already confirmed, that Russia succeeded in tampering with our elections
My grandmother use to say "there is no sure for stupid". She did not suffer fools and I am sure if she were alive today she would be deciding if she should run for office to address the injustices that are occurring everyday thanks to the GOP and their feckless leader.
21
Whenever one starts pointing the finger and accusing someone else before the full, impartial investigation is completed, I am very suspicious. This smells like a false flag to me, IMHO. Russia has absolutely nothing to gain from this, so I am not convinced.
Here is a good article about the New McCarthyism that seems to have overtaken the US and UK, among others.
https://consortiumnews.com/2018/03/09/the-rise-of-the-new-mccarthyism-2/
6
HELLO, exactly. In the era of #MeToo we forget about due process to the detriment of international stability.
1
Official White House Response:
"So what? You think we don't do the same thing?!?!"
Accurate Response:
"Actually NO, We don't, Mr. President."
18
Putin's gang may very well be involved here.
But, not surprisingly, the posters glory in ignoring history:
For decades the "progressives" told us that Russia could do no wrong.
But of course that was the "progressive" a.k.a. Soviet Russia.
Now that Russia is just plain old Russia, the same as it has been since Donskoy, the same Western "progressives" are out-Hoovering any J. Edgar and see a Russian under every bed.
Think before pecking. Please.
2
No, we didn't. It's a slanderous lie to say we thought Russia could do no wrong.
2
CHURCHILL
As the adage goes: History does not repeat, it rhymes. Vacillate against Putin now and you will be rhyming with appeasement back then. Do not pull an Obama here, trying to weigh the complicated mathematics of balancing gains and losses and forfeiting decisiveness for caution. You cannot fight a bully with math. You have to punch back. And when the bully is a sociopath it is all the more necessary to let him know that there will be more punches if his aggressions continue. Recognize the moment. Putin will not stop until he is made to. Flood Russia with the truth of Putin’s thefts and murders. Expose his secret bank accounts and expel his traveling thugs. Of course there will be negative consequences. That’s inevitable. But when your feet are on the line you cannot yield another inch.
There is a reason that Churchill is great.
19
"You cannot fight a bully with math."
Yup. The response has to hurt him where he knows it does but people cannot see, banking. But it also has to deliver a belated humiliation that he can't get past with a shirtless video of him with canned animals.
6
Lets see if our brave president has given May a call expressing sorry and the support of the American people. Its time for a forthright anti-Putin statement. There is no reason why this cannot happen here soon enough.
13
I raise a toast to the continued good health of Garry Kasparov, who I’m sure is also on the hit list of a former KGB operative who has as his state’s MO the taking out enemies by stealth on foreign soil.
Don’t look for any condemnation of this attack from another world leader, who shall also remain nameless.
2
Very frightening storm clouds are gathering across the globe. This piece, when put in the context of Bannon in France overr the weekend--urging far right fanatics to embrace their inner racism--and our own enabler-in-chief, the recipe makes for an increasingly toxic and dangerous brew.
On a brighter note, at least May drew a much needed line. Whether the asleep-at-the-wheel ruling GOP party of our own country decides to rouse itself before its too late is yet to be revealed.
5
Putin is engaged in criminal behavior throughout the world. Trump does NOTHING. Even our own Congressionally mandated sanctions against Russia go unenforced. Trump never says a word against Putin and Russia despite insulting every other nation on earth--including this outrageous act! Trump's behavior speaks volumes. He is in cahoots with the Russians for sure.
6
Well that was quick Only a few days to come out name the likely culprit in this attack. Meanwhile, back here in trump world, we continue to wring our hands, saying that well.... maybe it was the Russians....or maybe it was someone else. How are you supposed to win a war for your own sovereignty (and that is what it is boiling down to) if you can not bring yourself to clearly identify the agressor and take steps to punish and then prevent future attacks from that state? Short answer is you cant and you wont.
3
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin will continue to smirk and smile as long as there are no consequences for his actions. Putin's denials are so implausible as to be ridiculous. Whether or not Theresa May is as compromised, corrupt and cowardly as Donald Trump remains to be seen.
8
Isolate, condemn, sanction and expel Russia from everything everywhere. Use the same template for Trump. We shouldn’t have to wait for an election when our international democratic systems are under daily attack! It’s really happening, out in the open, right before our eyes. And our spineless bought and paid for GOP Congress has been ordered by its owners to do nothing. Traitors and cowards all of them. America is in jeopardy.
3
It does seem that MI5 continues to have a rather large blind spot when it comes to Russian assassins.
6
Under Putin, Russia is no longer a legitimate government; it's a criminal enterprise.
17
It is only a matter of time before Russia starts doing the same thing on U.S. soil. What's to stop them? The White House will look the other way, and squash (or try to) any federal investigations into criminal activity by the Russians. What a disgrace we have made of ourselves by electing the thoroughly corrupt Trump.
14
Next, Trump will send Nunes to Britain to poison Steele, then claim Schiff did it.
6
Ms. May has a lot more backbone than Trump. Remember how Trump shrugged that there were a lot of killers and that we were not so innocent?
And she won't soon report that Putin totally denies guilt!
3
An arthropod has more backbone than Trump, and Obama for that matter when it comes to foreign policy. We've had no effective foreign policy feels like forever. Oh, but we'll attack countries with no means to venture outside their borders.
How many more incidents of Russian criminality and Trump’s complicity-by-silence is it going to take to fully expose and confirm the president’s criminality? This really should put it over the top. Lock Him Up!
3
But how do we know that it was Russia? Why it could have been a leaky can of spray paint or a kid throwing out a chemistry class experiment and they were exposed to it.
Just two of the inane responses we would get from Trump if it happened here...
4
Theresa May has no factual basis for this claim.
None, other than the assertion that it was military-grade material.
But Britain has such material just a few miles away at Porton Down.
Israel has such stuff, and it has a lot of resentments about Russian help to Syria in fouling up its plans for destruction there -all making for a possible nice black-op to put Russia on the defensive.
The US has plenty of the stuff, and it was American politicians who commissioned Christopher Steele's phony anti-Trump dossier.
Steele worked with Sergei Skripal, and he may have ended very unhappy on the results of the discredited dossier.
And the US, under Obama in an operation run by Hillary Clinton, saw supplies of the stuff removed from the dead Qaddafi's stocks and sent to the fake-jihadi mercenaries trying to destroy Syria.
So, its to be found in many places, and there are people in all of these places with serious motives.
But May just blurts out an accusation
She's playing a game, a very dangerous game.
Of course, it's just one more step in the anti-Russian campaign engineered in Langley, Virginia.
6
Right, and maybe the Malaysian Airliner wasn't shot down by a missile, Russian irregulars are not involved in Ukraine, the DNC hacked itself and sent their own e-mails to Wiki Leaks, the Russians don't have a propaganda machine operating in social media and the NYT comment section, the former Russian informer didn't really die from polonium, and nerve gas has not been used in Syria. Maybe.
22
The Salisbury crimes were not as brutal and as inhumane as the assassination of Kim Jong-nan by two female assassins for hire from Indonesia and Vietnam, under the direction of four North Koreans in the Kuala Lumpur Airport last year. Unfortunately, the International Court could no nothing.
What's a shame.
In in what way is Russia different from a terrorisg organization? The most obvious is their nuclear arsenal. Next up, the protection they receive from the president of the United States with sanctions not put in place, outrage and censure not applied when Russian mercenary troops controlled by the state of Russia attack Kurds with US. troop also in harm’s way (no comment at all from the WH), NO price paid or concrete steps taken for the attack on our electoral system in 2016 or the theft of an American campaign’s computers information decimated by Wikileaks. So Sarah Huckabee Sanders what lies will you spew today, about the attack in Britain that have placed two people in critical condition and put many more British citizens in danger with this outrageous assault? Let’s see, I’m going with, I haven’t spoken to the president about it.
5
Why wouldn't one think that this father and daughter team weren't working with the dangerous item, themselves?
1
Crimea, US elections, Chemical Weapons in London and Syria. Seems Putin can do anything he wants with impunity. Trump and May are weak.
2
The nature of this assassination makes it primarily an act of terrorism. Mr. Putin routinely murders political foes. Putin whom Mr. Trump so admires. Unconditionally.
Who was this intended to terrorize? Certainly Russians living abroad. Perhaps also anybody who has conspired with the Kremlin? Trump and his associates among them?
Mr. Mueller by necessity and relevance will visit these events.
4
Arm and train the enemy of your enemy in areas of exposure, Syria and Ukraine come to mind. Chechnya would be special.
London financial ventures would be a delicious target. Freeze and seize.
And send flowers, forget-me-nots.
2
The West can't engage in punative response nor take the moral high ground because it is engaged in similar tactics: digital surveillance, spying, covert ops, torture, rendition, releasing dangerous malware (Stuxnet), state-sponsored assisination (drone program), war crimes.
This is also the reason why our leaders (Obama and Trump) were and are impotent in the face of damaging hacks (e.g. Target Corp) by foreign state and mafia organizations that compromise the identity and assets of tens of millions of US citizens. Our leaders want the dark web and the weak security so our bad actors (CIA, NSA) can continue to exploit the digital frontier for their own nefarious purposes. All we have is rage, bluster and empty threats.
"The West can't engage in punative response nor take the moral high ground because it is engaged in similar tactics:"....Typical of the Russian troll response you find in the NYT comment section. The Russians aren't guilty because everybody is doing it. It is the kind of weird non-western argument (because someone else also does) that apparently appeals to the Russian propaganda machine.
8
I hope Rachel Maddow has security as well!
4
The outrage! Any time now, Mr. Trump will very much denounce those Brits, for strolling around unarmed. If only they had a second amendment! But he is sure to admire the gutsy act of Mr. Putin, and decry the milquetoast reaction of Ms. May.
And why is this terrorist attack, much more worrisome as it has biochemical weapons, of minimal importance to the White House than a garden variety Islamic terrorist attack?
4
Evidence suggests that Trump's puppeteer Vladimir Putin is eliminating his political opponents by poisoning or otherwise murdering them. How safe can we run-of-the-mill Americans feel while Trump is nurturing, if not protecting, this KGB grad Putin?
6
He was arrested and convicted and serving time when they traded him for their own spies. The rules of such things say he is now free and out of the game and any future consequences. If they did still resent him they would not have let him go.
Nope to my eye this is Vlad sending a message to other spies in his government that "there is no safe life for you after you get caught". He's telling them they might be traded for his own people but they will not be safe.
I expect El Trumpo has passed along to his handler some kind of warning that informed Putin there are a lot more spies than he imagined in his illegal government.
4
I applaud UK PM Theresa May for her plain-speaking statement. Praying for the recovery of all in hospital as a result of the attack by use of the nerve agent.
2
A very appropriate response short of cutting diplomatic relations is for the UK and the EU to forgo participation at the Soccer/Football World Cup to be held in Russia in three months. Without England, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and others, Russia will lose a lot.
Let’s not forget the spectacle that the Sochi Winter Olympics were for Russia, and that immediately after the Olympics Russia invaded Ukraine.
3
Russia has declared war on the USA and its allies.
Period. It really is no more complicated than that.
The point is what do we the people do about it since we have a president who won’t act.
Insist on the following from every elected official in the 2018 and 2020 elections.
- Impose the sanctions passed overwhelmingly by the GOP Congress
- Immediate travel ban to/from Russia
- complete boycott of all Russia businesses with locations in the US
- defund all economic aid and assistance to nations aligned with Russia
Last, Putin may want to have multiple people test/taste his food before he eats it and he may want to stay away from open windows for a while.
Accidents do happen!
5
Whatever the fallout for Putin and Russia, which will probably be negligible, in the end this doesn't go well for May. She covered up a previous assassination plot, and combined with her incredibly contradictory statements and actions regarding Brexit, this will further undermine her authority at home and, if they have any sense, in the EU. Europe and North America understood at the end of WW2 that there was safety in union and numbers. Russia is reminding us all again that the Russian government, whichever ideology prevails, is an enemy of western democratic values.
1
One thing to consider in all this Russia-did-this-or-that stuff is that some of these events may very well not be at the behest of the government leadership.
It could be instigated by someone who wants a leadership role and who knows when the western media says "Russia did this" most of western culture thinks of the man in charge as the one who ordered the deed, ergo he's the bad guy. The instigator imagines a forthcoming tipping point in the power structure that could be taken advantage of, so more evil deeds in the daily planner to speed the agenda. Emperors and kings had all kinds of problems with this sort of thing.
But even stranger... it could be from some fringe opportunist party that doesn't want to overthrow the current leadership, but who thinks if I do this on my own it's gonna get recognized as a great service to the state and the great leader will recognize my skills and finally find me my rightful spot up in the castle.
Look here at what Elon Musk has to deal with sometimes, very likely a government also has to handle numerous and darker variations of this kind of behaviour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmZ_I1ZI-Vs
Probably the fellas down at Secret Service HQ have a basement of file cabinets chocked fulla records of these types of incidents. Slow going on the digital conversion as the thin budget only allows the purchase of one scanner for the task, so it's gonna take a few more years at that.
Yeah right,like everybody keeps a supply of polonium and nerve agents in their basement.
5
The opposition person(s) might be very high up with cronies in places where access to things could be obtained. Disgruntled military, science contacts, etc. Likely a thriving black market. Polonium, rhino horns; you name it. You can make nerve agents in your kitchen sink with disinfectant and frozen orange juice concentrate. Just remember to put on the gas mask before you do the thing with the dry ice.
Britain wants this to happen, what else you can say after their decades mitigating murder and look away from Russian behavior in the effort to be nice. They want to get along with Russia and have turned a blind eye to crimes committed on British soil to further their back door negotiations. And now it’s not just Russian dissidents but actual British police officers wounded by chemicals. Everybody keeps talking about Litvinenko, but we have very short memories. What about Georgie Markov killed in London in the 70s with a poisoned umbrella?
Heads should roll in Britain.
1
Is it not a completely facetious argument that expelling Russian intelligence agents will result in Russia expelling British agents and “will cut off a flow of intelligence”. Can’t be high value intel if the Russians know exactly who they are!
If the nerve gas is for sure from Russia then why would the Russians use it? There are many other ways of killing that can't be traced back to Russia. Either Russia wanted to be blamed for the episode so its citizens will think twice before fleeing the country or Russia is being set up.
2
Oh, Russia definitely wants people to know who did it. It is more effective that way.
8
But what will they DO about it? My guess is "nothing".
I really, really hope I'm wrong.
1
CONTAINMENT- 1946
This is a "new" cold war where the main issue is a free society vs a dictatorship.
Russia is driven by its fanatic ideology and even more fanatic dictator. This is a declaration of an ideological warfare against the free world. The most effective (proven) way to contain these Russians is by confronting them-firmly- with superior strength at every corner. Moscow is always entice by weakness and deterred ONLY by strength, as once George F. Kennan stated in his most famous -Long Telegram-'1946 ' "At the bottom of the Kremlin's neurotic view of world affairs is traditional and instinctive Russian sense of insecurity"- "Soviet power is impervious to the logic of reason, and its highly sensitive to the logic of force".
Glad to hear the UK PM is finally denouncing the menace of the USSR. As long as the free world shows their firm willingness to use their superior force, always confronting the Russians with superior strength, as Kennan clearly said " While they are political gamblers, they are not gamblers when faced with the reality of a military force".
2
The tradition of state poisoning of political opponents has existed in Russia for centuries, but it has been used more extensively in recent times by the Soviet Union. and now the Russian Federation. Here is a chronology of notable poisonings, most of them done by the state, from 1921 until the present. https://shoeone.blogspot.com/2016/08/notable-poisonings-in-soviet-union-...
2
Not a surprise to anyone--which was the point, as other commentators have noted.
Britain is especially vulnerable given its intent to leave the EU. This should give pause to those Brexit champions, who were swayed by the simplistic rhetoric of the nationalist right. Come to think of it, wasn't some of that Pro-Brexit rhetoric funded, in part, by Russian state actors? Yes indeed, as the US Senate report in January of 2018 plainly asserted, as did Scotland Yard's own investigation.
And still, Trump says nothing about Putin.
1
This article challenges the reader in many ways. The likelihood that solid proof will be discovered about who actually commuted this crime, who decided it was to be carried out, and who enabled its implementation vis a vis a range of needed help is probably nil. Making an effective official response is being questioned with practical concerns: weighing a loss of necessary intelligence information over a person’s life. Who was a spy, and knew what he was getting into when he ...And then there is all of that money that could be lost as well.Another puzzle piece in the ongoing daily global WE-THEY process of structural violating of a selected “ the other.” Although each of the violated have names, which are noted, for awhile, in a range of media, THEY will be transmuted in numbers, including the numbers of dates. Structural, enabled violating, dehumanizes. As does complacency both by influential known and unknown policy makers as well as by ordinary folk. You and me! Two “Russians” were poisoned. Is willful blindness, deafness, ignorance and silence toxic?
Let's move the World Cup from Russia to England. We have plenty of stadiums, the Premier League and would be happy to host it.
Russia will not care much for a few diplomatic expulsions or sanctions. Putin cares only for symbols of prestige and power and nothing would hurt Putin more than the loss of the World Cup this summer.
8
We all know that Vlad Putin, Donald Trump's friend, ally and role model, has murdered Russian dissidents at home and abroad.
We all that Vlad Putin, Donald Trump's friend, ally and role model, is letting Syria use poison gas and that Trump is not going to do anything.
Europeans had better wake up and realize that we Americans that no longer can WE no longer be counted on as friends or allies, but that we Americans are Great Britain's and Europe's enemy.
1
PM May and the Tories have been paid their 30 pieces of silver to look the other way. Like Trump, they have betrayed their country for Russian bribes.
Hopefully the voters in UK will wake up in time; as I hope we do too in Nov this year
2
This should make clear to America and the west generally what we are up against.
The same man who ordered this was the man who ordered the Russian interference in US elections - the investigation into which Trump calls a witch hunt".. The man whom Trump refuses to condemn. This is the same man to whom Trump was referring when he said "If he says good things about me, I'll say good things about him".
2
One would hope that US readers grasp how serious this incident was - Russia is accused of using the most toxic poison ever used in the mddle of a small English town.
Several people are in hospital, most of whom will never recover.
If this happened in the US, it would be show-stopping.
3
A very good and focused account of this horrible espionage. I, like others, hope that Britain takes a very hard stance as it seems they are already doing. It is telling of the Russian governmental attitudes and policies that this type of "hit" is sanctioned and obviously meant to breed suspicion, hate and terror. I am glad the reporting here seems quite dry and factual; it makes it that much more compelling as the facts in the case are chilling indeed and need no political spin.
A reasonable question is what the relation of the Sec. of State Tillerson has with the Russians. As head of Exxon-Mobil, his firm offered a lot of $$ for drilling rights. Does this disqualify him from the office he holds?
2
Well, that part is right, "you are weak and we have no respect for you." I think that is a fair estimate of Russia's attitude towards England. The problem for England is certainly that there is nothing, in real terms, that they can do. Demanding an apology would be ridiculous just as starting a war would. Could anyone name one meaningful punishing action that England could take. Forbid tea service in the Russian Embassy?
1
Freeze Russian assets, expel embassy staff.
Er. The UK is composed of four countries, of which England is one. Not a small point actually and I am quite surprised I have to say it.
1
Learn more about the British Empire Ralph. They call it the Commonwealth of Nation these days.
1
"The British government has, however, been accused of dragging its feet in investigating previous suspicious deaths, for fear of .. sacrificing the Russian wealth that has flowed into London"
The financial elite of London, for decades, has profited from ill-gotten Russian wealth
And thus lowered the threshold for Russia's evil deeds.
32
Really Woof? How do you know that? Could you provide some examples?
1
There is a school of thought which is very old indeed which says you can make connections between nearly every criminal enterprise in the world to the people you call "the financial elite of London".
1
Now perhaps Russian oligarchs will be expelled and their assets frozen. Frankly they've inflated the London housing market and are zero positive contribution to our society. The sooner they are stopped from using the LSE as a laundromat the better. My guess is he'll try to destabilise our financial market in response to our push back but who in their right mind would accept Russian money, knowing their history of corruption and extortion?
1
"Moscow has insisted that it played no role in the attack"......And they didn't provide the missile that shot down the Malaysian Airliner, or hack the DNC and send the e-mails to Wiki Leaks to help Trump. The haven't used nerve gas in Syria, and they did not send irregular Russian troops into Ukraine. And they most certainly are not responsible for the poisoning of a former MI6 informant with polonium. Poor, poor Russia, why does everyone always blame them so unfairly?
99
Poisoning one's enemies is a long standing tradition in Russia and the Ukraine. And in China, the Emperor always had a taster. Tough job. I hope Mueller has one. Don't think we have to worry about Trump. Putin will want to keep him around.
43
Trump might worry about himself, but I won't.
1
And this is why “we, the people,” need 24/7 security—not for the “president”— but for Robert Mueller. Russia’s dirty—and so is their Amercan agent in the White House—that’s if he’s an American. Which I seriously doubt.
201
I have been concerned about Mueller's safety as well. Hopefully, the FBI is taking good care of him.
106
Security is also needed for key witnesses, don't you think?
"that’s if he’s an American. Which I seriously doubt."
Simply the most absurd statement I have read in 2018. Your posts are often very good. Not so this time. Questioning whether or not Trump is an American, despite 71 years of evidence, and over 3 billion dollars that he is American, is as repugnant as questioning Obama's birthplace. Sad.
Putin has infinite disdain for western democracies, and zero fear of consequences. Witness the Ukraine invasion, US elections, UK assassinations, Olympic doping, oil to North Korea... countered by wrist-slaps. Somehow, the consequences need to be stepped up 1000% - cease all investment, block all imports from Russia, close/confiscate oligarch-owned companies...
122
Don't forget MH17, the Malaysian airliner shot down over Ukraine in 2014. Also Putin.
3
Silly Theresa May! Has she thought to ASK Vladimir Putin if the Russians are responsible for this? If he says no, May should drop the issue - because he’s VERY trustworthy.
109
That's what Trump would do. In fact, that's what Trump DID do, in relation to the election hacking.
1
Sorry, how you can blame someone on poisoning, when one was poisoned by mythical poison, which no one has seen yet?
4
Go tell your poppycock to the grave of Alexander Litvinenko, Jonathan.
157
Not exactly sure what you mean. Poison can be detected through laboratory analysis of tissue from the poisoning victim; it doesn't need to be "seen." And there is, in fact, information already available about which poisons are in use by different intelligence services. Russia also has a track record of poisoning dissidents and former agents, and has a strong incentive to do so.
All in all, it adds up to strong direct evidence that these people were poisoned, and that the poison was administered by someone linked to the Russian government.
30
Thats not quite true, the poison was identified by Porton Down as weapons grade, as made in Russia, 8x as lethal as VX. This incident has always had Putin's grubby little mitts on it - we know the signs after decades of Cold War.
31
Reconsider your whole Brexit slow-motion trainwreck, UK, and instead unite with the EU to counter the continuing sabotage by Putin. It's still not too late for Tories to hold a second reffer and apologize for using the first to hand victory to fellow divisive bigots like the Kremlin and "populist" neo-Nazis, now that they've just seen yet another consequence of it.
224
Yep. I'll go for that. Brexit is a disaster and May and her clan seem intent on propelling us over the cliff. We have to hope the opposition gets it act together before any more self harm occurs. Imagine allowing us to pander to nostalgia and racism? You'd think the Country was turning into Trumpland!!
4
Actually, it is too late. Or do you propose to just hold another referendum after another until your side emerges victorious? Should they (we) do the same thing with elections? You get a do-over until you win.
Cameron blew it. Elections and referendums...well, you know, consequences.
2
Agreed!
1
Wow, how about Trump taking that kind of stand against Russian sabotage of our elections!
76
Briton already covered up the Litvinenko poisoning Moscow connection, what did they expect to happen? Let Putin get away with something and he'll keep doing it.
36
Actually no. Inaction - however pathetic - NOT the same as cover up. Everyone in UK knows who did it. It was Putin.
And what would you do, remembering that are after 911, Bush invaded a country that was blameless? Not so easy is it, when a head of state likely to be involved?
5
Correct no coverup. There is an extradition order that Putin ignores.
1
Gee, what a surprise! And here I was figuring that Zizzi used military-grade nerve toxins as the secret ingredient in their pizza sauce.
10
Sorry Theresa, but you were pre-empted by Russian State Media last week when they suggested, I mean, recommended that Russians who betray Russia shouldnt move to England. The reason? Because according to Russia, ... "in recent years there have been too many strange incidents with grave outcomes there. "People get hanged, poisoned, they die in helicopter crashes and fall out of windows in industrial quantities.”
This is dezinformatsiya at its best. Suggesting that certain (Russian) people frequently die this way in England (quite similar to the way political opponents and journalists routinely die, mysteriously, in Russia) is just another attempt to assert that Russia acts as just the same as everyone else. When they clearly do not.
34
who's side is the president on, our longest ally, or Putin?
77
France is our longest ally.
3
He would rush over to UK to confront the Russians except for the bone spurs.
2
This will help sell Trump apartments to rich Russians in NYC!!
London is just getting SO unfriendly!!
38
There are no bounds to Putin's revenge when it comes to treason.
There is a Russian attack on British soil.
Theresa May wastes no time in her response to the attack. She will quickly take a full range of measures against Russia.
Russia sent people to the US to interfere with our elections and attack our democracy.
Donald John Trump mocks people who talk and act presidential. Very sad.
76
It's good that Ms. May is calling out the Russians, but let's see what measures she takes, beyond words.
1
In the past Europeans have tolerated assassinations by foreign agents in their territory. Iran, Israel, Russia, Libya, and the USA have done it several times.
Israel have even used nerve agents. It is too late to stop it.
3
Trump will ask, why he can't do this to Mueller.
32
And this is why Trump loves Putin. He's "a strong leader."
2
I was watching a live broadcast of the parliamentary proceedings in England having to do with the assassination of a Russian spy on English soil. There were a noticeable amount of Scotts and Irish present. I couldn't help but notice how civilized they were towards each other and to the Prime Minister Theresa May. I also noticed that except for a few occasions, the U.S. came up only a few times. It struck me that for the first time in my life, I realized America doesn't hold the same respect it held 1 year ago. Mexican immigrants, legal or illegal are not the problem. Our problem is RUSSIA!!!!!!
88
I watched the PM's speech to Parliament and the comments as long as BBC kept them on. Except for Jeremy Corbyn who doesn't seem to want to 'anger' the Russians, every member supported the PM. I believe the UK has the backbone to stand up to Putin and that NATO will support them also. Expect non-statements if any from Trump; but Congress could choose to take a vote to support British efforts.
2
No. Our problem is an economic system that permits a small handful of filthy rich oligarchs and plutocrats to acquire so much money, with so little effort, that they can buy members of our government. Russia is a side issue.
If we had men and women of honor in congress---in particular with the party in power---Russia could and would be dealt with. But like the President, congress is not interested in what is best for America or Americans. There is money to be made! What else matters?
Yet, when Mitt Romney stated that fact, he was mocked and vilified.
1
This attack is meant as a warning to those caught up in the web of the Mueller investigation, Trump, and those in Congress with the power to guard against election attacks. Think twice before you act against this Trump/Putin partnership because this may be the fate of you and your loved ones. Is it worth it?
I just hope Mueller has a good bodyguard.
39
While keeping an open mind, the odds are that if it looks like a fish, smells like a fish, and swims like a fish that, indeed, it is a fish.
Putin, like most popular dictators, will push and push until someone says NO! Following Poland's lead, he is now claiming Jews can't be Russians. As Eastern Europe gallops toward national definitions of ethnic majoritarian homogeneity, Western Europe finds its liberal values under major challenge not just from abroad but even domestically. For all our many problems and hypocrisies, America still stands out as a beacon whose ideals are largely embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the amended and amendable Constitution. We measure our failures, our success as a nation, by how far we are from achieving those ideals. What other countries can say that?
7
Total silence from our President. He shows absolutely no support for Teresa May and the UK, who has been our closest ally. Trump is so compromised by the Russians, that he can no longer even say boo to Putin.
Trump really is, and I am ashamed to say this, Putin's pet. The Generals and Admirals, Mattis, Kelly, McMaster, Rogers etc. by not speaking out publicly are totally complicit. Let's not sugar coat it anymore.
190
If you need support from the population, even more during elections time (in Russia), you might "present" an enemy from outside. The alternative reporting to this will be Russian channels saying the UK is trying to interfere in their elections with a last minute shot to shame Putin. He will react "vigorously", defending the honor of his people and his country. Long story short, any public reaction from the UK will be just publicity for Putin, and not the opposite. Is there another way to play around this, to counter without being part of a publicity stunt? Well, I am not the UKPM, so I will leave the solution to her.
6
This is normally a time when Britain's ally, the U.S., steps up and offers Britain support or the appropriate words of condemnation towards Russia. Given our new regime, this is unlikely to happen. Putin wins.
233
We are NOT anyone's ally anymore except Russia!!
2
This was most likely Putin's doing, but he will deny it and Trump will probably say that he believe's him.
That's what you have to like about this country one oligarch wannabe believing in a real dictator.
15
Very disturbing, given that Christopher Steele was using his network to gather info on Trump. There are certain Republicans investigating Steele and the sources of his information. And there are Republicans leaking to both Trump and to the Press. Completing the circle, how do we know that Trump does not have a back channel to the Kremlin? Just because he was discovered in the Seychelles meeting doesn't mean that a back channel wasn't established. Now we 15 suspicious murders in recent years? Could the Russians be rolling up Christopher Steele's network?
16
I too wondered if Mr. Skripal has been a source for Mr. Steele.
The next question is whether the USA will support the UK in further sanctions against Russia given the interesting (alleged) relationship between President Trump and that country.
Thoughts?
13
Russia has a very long history of misbehaving in Britain. I am the direct descendant of one such misbehavior on the part of an imperial visitor to Kent at the end of the 17th century, who found English ladies' whalebone corsets to be "devilish hard." The house where that imperial visitor lodged who was officially incognito but known to all and sundry was completely trashed according to the contemporary diarist Pepys. A few sovereigns were offered in exchange for the damages. Does anyone think that Putin will even deign to acknowledge the poisoning, let alone do anything substantive about it?
4
I think UK simply forgot, that they are not superpower anymore. There is 2018 outside. Not 1918.
2
The UK economy is twice as large as Russia’s economy. In a few decades Turkey will overtake Russia in population. Russia is just a much a global superpower as was the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.
11
An Austro-Hungarian Empire with nukes, ICBM's, and submarines armed with nukes.
Meaning what? Do you suggest silence? Or condemnation?
1
There seems to be no limit to the brazen behavior of Putin's government. Like it or not, Trump's admiration of that criminal is a large boon to that behavior.
Although I don't believe our own thug will ever change his ways, his cronies in congress should get on Trump's case to condemn Putin's continuing disdain for international law and decent human behavior. Trump should condemn this act and then go on to condemn Russia's meddling in worldwide elections as well as ours, it's support of Assad, its conscription of Crimea, and its support of other toxic regimes, such as, Iran.
The "end" of the Cold War did not make Russia our "friend." It simply allowed the Russian-controlled resource draining USSR to be disbanded so Russia could concentrate on its true goals - the destruction of democratic governments everywhere, starting with America.
Trump would gain much credibility by becoming a better American citizen.
7
Have you noticed how bold our adversaries have become after Trump took office? They see America as weak and they are right. While Trump focuses on deregulation, tax reform, gun control and a wall, they are moving full speed ahead establishing themselves in the void that we allowed him to create.
19
Russia has repeatedly assassinated its former agents in the UK and other western countries. These are acts of war. More severe sanctions should follow.
24
Russia appears to have continued an undeclared and unprovoked chemical war against Britain, with depraved indifference for the collateral damage to innocent civilians and first responders - much like they have in Syria to a grotesque scale.
There is a reason our current POTUS is scared of being poisoned. That may be Putin's ultimate hold over his pal trump and the debt owed. Hopefully Mr. Steele is well protected from Russian-Republican criminality.
The Russian wealth already in London should be confiscated by Britain - they don't have to lose that much wealth.
Doing nothing, like in the past, emboldens Putin to escalate additional acts of war with impunity - like shooting civilian airliners out of the sky and invading countries.
Britain should not become a lost cause - like America, where our own Republican government is in cahoots with the Russians and trump to undermine all future elections we have on their behalf with impunity.
16
Article 5 of the NATO treaty demands a collective response to any attack on member nations. Russia has launched a nerve agent attack on our closest ally in Europe. Will the US respond? Not with a known SVR asset in the White House.
10
Remember last summer when a terrorist attack in London killed seven and injured dozens more, Trump issued multiple tweets the next morning.
Where are the tweets? If not outright condemnation of Russia, how about, "we are disturbed and alarmed and if these allegations prove true . . ." Or, "our intelligence services are working with the UK," But Trump says nothing.
125
Russia is the country that Donald Trump refuses to sanction under any circumstances no matter how many foreign elections they tamper with and no matter how many foreigners they poison and murder.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/world/europe/kremlin-russia-trump-lis...
Can't wait to see what kind of 'kompromat' Robert Mueller discovers and presents regarding Daycare Donnie.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kompromat
The Matryoshka-Doll-In-Chief is representing Russian national interests very well.
Sad. Seditious. Treasonous.
234
I can't wait to see whose side Trump takes on this.
Maybe he'll blame that 400 pound guy from New Jersey again.
138
Russia will vehemently deny any involvement. The poisioning will be in the news for a few more days, then fade away.
6
Might also be time to investigate Russian involvement in Brexit voting.
87
And the Hindenberg disaster as well, right?
2
Putin's grand scheme is to destroy liberal Western democracies, so yes, he definitely had a hand in Brexit. (It's also interesting that Nigel Farange, who was a key figure in passing Brexit, was also helping Donald Trump's campaign.)
4
The President has yet to speak about or take any action after Russian mercenaries attacked US troops in Syria. Will the use of a weapon of mass destruction (chemical weapons like nerve gas are considered such) against the country of our greatest ally finally elicit a response from him to, at a minimum, enforce the sanctions passed by Congress? Will GOP congressional leaders speak up if the President doesn't respond? Or will they just continue to allow Putin's deadly aggression around the globe?
28
I hope Theresa May wasn't counting on Russian help in a re-election campaign.
11
Why didn't the Obama Administration allow anti-Putin Russians to relocate to the US from Britain for their safety?
2
Would they be any safer here? Doubtful.
5
Putin is behind not just a nerve agent attack but shows he is not averse to poisoning a few dozen civilian bystanders if it means poisoning his target.
The man who chose the government of the United States, and continues to blackmail the US president and leader is this kind of a murderous villain.
30
At least someone wants to hold Russia accountable.
75
Is there anybody who thinks our president will punish Russia for this use of a chemical weapon?
7
The message to England "You are weak" but also: we know the United States won't be helping you against Russia any time soon.
32
Wait for Trump's reply, he is gonna blame it on Hillary or Obama.
104
Britain is loath to punish Russia because it might interrupt the flow of cash from Russian oligarchs. In the U.S. the Republicans are in bed with Trump to try to stop Mueller's investigation into Russian collusion. There isn't a spot on Earth that isn't tainted with corruption. The only folks not getting their cut is the working stiff. And he has to follow the rules or end up behind bars. What a joke!
24
An attack on Britain by Russia using a chemical weapon. Where is the tweet from Trump?
45
When do we get an updated, rewritten, British version of "The Americans"?
2
I anticipate that if the Brits reaction to Putin's poisoners doesn't do anything else, it will at least demonstrate to an all but supine US, how a strong and free people ought to respond to a bully and a thug who thinks that he can operate with impunity within our Western Democratic alliance.
21
I hear the talk, are you willing to walk the walk?
5
Could this be a preview of what can happen to people residing in the U.S. during an era where the president talks and acts like Russians can do no wrong?
15
Is it time for Theresa May to rethink her coziness to Trump?
6
Instead of being punished by the US, they are being cuddled by Trump and his administration....why would not they act brazenly all over the world?
8
Interesting conclusion
1
Russia?
It could be China...or lots of other people...or some guy sitting on his bed who weighs 400 pounds.
Putin never does anything evil, right?
16
Wow. What a highly effective way of discouraging others from turning against Mother Russia. They'll not only kill you, but your family members too. It's not hard to see why Trump is so afraid to cross Putin.
15
The Russian Federation is a supremely dangerous state. President Trump thinks not however. So it seems that our form of government-the Imperial Presidency-can lead us to ruin. Rein in the president Congress!
13
Everyone is supposed to know that Russia did it. That's the entire point to using substances only a state actor would have -- you're sending a message.
The question is, as always, what can the rest of the world actually do about it? Russia is behaving more and more like a rogue state with these poisonings, political tampering and etc., but there's no will to do anything about it.
329
There’s will, just not in the White House.
11
Even in a causal over view Steve, history reminds us that in a fight, never count the Brits out or not willing to continue a good scrap. And I anticipate that Vlad and Co. is about ready to get a lesson in this, in short order.
2
And that makes sense because Putin is old KBG, of course. And he misses the old days.
2
The British government is being irresponsible and negligent. They are late in warning the citizenry of the deadly chemical hazards and they refuse to identify the nature of the toxin which would enable the "dumb ignorant" British masses to take appropriate measures to reduce the hazards, or inform the medical community of the toxins they should be aware of and the mode of treatment necessary.
This situation recalls the lackadaisical attitude in regard to the Grenfell Tower fire and the negligent absence of a comprehensive fire code to address hazardous building materials.
Of course they are going to blame the Russians.
1
The words of analysts John Lough and James Sherr bear repeating, “What it says to the British government is: We believe you are weak, we have no respect for you.”
Of course Russia sees the UK as weak and little worthy of respect. They rode the Brexit bronco with some finesse, with the goal of destabilizing Europe. And Theresa May, while calling out Russia for poisoning yet another defector on British soil, is aiding and abetting the greater malfeasance of weakening international alliances which can only serve to benefit Putin and his henchmen.
8
PM May should not expect support from DJT despite status as NATO ally.
4
If nothing else is accomplished it should lead to a whole new genre of British spy novels. John LeCarre over to you.
6
There had better be serious repercussions for Russia this time. Downgrading diplomatic relations and suspension of travel to the UK from Russia is a good start. Russia has to feel some consequences for their actions, be it in the UK or meddling in US and European elections. Enough is enough.
290
Yes. Maybe PM May will take the actions that our fearless, feckless president has been unable or unwilling to take.
6
- Cut off Russia from global internet access.
- Label Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.
- Issue red notices on their entire government and judiciary.
- Expel all Russian nationals with unexplainable wealth from NATO and EU countries.
- Do it before Sunday's election.
51
Will PM May impose sanctions and enforce them unlike the President of the United States?
6
This is when the U.K. needs to be able to depend on a wise and powerful US president and government to stand by them. I am not optimistic...and to all Trump voters I ask how little do you care about peace and stability and democracy to support a man who sides with Russia?
13
In a related issue, the PM also blamed Russia for the recent cold weather that had been affecting Britain.
5
Do pro-Russian, anti-American people from Central Virginia ( downtown Moscow ) think the murder of two people is somehow amusing?
16
Bartolo
How is the weather in Vladivostok?
16
Is anyone really surprised anymore? The Russian Government has clearly been attempting to assert itself as the dominant player in world affairs for years. It's primary strategy has been to destabilize and humiliate their international rivals.
And for the most part they are succeeding. We haven't done anything materially to punish them for meddling in our elections, and there is evidence that they have done the same all across Europe including Brexit. Assassinations like this are nothing new, remember Alexander Litvinenko?
Their blatant military action in Syria is something everyone knows about but those in the halls of power won't mention. They received the weakest possible rebuke by the International community for the annexation of Crimea, a repeat of the response to the Invasion of Georgia in 2008.
335
Was this a warning to T about the possible fate of further fathers and daughters?
3
Shaun, I agree with you, but would like to point out that Obama did expel some Russian spies/diplomats and closed down some key listening posts just before he left office. The Obama administration also imposed sanctions after Putin annexed Crimea.
2
Man, that is quite a lie about Georgia — it was not so smart former president of Georgia who started operation 'Clear field' by killing Russian peacekeepers and massive shelling of Tskhinvali. He was very much encouraged by the U.S. and their European allies.
No doubt Mr. Trump will be condemning this act of Russian aggression against a key ally in the strongest terms.
111
3, 2, 1...Crickets.
7
I condemn this act of Russian aggression against Britain in the strongest possible terms. I will contact my Congressional representatives to ask that they do the same.
4
Russia knew that the weapon would be uncovered and they knew that it would potentially harm nearby British citizens. But they did it to make a statement, to show that they can target people anywhere, any time.
This is a terrorist attack, plain and simple. With most countries, it would be clear grounds for war. The only reason the UK won't actually declare war is that it would destroy the world. But even if a physical war is out of the question, an economic war should be on the table.
More Russian millionaires and billionaires put their money in London than almost any other city - targeting that money would seriously hurt Russia's elite. If nothing is done, that will send the message that foreign powers can use chemical weapons on British soil with impunity, and that's a very dangerous precedent to set.
448
"More Russian millionaires and billionaires put their money in London than almost any other city - targeting that money would seriously hurt Russia's elite." And it would also seriously hurt the City, the interlocking matrix of British private banks, brokerages, and real estate firms which depends on the continuing business of foreign "High Net Worth Individuals" like these resident or itinerant Russians.
3
We won't object to murdering people in our country as long as we get your money?
2
If wealthy Russians and their very substantial assets managed by British banks are targeted, the City lose considerable profit and those bankers, mostly Tory, will be very unhappy. Poltiical parties rarely want their most powerful backers to be unhappy.
Is the US President going to come out to defend Russia against these charges? That would have sounded ridiculous two years ago, but not anymore.
27
Welcome to Cold War 2. Theresa May used the term "terrorism" to describe the poisoning of the spy(s) and said they will continue to work with Mueller. She also said Bill Browder has been briefing officials (I would have thought that might have already taken place years ago) and that it is not "business as usual" with Russia.
Ball is in your court, Trump.
25
So finally Russia did attack a NATO ally. ( 500+ Britons were affected )
Will President Trump now call it a an attack on NATO and USA.
I seriously doubt it.. So NATO is null and void practically.
34
Putin continues to brazenly attack the West, cling to power in his own country by strangling opposition and now puts us in personal danger in an effort to weed out those who challenge him and live in our midst. Of course, Trump is in no position to challenge his Leader, but the rest of the free world must join forces and strike back with all means at our disposal short of military action.
28
Putin is aware of Everything like this that is done, don't kid yourself that he "probably" was aware. Everything is done with his prior knowledge and direction.
17
Seems like the British government would be well-placed to leverage significant financial sanctions against Russian oligarchs close to Putin, who use the country to launder money. If it wanted to use this power, that is.
66
All Oligarchs are close to Putin or they are not oligarch anymore.
11
Most people in the UK would support more aggressive investigation of the source of Russian wealth "invested" in the UK, although I'm told Putin is no longer dependant on oligarchs to retain power. However it would be a better response than merely withdrawing royal visitors from the football (soccer) world cup. This, I suggest, would not have a former KGB agent quaking in his boots...
4
Sadlly, the ruling Conservative party is all too happy to receive significant donations from Russia oligarchs based in the UK, and has already resisted any suggestion that such donations should be returned. London, and its crown dependencies (also known as tax havens), are awash with money of dubious provenance, much of it Russian. So don't expect the UK government to rock that particular boat any time soon. Indeed, the leader of the opposition was shouted down as a traitor for making such suggestions in parliament today.
5