Putin isn’t the only suspect in the death of former KGB spy Litvinenko. Family Security Matters presents another, and much more troubling, theory.

. . .Litvenenko, a former KGB agent, died in London on November 23 after ingesting a microscopic amount of polonium-210. In a deathbed statement, Litvinenko blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the poisoning – - an accusation which the Kremlin has vehemently denied.

The denial is fortified by the fact that polonium-210 is a very rare radiological substance that is man-made by bombarding Bismuth-209 with neutrons within a nuclear reactor. It is expensive to produce and difficult to handle. When Russian officials resorted to nuclear poisoning in the past – - including the assassination of two Swiss intelligence officials who were engaged with Russia and South Africa in the nuclear black market – - they relied on such readily available radiological substances as cesium-137 in salt form. According to nuclear expert David Morgan, killing a spy or political dissident with a grain or two of polonium-210 is as ludicrous as shooting a rat with a howitzer.

Litvinenko, who was born an orthodox Christian, was a convert to Islam with close ties to the Chechen rebels. His last words consisted of his desire to be buried ?according to Muslim tradition.?

In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to suitcase nukes that were developed by U.S. and Soviet forces during the Cold War. Reliable sources, including Hans Blix of the United Nation, have confirmed that bin Laden purchased several of these devises from the Chechen rebels in 1996. According to Sharif al-Masri and other al Qaeda operatives who have been taken into custody, several of these weapons have been forward deployed to the United States in preparation for al Qaeda?s next attack on American soil.

. . .The neutron source or ?triggers? of the suitcase nukes are composed of beryllium-9 and polonium-210. . .

. . .Polonium-beryllium triggers are packaged in foil packs about the size of a package of sugar on a restaurant table. When the twin foil packages are crushed, the elements mix and the neutrons are emitted. A courier transporting nuclear triggers could have had a mishap causing the packages to rupture and a trail of contamination to occur.

Polonium-210 is a fine powder, easily aerosolized. Litvinenko could have inhaled the powder, or had a grain or two on his fingers when he ate the sushi.

We’ll definitely have to keep an eye on the developments in this case, particular any revelations on Litvinenko’s possible terrorist connections.

Update: Counterterrorism Blog has more, including news that “seven workers at the Millennium Hotel, where former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko met a contact on the day he fell ill, have tested positive for ‘low levels’ of polonium”.

Seems to me if he was poisoned in a hotel bar, that would run counter to the terrorist suitcase nuke theory, which is good news.

 Print This Post