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The Specter That Haunts the Death of Litvinenko

Submitted by Boris Volodarsky, Mar 20, 2008 09:49

Lugovoy and Kovtun (latter for the first time) came to London NOT on the 15th, but 16th October 2006. They started to leave polonium traces all over London - this is an established fact. That not ALL places that they visited showed po-210 traces is normal: when not ingested, po-210 does not contaminate, but "soils" and only soiled parts (left hand, for example) leave traces. It was Lugovoy, NOT Litvinenko, who visited the Hei Jo nightclub on Jermyn Street on October 17. Litvinenko did not deal with terrorists or arms traders - only with security services and other state authorities of several countries including Britain, Italy, Spain and Israel. It is well documented. He NEVER visited the Pankisi Gorge. Both Lugovoy (October 25-27, London) and Kovtun (October 28-31, Hamburg) left massive polonium traces wherever they went, while Litvinenko left none. Litvinenko left home on November 1, 2006 at 11:15 a.m. NO TRACES of polonium left anywhere where he was. His FIRST meeting with Lugovoy was shortly after midday at room 441 of the Millennium Hotel where Lugovoy stayed. It was there where Sasha was poisoned. Obviously, the killer (not Lugovoy) took away all incriminating evidence, but he could not take away radioactive traces that have very specific and very identifiable characteristics. The polonium-based (NOT pure polonium like it was NOT pure dioxin in the Yushchenko case in September 2004) poison was in a form of jelly in a tiny capsule, easily water-soluble. As corresponds with our knowledge and experience, Litvinenko started to leave radioactive traces about 3 hours after his first meeting with the Russians. He met Mario Scaramella on Piccadilly Circus at about 15:15 and they went to the Itsu sushi bar on Piccadilly. They stayed together for about 30 min. Mario indeed showed two threatening e-mails from Limarev in France, he indeed got very slightly "soiled" by po-210 from Sasha and traces were indeed found in the Itsu - because Litvinenko left them. From this meeting Sasha went straight to the Berezovsky's office that is nearby at No.7 Down Street just off Piccadilly. Both international security companies, Erinys and Titon, have absolutely NOTHING to do with Boris or his office and are both located NOT on Down Street but at No. 58 Grosvenor Street that is quite a long way down to Piccadilly/Park Lane. In the office Litvinenko copied the e-mails. At 0430 p.m. he was meeting Lugovoy and Kovtun, both after several gin-and-tonics. Sasha was NOT poisoned at the Pine Bar of the Millennium Hotel where they met, but he drank a cup of green tee that was waiting for him and left heavy traces everywhere, including the cup, the table, the carpet and the gents. THE REASON WHY KOVTUN IS NOT ACCUSED lies in the simple fact that Litvinenko was NOT poisoned during that very meeting, but earlier in Lugovoy's hotel room. NO ONE has ever established that Litvinenko was poisoned twice - this is a pure invention (the author is John Sweeney of the BBC "helped" by the Russians in Moscow during the third week of January 2007). It was just once and just on November 1, 2006. After the Pine Bar Litvinenko again went to the Berezovsky's office where he again left some radioactive traces. He called his friend and neighbour Ahmed Zakayev asking for a lift home far north of London. He was taken to the Barnet Hospital on November 3. An amount of thallium three times higher the norm was found in his body on November 16 in the evening. He was prescribed Prussian blue. On October 17 Litvinenko was transferred to the UCL, which is NOT a private hospital. Late Prof. John Henry, who was NOT a private doctor but a famous British toxicologist, consulted the hospital staff during the last stage. On November 18 Dr. Henry said it was perhaps radioactive thallium, and on November 21 Dr. Nathwani of the UCL said no, the reason is not thallium. All who treated Sasha were unfortunately non-experts in such covert operations and accordingly in such specific poisons. Under bombardment bismuth produces polonium AND thallium and with polonium poisoning thallium is always a by-product. On November 22, I said it was a radioactive poison. Next day, November 23 at 21:21 Sasha died. Just three hours before his tissue was sent to the AWE in Aldermaston - the ONLY British facility capable to trace polonium in tiny amounts. Marina and Tolya were allowed to say farewell to Sasha and kiss him WITHOUT any precautions. Polonium-210 was not in a canister, dear readers, not was it in the form of a disc - this super-tiny portion and even NOT of pure polonium-210 was in a very small capsule that has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with nuclear bombs. The normal survival time after such a poisoning is 12-13 days. Sasha's is a record, I think. The first known case of the Russian radioactive poisoning is Nikolai Khokhlov in Frankfurt am Main in September 1957, the last one before Litvinenko - Roman Tsepov in St Petersburg in September 2004. Sasha Litvinenko never saw his British passport that arrived on December 4, 2006, about two weeks after his tragic death.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
Now there is a meticulously researched and fascinating book by NYTimes London Bureau chief AA. Cowell The Terminal Spy: A... [MORE]	kasia	Aug 20, 2008 21:32
As another reader has said, polonium-210 has a short half life (138 days), which means it is only dangerous for... [MORE]	Nullius	May 3, 2008 16:39
All other articles I came across state that Litvinenko met Lugovoy first and Scaramella afterwards, which explains that the later... [MORE]	Tatiana	Mar 25, 2008 10:49
The half - life of Polonium 210 is 138.3 days. It decays into nonradioactive lead. Half of the radioactivity in... [MORE]	Dr. Gene Nelson	Mar 25, 2008 09:45
All the patterns of contamination with polonium indicate that the aerosol -spray system was used and not a cap of... [MORE]	Andrew	Mar 25, 2008 08:34
This article repeats what was published earlier in "IZVESTIA" and sometimes looks as translation from Russian. [MORE]	Mikhail Mayants	Mar 24, 2008 20:20
Universal guiding principle of all unbiassed investigations has always been "look for the one who benefits from crime". I was... [MORE]	Notagain	Mar 24, 2008 13:00
Let's look at some of those pieces of the puzzle that Edward Epstein is so proud of having assembled. He... [MORE]	Vitkacy	Mar 23, 2008 19:33
At first it seems that englishmen in their boring life just wanna like some of these plots, difficult crimes like... [MORE]	Denis	Mar 23, 2008 13:07
Mr Epstein's very interesting article glosses over 3 points: The very real possibility that the Russian authorities have pulled the wool... [MORE]	Richard	Mar 24, 2008 13:19
I want to thank the author, because this is first article that not screams "Oh my god, Russians are MONSTERS!!!... [MORE]	Amalan	Mar 22, 2008 23:19
Wow! It _first_ article on this theme which tries to study the facts instead of to hang up labels and... [MORE]	freecod	Mar 22, 2008 23:13
This is the first article on the subject that makes sense. The British "official version" is pure absurd: the spy... [MORE]	Abzats	Mar 22, 2008 22:39
It's amazing!!! There is so objective article in american paper. Thank you! IMHO FSB or Putin didn't have any reasons... [MORE]	CrocoDilya	Mar 22, 2008 14:13
It is the first objective article about this case I've seen [MORE]	Mikhail Pavlov	Mar 22, 2008 11:51
I am a nuclear physicist. My father worked in Paris for ten years under Maria Curie and especially with Polonium... [MORE]	Drasko Jovanovic	Mar 22, 2008 10:39
While I do not have the expertise in nuclear physics that Mr. Drasko Jovanovic possesses, I wholeheartedly concur with his... [MORE]	Brian K. Doan	Mar 22, 2008 23:43
Expert in nuclear biology writes about polonium poisoning (attention, Russian live journal) http://nuxpert.livejournal.com/615.htmlamong others he gives answer to the questions... [MORE]	An-Tin	Mar 22, 2008 08:11
Dear commentators you very amusing! 1. All that I print your mass-media you consider{count} as the absolute truth and blindly... [MORE]	Art	Mar 22, 2008 01:10
I will admit, I was one of those people who bought into the media's perspective on Russia, which after reading... [MORE]	DS	Mar 21, 2008 21:50
Very poor article. The author seems to forget that contaminated places were found in Germany, where Lugovoy's friend Kovtun transited... [MORE]	Maroussia	Mar 21, 2008 17:52
First of all, thank you Mr.Epstein. You have done a deep analisys of this dark story. Even for me (although... [MORE]	From Russia (not beeing a bear)	Mar 21, 2008 17:31
Mainstream media's obsession with punishing Russia must end. It has escalated into a neurosis of unprecedented proportions as attested to... [MORE]	Brian K. Doan	Mar 21, 2008 15:00
Thanks for objective clause. [MORE]	Aleks	Mar 21, 2008 14:34
Bravo Mr.Epstein! It is a first time I read such a high-level article in English. I read a bit Russian... [MORE]	Jan Evert	Mar 21, 2008 13:34
There's an annual Economic forum in Sochi, Russia which takes place in late September. This is a high level event... [MORE]	yurisochi.ru	Mar 21, 2008 12:06
I can undestand why some politic dont like Russia. Every country have to have politic and interest. "Pie" is not... [MORE]	Sergey	Mar 21, 2008 10:15
Congratulations to the author who is able to even question the most popular version of the events. In fact, the roots... [MORE]	Finamrus	Mar 21, 2008 09:22
First truly professional report on this matter I have read. Thank you! [MORE]	Roman	Mar 21, 2008 08:01
At least someone is trying to take an unbiased look at this the issue, ask inconvenient questions and point out... [MORE]	Zergut	Mar 21, 2008 08:00
Over a year ago, I offered some thoughts on this. Please find below. V/r -TR Baghdad, Iraq "The Informed Constituent" (Albany,... [MORE]	Tom Raleigh	Mar 20, 2008 10:02
To Mr. Raleigh: First, the fact that you have to use the space allotted for comments on another journalist's article hints... [MORE]	Ashley MacDonald	Mar 21, 2008 06:06
The argument that "KGB did that because it is their method to obliterate, intimidate or whatever" calls the question -... [MORE]	Konstantin	Mar 21, 2008 13:07
Ms. McDonald, Thank you for your note. You rightfully point out my breach "comment etiquette." In retrospect, I ought to have... [MORE]	Tom Raleigh	Mar 21, 2008 14:12
Your commentary reads like a twenty year old propaganda essay directed at an uninformed reader. I would have completely dismissed... [MORE]	T	Mar 22, 2008 03:35
Mr. Raleigh I could easily accept back-seat Politicos, Vanessa Redgrave and Colorado rednecks buying into Polonium fairtale, but not a seasoned... [MORE]	Alex	Mar 22, 2008 09:31
Lugovoy and Kovtun (latter for the first time) came to London NOT on the 15th, but 16th October 2006. They...	Boris Volodarsky	Mar 20, 2008 09:49
Its brilliance information. I hope someday we will find an answer about british black market of polonium. [MORE]	Alberto	Mar 20, 2008 07:10
Excellent article. Comments by Boris Volodarsky are full of false information. Prof John Henry was invited by Goldfarb on Nov.15... [MORE]	Alexander	Mar 23, 2008 18:20
So, Litvinenko poisoned himself... No! Really? That much was bloody obvious to anyone with a brain long ago. The whole... [MORE]	Michael	Mar 20, 2008 05:11
"1. Although Epstein states that there was "no extradition treaty between Britain and Russia", both countries have in fact signed... [MORE]	Andy from Indy	Mar 20, 2008 01:03
Submitted by Andy from Indy, Mar 20, 2008 01:03 "1. Although Epstein states that there was "no extradition treaty between Britain... [MORE]	Egor	Mar 21, 2008 17:40
Splendid piece of journalism. This may restore my faith in the profession. Thank you! [MORE]	andrew	Mar 19, 2008 19:43
Mr. Epstein: I know through Paul Stubbs (MI6) that your analysis on the polonium 210 trail is accurate as are... [MORE]	Karon von Gerhke	Mar 19, 2008 17:15
I wonder whether polonium-210 was actually used as a poison or only to mask another compound and to mark Mr.... [MORE]	AEB	Mar 19, 2008 16:56
It's amazing the twist of all western media outlets making does to distort the truth and obscure facts. And it... [MORE]	Paul	Mar 21, 2008 07:02
I really appreciated this article but would like to correct/clarify it on the following points:1. Although Epstein states that there... [MORE]	Mattias Wikstrom	Mar 19, 2008 16:17
Isn't it rather droll that the only evidence we have that Litvinenko ever named Lugovoy, or that he ever exonerated... [MORE]	Max	Mar 23, 2008 23:37
"Isn't it rather droll that the only evidence we have that Litvinenko ever named Lugovoy, or that he ever exonerated... [MORE]	Mattias Wikstrom	Mar 24, 2008 03:44
Alex Goldfarb graduated from Moscow Kurchatov institute of Atomic Energy -radiobiology (1969-75) and from Weizman Institute in Israel (1975-80 )... [MORE]	Illia	Mar 24, 2008 09:55
"both countries have in fact signed the European Convention on Extradition." Article 2 , paragraph 3 of that convention: "Any Contracting Party... [MORE]	R. C. Portegies	Mar 24, 2008 12:58
"Exactly WHEN did Litvinenko meet Lugovoy and Kovtun at the Itsu?" I do not see the point of this question, but... [MORE]	Mattias Wikstrom	Mar 25, 2008 08:13
Good question. Accordding to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Litvinenko Lugovoy and Kovtun at Millennium Hotel BEFORE he met Scaramella at the Itsu. and contaminated... [MORE]	Tatiana	Mar 25, 2008 11:29
Hollywood----pay attention, what a great movie. Was Litvinenko the only fatality? What about the others exposed. Are their no radiological... [MORE]	Tim of Oakland, Ca.	Mar 19, 2008 14:54
Thank you, mr Edward Jay Epstein. I from Russia. You will forgive for my English, it partially forgot already -... [MORE]	Mikhael	Mar 21, 2008 08:23
Litvinenko negligently carried polonium 210 "muled" to London. He accidentally ingested some, probably as the plotters met at the Pine... [MORE]	HB	Mar 19, 2008 08:31