In contrast to Western governments throwing money at banksters, Russia isn’t buying the ‘too big to fail’ argument from a bunch of crooks.

Over at Kirill Pankratov’s LJ, Kirill asks the good question, ‘Why Polonium?’
It is after all a very poor and very unusual choice as a poison. Its prime purpose is to trigger bombs. So he offers the three most widely touted rationales and asks his readers which they support.
1. The Big Red Arrow
Polonium was deliberately chosen [...]

We haven’t heard much from Litvinenko’s partner-in-crime, Mario Scaramella lately. That’s because they locked him up and threw away the key.
Mario is enjoying a little break from prison at the moment, but only under guard in the local hospital. Here he is said to be suffering from tachycardia, collapses, high blood pressure, blackouts, thyroid [...]

Early last December, at the height of anti-Kremlin hysteria, the Observer turns up with a real story on Litvinenko.
Instead of the passionate human rights worker of press release pathos, Litvinenko is suddenly revealed as an eccentric, a man given to wild claims and to strange fantasies of being a Chechen warrior.
It also reveals his [...]

An interesting walk-on part in the Litvinenko drama is that of Andrei Sidelnikov.
So far, he has made few column inches. In the great murder mystery, he is only reported for having had a sandwich in Oxford Street with Litvinenko and later testing negative for Polonium.
But Andrei is one guy you could perhaps genuinely describe [...]

Who needs facts or evidence when you have a libellous rag like the UK Independent?
‘Putin Murdered My Son’ it screams, with another screed of speculative slander - this time from Litvinenko’s father, Valter.
Of course one should have sympathy for Valter. I suppose it can’t be much fun being the father of a traitor who [...]

Whatever the outcome of the Litvinenko affair, the damage to East-West relations has been done. Or perhaps, it has simply exposed the latent Russophobia that still resides in the West.
Day by day, the story of a grisly tyrant taking out a good ole boy scout has fallen apart. But the propaganda machine is still [...]

Let us now draw a line under this unfortunate Litvinenko affair and look forward to a season of peace and goodwill.

Hat tip to DPG at Moscow Expat Forum

Last time out, I detailed some fairly logical reasons why Polonium is a poor choice as a murder weapon.
Not the least of which being that it leaves a trail and puts the poisoner at risk as well as the victim.
You can add one more. If you want to gag somebody - a ‘fierce critic’ [...]

Since bloggers discovered that Polonium 210 could be bought on the Internet, one of the on-line isotope stores took down its website.
It’s back up today with a new front-page setting the record straight about Polonium. The copy contains this wonderful line: ‘Although it obviously works, Polonium-210 is a poor choice for a poison.’
Reporting hasn’t [...]