US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr. was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry today, where Sergey Lavrov announced Russia’s retaliation for US and Western expulsions announced Monday. The response closely mirrors the initial move.
Russia will be retaliating by ousting 150 Western diplomats overall, including 60 Americans. This is roughly the same number as were expelled on Monday and Tuesday. Russia is also announcing the closure of the US Consulate in St. Petersburg, in response for the US closing their consulate in Seattle.
The Western expulsions were nominally about the poisoning of an ex-spy in Salisbury. Russia has denied being behind that, however, and testing on the substances still haven’t been completed, and won’t be for some time. Britain has been repeating the allegation, however, and praising expulsions as a sign of solidarity.
The Russian government indicated that they would retaliate in kind for the expulsions, and it seems they were quite quick to do so. Since they closely mirror what was done to them, it seems it didn’t take long for them to put together the response.
The abdurdities mount. The much awited result is not hoing to contribute much to the investigation, in spite of having hundreds of people in the investigation, it is clear that story has msjor holes. One, Salisbury authorities, the first responders, provided first aid to victims, took them to hospital , and treated there. They did not get sick. Nor did they found anything at the site. Benches, as well as the area surrounding them were left unprotected sfter victims were taken away to the hospital. However, after the Interior got involved, hazmat protection was all around. Now, the story has changed. It was their door at the house that shows the high level of toxin. Problem there is — how many people came to the home before it was surrounded by hazmat protection?
The story now is evel less plausible. If the victims got in touch with thre nerve sgent st home, they would havre been dead tight there. Instead the victims proceeded to a pub, a restaurant, and then to the cemetary where Yulia’s mother was burried. Having set in a bench, they fell ill. Not consistent with the effects of the toxinin in question.
And if the identification confirms the type of A-234, that will mean nothing. Most countries with chemical weapons program have sych damlles for antidote development. US was the first to get access to A-234. when it was commisioned to destroy facility where it was developed in Uzbekistan. But the apparent difference in the consequences of poisoning.
Having declared who the guilty party is — UK did not do the investigation, identified persons of interest, and pursued possible motives. One cannot exclude former spies he outed and their relatives. Or former and current fellow spies that were all in close contact. Somebody provided Christopher Steele information about Trump’s Trip to Russia. And that somebody provided a whole pack of information that was in accurate. Steele was a professional and his firm took a hit for this sloppy and unprofessional work. Who supplied it? It is very possible that fake information. was supplied through Skripal, and probably not the first time. Some people do not forgive, especially if living in UK at the expense of taxpayer. And being possibly a useful idiot for Russian counterinteligence. But not in a position of being dangerous to Russia, but dangerous to UK. Or he just had some enemy of very local nature. A woman scorned? The entire Russian hysteria is political and does not pass a straight face test. Thr real story may be more jnteresting. Or not. Just a biring case of botulism poisoning? The whole “poison at ther door” is even worse then “poison at the bench”.
First responder Police Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey was hospitalised for 18 days after being exposed to nerve agent.
Where was he exposed? At the bench the victims were found at? If that is the case, why did not the first responders become ill? They administered first aid, including helping female victim to breathe, as she was convulsing and vomitting, but conscious? Why not the number of hospital staff that recrived them, doctors that administered various procedures, bring in contact with both their skin and bodily liquids? Makes no sense. Or was he taken ill after entering their home, where at the front — supposedly/- the highest concentration was found? But what about others that likewise went in and through their house? What about a number of potential victims that came freely to their house, long before it was protected? In fact, nerby playground was closed of just now, nearly a month after the incident. The hazmat gear around the bench did not show up well after the local police went into the search of the next of kin. If 18 days in hospital, when was he admitted. The incident occured on March 4th.
Nerve poison — if contacted at home as now claimed, would not have allowed victims to go to pub, then to a restsurant for dinner, visiting cemetary, then collapsing at the bench. This is far from clear, and for the sake of public health as well as addressing the concerns of population this is a mess.
He had also entered the house where the Skripals lived, and now he has recovered, Who has heard what he told about the situation?
Exchanged spies are NEVER killed by those expelling them, or the whole point of exchanging would be lost and any of the others could be killed in reprisal. The delay now is suspicious- Buffoon Boris has already admitted to Deutsche Welle that the UK had samples of the poison and an antidote. Is the OPCW working with Russia and the UK, as the law requires? Who do we trust, after PM May’s lies?
Russia should expel all Brits and Americans from the country.
World War 3 is coming