Former Russian double agent seriously ill in Salisbury.

[RaohNS]

You where saying

The sheep are out of their fields and doing the governments bidding in here. Safe Space corner is already a hub of histrionics and TDS. Unless the mods keep banning or making it difficult for others because of their own clear bias means GD will remain a place for general discussion

 

[KillBoY_UK]

The sheep are out of their fields and doing the governments bidding in here. Safe Space corner is already a hub of histrionics and TDS.

Thanks for the attack Bro

As for safe space if "You where saying" leads to insults and passive aggressive insults on me, then I think you might require the Safe Corner you mention.

Unless the mods keep banning or making it difficult for others because of their own clear bias means GD will remain a place for general discussion

Kinda Ironic, keep GD and other media open so people can be critical of each other and not just a echo chamber.

 

[DrToffnar]

You'd think someone who wanted intelligent, open discussion would banish words like 'sheep' from their vernacular. It's one way to make sure you're point is never taken seriously.

 

[ubersonic]

Russia don't care if it was sloppy. Putin won't even care that they got "caught" so to speak. Nor does he care that the accused names have been revealed.

Indeed, one of the main reasons Russia's defenses like the assassins being tourists seems so ludicrous to us is because it isn't meant for us, Putin doesn't care what the west thinks. As long as he can convince the Russian people the west are wrong it works in his favour because anger will be directed abroad and he can use the "unfair sanctions" to scapegoat the failing economy.

This was nothing more than a statement from Putin to say to the UK and the west: Look what I can do. I can put people into your country and attempt assassinations with total impunity.

You see, the bit where that theory completely falls apart, is that it's only by complete million to one fluke that the whole thing even got found out. If things had gone according to what was (from the way it was carried out) the plan then Skripal would have contacted the poison, died in his home and all Novichok traces would have been gone long before the coroner ruled his death indeterminate or natural causes.

Things were thrown into chaos when his daughters visit caused him to go out for the day and pass out in a park, and even then the only reason the nerve agent was identified was by pure fluke (the porton down team investigating it were discussing it in a communal part of the facility when they were overheard in passing by one of the only people in the country that could have helped them).

 

[RaohNS]

BBC in full propaganda mode:

Implying very surreptitiously that the left image is Chewbacca... Amazing how people still treat the BBC as credible and worse people will defend this tactic!

 

[IronWarrior]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere and everyone was saying over Twitter that Bellingcat was discredited and proven wrong on things.

 

[Diddums]

Do you have quarters? Because it costs 50 cents.

That, for me, was the film of his career. "HOW DO I GET OUT OF THIS ******* LAKE!!!!*

 

[ubersonic]

That, for me, was the film of his career. "HOW DO I GET OUT OF THIS ******* LAKE!!!!*

Not the car, I was on fire!

 

[HazardO]

BBC in full propaganda mode:

Which picture is using RTX again?

 

[Stretch]

Craig Murray has a piece up that gives a probability of (using industry standard software) at 2.8% likely of it being the same person.

He also uses Eliot "works in a shop" Higgins own tweets from earlier in 2017 saying facial recognition is "harder than some people think".

Another desperate attempt from Bellingrat to do some "investigative journalism".

I'll say I'm not convinced one iota by the Bellingcat piece. The men are similar, but even my first thought was that isn't him.

One thing I notice on closer inspection is:
Mole above his left eye. Appears on pics 2 &3 very clearly. Not there on pic 1.

Ear shape pic 1 vs pic 2 &3 is wrong (flat vs arced). Eyes are further apart on pic 1 than both pic 2&3.

Also elbows to pointy.

This guy is seriously unfortunate to be confused with an ex special forces colonel GRU operative doppelganger whilst he was visiting Salisbury Cathedral (and its 123m spire) the very same day another ex GRU operative (who was seeking protection in the UK) was attacked with a nerve agent.

You don't need "industry standard software" to know BS when you smell it.

 

[RaohNS]

Also elbows to pointy.

I did think of posting this.

guy is seriously unfortunate to be confused with an ex special forces colonel GRU operative doppelganger whilst he was visiting Salisbury Cathedral (and its 123m spire) the very same day another ex GRU operative (who was seeking protection in the UK) was attacked with a nerve agent.

He is, or rather a story is being spun and pushed in the direction the government demands. Although if you believe the picture 1 is anything like pics 2 and 3 then head here: www.specsavers.co.uk

You don't need "industry standard software" to know BS when you smell it.

Exactly.

 

[Danny75]

Alleged pictures of the real(?) Chepiga here for what it's worth (these need confirming) - https://twitter.com/elenaevdokimov7





Bear in mind there's no confirmation (at time of writing) of Bellingcat's assertion from police or government (Gavin Williamson quickly deleted his congratulatory tweet). We'll see.

 

[RaohNS]

Which picture is using RTX again?

You tell me

 

[RaohNS]

Alleged pictures of the real(?) Chepiga here for what it's worth (these need confirming) - https://twitter.com/elenaevdokimov7





Bear in mind there's no confirmation (at time of writing) of Bellingcat's assertion from police or government (Gavin Williamson quickly deleted his congratulatory tweet). We'll see.

I hope to god that's real. Evan will never hear the end of it

I can see him booking a trip to Russia to try and disprove that bull**** Bellingrat are right

 

[Danny75]

I hope to god that's real.

I don't know. I wouldn't get excited just yet. But I'd likewise also caution against getting excited by Bellingcat assertions. It's 'highly likely' that when the government is not 100% sure of their evidence concerning Russia, they filter it out through Bellingcat first, and test the waters. If evidence to the contrary arises, no problem - it's only Bellingcat that was wrong, not the government. And the government doesn't have to admit that was part of their "classified" evidence all along.

Meantime those two men were located and presented 22 days ago, and an invitation for British police to go and question them was offered, and hasn't been taken up yet. Maybe they have a valid reason, but I'd like to hear it, or anything, in response to the invitation. Instead of the official silence and much media noise.

 

[Stretch]

I did think of posting this.



He is, or rather a story is being spun and pushed in the direction the government demands. Although if you believe the picture 1 is anything like pics 2 and 3 then head here: www.specsavers.co.uk



Exactly.

If you're not being paid for this, please seek help. and that's a general point, not related to the latest news.

 

[banbom44]

I don't know. I wouldn't get excited just yet. But I'd likewise also caution against getting excited by Bellingcat assertions. It's 'highly likely' that when the government is not 100% sure of their evidence concerning Russia, they filter it out through Bellingcat first, and test the waters. If evidence to the contrary arises, no problem - it's only Bellingcat that was wrong, not the government. And the government doesn't have to admit that was part of their "classified" evidence all along.

Meantime those two men were located and presented 22 days ago, and an invitation for British police to go and question them was offered, and hasn't been taken up yet. Maybe they have a valid reason, but I'd like to hear it, or anything, in response to the invitation. Instead of the official silence and much media noise.

Bellingca

I don't know. I wouldn't get excited just yet. But I'd likewise also caution against getting excited by Bellingcat assertions. It's 'highly likely' that when the government is not 100% sure of their evidence concerning Russia, they filter it out through Bellingcat first, and test the waters. If evidence to the contrary arises, no problem - it's only Bellingcat that was wrong, not the government. And the government doesn't have to admit that was part of their "classified" evidence all along.

Meantime those two men were located and presented 22 days ago, and an invitation for British police to go and question them was offered, and hasn't been taken up yet. Maybe they have a valid reason, but I'd like to hear it, or anything, in response to the invitation. Instead of the official silence and much media noise.

Are you British mate why are you siding with Russia over your own country?

 

[banbom44]

The sheep are out of their fields and doing the governments bidding in here. Safe Space corner is already a hub of histrionics and TDS. Unless the mods keep banning or making it difficult for others because of their own clear bias means GD will remain a place for general discussion[

Hilarious, so he's supposed to be a full Colonel???? WTF??? Why is he even on operations once he's reached that rank?

Regardless, so much for all the claims earlier in the thread along the lines of: "if Russia wanted to kill Skripal we'd not even know about it". They've been shown up to be rather inept here...

Of course it would be rather easy to disprove the claims if this open source investigative site has got it wrong, just bring out the real Colonel for the cameras.

I love that excuse that it can't have been the Russians because because it was so amateur newsflash people the Russians are incompetent.

 

[Danny75]

Bellingca

Looks like something got cut out of your post.

Are you British mate

I am.

why are you siding with Russia over your own country?

Did the UK's Defence Intelligence Service side with Iraq and Saddam Hussein when they refused to endorse MI6's and Blair's lies? More on this further down.

If you believe that someone must always be believed, go ahead. If you believe what they are saying, not necessarily believe them all the time, fine. Just don't kid yourself that anyone who doesn't believe them, or it, is automatically siding with someone else over their own country. A handful of liars (imo) playing with fire, a country maketh not. Though they could well destroy it.

Back on topic: Craig Murray has written an interesting piece.

Russia has its GRU in addition to its KGB (now FSB and SVR). The UK has its Defence Intelligence in addition to its MI6 and GCHQ. Much less high profile, Defence Intelligence is more analytical than operative – as indeed is GRU, Skripal was an analyst.

Defence Intelligence had its proudest modern moment when it refused to endorse MI6’s pack of lies on Iraqi WMD, and earned the hatred of MI6 and of Blair and Straw as a result. This was confirmed by the Chilcot report which stated that MI6 even actually hid some of the intelligence material from the Defence Intelligence Service to prevent their rubbishing it.

...

DIS remain rather more attached to the truth than MI6, so when Defence Minister Gavin Williamson tweeted out a thrilled endorsement of Bellingcat’s work on Colonel Chepiga, DIS urgently advised that he delete it. Which he did.

Which is not to say DIS are sure it is not Chepiga; rather they believe – as would anyone with half a brain – that the Bellingcat photo falls a long way short of proof. The British security services have been unable to stand up the ID with facial recognition technology. The experts are describing the Boshirov/Chepiga identification as “possible”.

I have this information from an impeccable Whitehall source, who told me there is a concern in the security services that runs like this. They genuinely believe Boshirov and Petrov are GRU agents and the would-be assassins. (I judge that my source themself believes the security services really do think this). Bellingcat, while they are sometimes fed security service material, did not in fact get fed the Chepiga material by the CIA or MI6, whether or not through a cutout. The security services are worried the Chepiga ID may be a blind alley fed to Bellingcat’s sources by the FSB. If the UK government endorses it, this could be followed by the Russians producing Chepiga and apparently discrediting the entire British narrative.

Hence the fact no charge has been laid against Chepiga, and the charges are still in the name of “Boshirov”, plus the fact that no British minister or official has named Chepiga, with only the fool Williamson stepping out of line and being slapped down.

Please note I am not endorsing the views and beliefs of the British intelligence services; I am reporting them.

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2018/09/spy-games/

 

[RaohNS]

I love that excuse that it can't have been the Russians because because it was so amateur newsflash people the Russians are incompetent.

You say that with such conviction, as if it is something only Russia can do as being incompetent. Look around you: Every government/administration the world over is incompetent.

We drop bombs killing 50 people and missing the target.

Where are the Skripals and why wont they [be allowed] to talk?