Russia Takes The Salisbury Poisoning Row To The Hague, Have They A Case?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5576589/Russia-takes-Salisbury-poisoning-row-Hague.html

[anotheoldgit]

dannyk13

/// Who knows why Putin does what Putin does. ///

One could say that about almost everyone.

[dannyk13]

AOG, Do you really think that the evidence provided by 'other sources'will be made public?

[anotheoldgit]

dannyk13

Not a chance, but if it does get taken to the Hague the verdict should prove interesting.

[ludwig]

// No one has come up with a logical reason why Russia chose this way to get rid of someone who had upset them. //

Probably because they want no-one* to be in any doubt that they're behind it.

(*ie no-one that matters to them - potential spies and foreign governments. The denials and tit-for-tat expulsions are just part of the political 'game' being played out).

[Bazile]

Russian diplomats are being expelled from more than 20 countries .

The question is therefore, are they just blindly following the UK , or have they seen evidence , which has brought them to their decision ?

Would the USA for one , take such action if they were not provided with evidence ?

I really don't know

[ichkeria]

"What makes you so certain that Russia did do it? I am not saying they didn't but have not been privileged with the proof that they did."

Because that is what they do. And it has their signature all over it.
Like I say, any other explanation is not plausible. And to my simple mind, their behaviour incriminates them: why the speed to blame Britain? Why stamp ones feet and make ridiculous allegations exactly as they accuse Britain of doing - only in their case presumably without even the circumstantial evidence.
A BBC Russia reporter went there to interview Mr Skripal's niece. She was asked "If the British offered to pay for your flight to visit your uncle in hospital, would you go". And I thought: why does the Russian government not offer to do this: after all, here is a Russian citizen (Yulya) gravely ill in hospital? Surely the least they could do, if they really are an innocent party, is to send the relatives over. Intead they demand "consular access", despite the fact that that traditionally is for citizens who have transgressed abroad.

[anotheoldgit]

ludwig

/// Probably because they want no-one* to be in any doubt that they're behind
it. ///

Then why are they going to such great lengths to deny it?

[ichkeria]

Trump has told Russia they can replace the diplomats the US expelled.
And he's invited Putin to the White House.
With enemies like that, who needs friends?

[ludwig]

// Then why are they going to such great lengths to deny it? //

As I said, that's just how the game is played. We know they did it, they know we know they did it, we know they know we know they did it, but they must never admit it.

[Old_Geezer]

If you want to worry those out of favour you choose a method whereby the obvious conclusion to others is to identify you as the culprit, but ensures your denial is difficult to counter with 100% proof. It's basically the same tactic used by bullies in the school playground, but on a fatal level.

[anotheoldgit]

Bazil

/// Would the USA for one , take such action if they were not provided with
evidence ? ///

The USA would go to any lengths just to have another dig at Russia, and the same goes for most of the West Russia is their staunch enemy.

Would we have let Russia get away with half of the things we have carried out in the Middle East especially?

Hey! I am beginning to sound like a commie or anti-West, but most know I am far from that, just having a look at the other side of the coin and sometime it is not very nice.

[ichkeria]

Has it ever occurred to you WHY we regard Russia as an enemy aog?

[Peter Pedant]

// when it would point directly back to them. //

well they did think it was undetectable - the more modern novichoks - and that would be battle-field undetectable.

confusion with detectable in a lab ? we are dealing wiv da army not noted for subtlety

When the Bulgarians poisoned Markov wivda poisoned umbrella and ricin - we didnt have all this - "where's the umbrella and if you can produce it then it cant be us"-run around. ( yeah an how dja know it was Ricin, innit yeah ? and that pellet wasnt nuffink to do wiv us yeah! )

[anotheoldgit]

ichkeria

/// Has it ever occurred to you WHY we regard Russia as an enemy aog? ///

I will leave it to you to educate me on the subject.

[ichkeria]

They certainly thought polonium might be undetectable. A large enough dose would have caused a death seemingly by natural causes.

I have not seen much discussion about whether it is possible to make death by nerve agent undetectable. It seems unlikely to me: especially the way it was administered. But we should not think that just because an enemy is ruthless that they are also chillingly competent. Chillingly incompetent might be closer to the truth.

[ichkeria]

/// Has it ever occurred to you WHY we regard Russia as an enemy aog? ///

I will leave it to you to educate me on the subject.

Presumably the answer is "no" then :-)

[Peter Pedant]

// I will leave it to you to educate me on the subject.//
start with the Betrayal of Yalta
and work forward

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_betrayal

[atalanta]

To mix our metaphors, the Russians are putting up a smokescreen to muddy the waters

[Metaphysicalus]

It was cruel and inhumane what was let happen to the poor pets ( cat and 2 guinea pigs), who were sealed up in the house, and left to starve and without water. Very poor behaviour by the authorities.

[Baldric]

Good job there was no aged relative living-in ^^