So what if a Russian was murdered in American and many people were poisoned?

[Leonidas]

I live in England, and yes, this is all big news over here, but the government is pulling the, "this isn't worth endangering relations with Russia" routine. Now tell me, if a Russian in America died of radiation poisoning, and several innocent bystanders suddenly tested positive for radiation testing, and investigations all led directly back to Moscow, wouldn't this get a huge old honkin outcry from the media and the public? I'm thinking that would be the anthrax scare after 9/11 times at least 10.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/12/07/uk.russia.spy/index.html

[rkmsuf]

So if you murder someone in American is the murder weapon made in America or do you have to sing the Star Spangled Banner when you do it?

[stevew]

What if a Russian murdered an American in the Boxing ring?

RIP Apollo....godspeed.

[rkmsuf]

What if a Russian murdered an American in the Boxing ring?

RIP Apollo....godspeed.

I guess technically that's murdering someone in Russian then.

[Critch]

Do you have some inside information that the Russian Government are behind the poisoning?

If they're not behind it, what kind of outcry should there be?

[rkmsuf]

If they're not behind it, what kind of outcry should their be?


That sound was Quiksand's head exploding.

[Critch]

That sound was Quiksand's head exploding.

Hah, I edited it so now it looks like you edited my post to make your point!

[rkmsuf]

Hah, I edited it so now it looks like you made edited my post to make your point!

blimey!

[albionmoonlight]

To paraphrase a line from Jon Stewart: "When the hell did reality get exchanged with an airplane potboiler novel?"

To answer your question, it is hard to say. Russia would be a powerful enemy to have. These aren't religious fundies in Afghanastan, nor are they even Saddam's Army. These are guys with nukes. I can understand England's reluctance to press this in the absence of hard proof that they did it (which proof, of course, is unlikely to come up).

[Critch]

blimey!

This is what happens when they give you a big screen monitor at work so you have to type everything quickly to avoid people noticing that you're not working.

[Desnudo]

What if a Russian murdered an American in the Boxing ring?

RIP Apollo....godspeed.

If he dies...he dies

[rkmsuf]

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN EXHIBITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Leonidas]

To answer your question, it is hard to say. Russia would be a powerful enemy to have. These aren't religious fundies in Afghanastan, nor are they even Saddam's Army. These are guys with nukes. I can understand England's reluctance to press this in the absence of hard proof that they did it (which proof, of course, is unlikely to come up).Not like these are ackwardbass ragheads flying airplanes into buildings. No, those are scary. These are just some smart guys using nuclear poison to pick off people on your home soil and poison countless people along the way with radiation sickness. Nothing to see here, move along please.

[albionmoonlight]

Not like these are ackwardbass ragheads flying airplanes into buildings. No, those are scary. These are just some smart guys using nuclear poison to pick off people on your home soil and poison countless people along the way with radiation sickness. Nothing to see here, move along please.

Oh--I agree that, assuming Russia did this, it's nasty as hell. And if country A sending a weapon into country B with the express purpose of killing people residing in country B is not an act of war, then I don't know what is.

I'm just saying that, practically, the kind of response that you get is going to depend at least as much on how powerful country A is as it is on what country A did.

[Leonidas]

Oh--I agree that, assuming Russia did this, it's nasty as hell. And country A sending a weapon into country B with the express purpose of killing people residing in country B is not an act of war, then I don't know what is.

I'm just saying that, practically, the kind of response that you get is going to depend at least as much on how powerful country A is as it is on what country A did.Which all leads to things you need to ask like, "Why do we act so nicely to China," or, "Why invade Iraq, but not North Korea?"

[Icy]

What i don't get is why to use the radioactive stuff as poison, why not just use a standard poison? There are million of substances that can be used as poison while not affecting any other people surrounding the victim, not leaving proofs in the planes like radiation does etc.

I really think it must has been done with a purpose, like really wanting it to become public and to reach all the newspapers, else it could have been done "like and accident" as it has always been done.

[Klinglerware]

I really think it must has been done with a purpose, like really wanting it to become public and to reach all the newspapers, else it could have been done "like and accident" as it has always been done.

There could be something to this. I think the purpose (if Russia is responsible) is also to intimidate the other dissidents out there--by keeping the trail thinly disguised, it's putting everyone else on notice that this is what can happen to you too if you piss off the wrong people...

[Coder]

What i don't get is why to use the radiactive stuff as poison, why not just use a standard poison? There are million of substances that can be used as poison while not afecting any othe rpeople surrounding the victim, not leaving proofs in the planes like radiation does etc.

I'm sort of with Icy here.. this "hit" (if it really is a hit, I know one speculation is that it's an elaborate suicide plot trying to implicate the Russian government) just looks extremely unprofessional..

I mean, look at that Umbrella-hit back in 1978 of a Bulgarian "dissident".. a neat little poison dart, victim caught a fever and was dead in 4 days.. no one knows exactly who did it but at least it doesn't look as sloppy as this mess.

[JonInMiddleGA]

... wouldn't this get a huge old honkin outcry from the media and the public?

Hmm ... maybe. And maybe not.

I don't believe it would be Anthrax big since it doesn't appear to be random.

And as much as anything it would depend upon how it could be spun left/right and even moreso on what else was happening at the time. Nothing creates a frenzy like a slow news day.

[King of New York]

Putin realizes that other European countries and the US are not going to mess with him. So he, or his security service, becomes emboldened.

Frankly, if it were proven that Russia was behind the assassination and smuggled radioactive material into England, then Russia should be tossed out of the G7. That would send the sort of message that Putin would understand.

As for the original question: imho, if Russian secret agents assassinated a Russian dissident in the USA, democrats and republicans alike, would go ape-sh*t.

[Izulde]

I'm pretty sure Putin didn't order this because he'd know it'd damage his credibility and reputation immensely both at home and abroad. Furthermore, it would've been a much cleaner, more professional job. The man's ex-KGB, after all.

No, I'm agreeing with Icy's line that this was a job done to make Putin look bad and was probably the result of expatrite anti-Putin activists.

[Desnudo]

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN EXHIBITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you are so very, very good, and we are so very very bad!