Former Russian double agent seriously ill in Salisbury.

Soldato
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Under the hot sun.
Russians would claim the sky is green if it would help them out of a situation they created..
Thanks, I was wondering if the announcement that a nerve agent in liquid form was used had further reaching meaning, i.e. telling Russia we know in what form it was delivered and what you have suggested makes that delivery method impossible.

And I quote today's BRITISH position....

The British delegation to the OPCW has admitted that international chemical weapons inspectors did not confirm the origin of the nerve agent used in the Salisbury ex-spy poisoning.
The UK’s representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Peter Wilson, said identifying the nerve agent is an “essential part of the investigation,” and that the OPCW has identified neither its origin nor the laboratory where it was produced.

"But of course, while the identification of the nerve agent used is an essential piece of technical evidence in our investigation, neither DSTL’s analysis, nor the OPCW’s report, identifies the country or laboratory of origin of the agent used in this attack," he said.

While on the UK last report to OPCW states that all what is been said is based on open source reporting.....
 
Soldato
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1. Lavrov was right about the Swiss finding BZ as well as 'novichok/A-234'.
2. The OPCW head has now explained its presence as being a control marker and part of quality control procedures.
3. Why would the Swiss lab insider not be aware of control markers as part of quality control procedures, and feel the need to contact the Russians about it. Maybe they knew, but were still a bit "hmm". Or maybe something else.
 
Associate
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1. Lavrov was right about the Swiss finding BZ as well as 'novichok/A-234'.
2. The OPCW head has now explained its presence as being a control marker and part of quality control procedures.
3. Why would the Swiss lab insider not be aware of control markers as part of quality control procedures, and feel the need to contact the Russians about it. Maybe they knew, but were still a bit "hmm". Or maybe something else.

Maybe this insider has there own agenda (thats why they use more than one lab)
 
Soldato
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Maybe this insider has there own agenda (thats why they use more than one lab)

Could be.

Maybe the insider was the cleaner and didn't understand what they were overhearing :p

lol who knows. Or one of the lab technician's wives or something.

Let's see if they leave it at that and are happy with the explanation, or if this (asking the OPCW the question) was just the first step.
 
Soldato
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The Russians didn't need to be told by an insider. It was released in a report to all the member states.

I don't believe BZ was mentioned in the report, and it wouldn't make sense given the Russians also received the report. Bear with me:


The precursor of BZ that is referred to in the public statements, commonly known as 3Q, was contained in the control sample prepared by the OPCW Lab in accordance with the existing quality control procedures. Otherwise it has nothing to do with the samples collected by the OPCW Team in Salisbury. This chemical was reported back to the OPCW by the two designated labs and the findings are duly reflected in the report.

That last sentence seems to imply that it was included, until you consider the use of the term "the findings" (instead of "and it/this is duly reflected...") and also the claim that BZ has nothing to do with the samples collected in Salisbury. The very next paragraph supports this reading of it, since it is basically the justification for BZ not appearing in the final report:


I should like to mention here that in accordance with the established practice the Secretariat does not share the full reports of the analysis of the samples that it receives from the designated Labs with the States Parties. This practice is aimed at protecting the identity of the labs which conduct off-site analysis of samples. As it has been explained to you, the current system is tried-and-true and we must continue to put our faith in it. I would like to take this moment to invite States Parties to support the project to upgrade the OPCW Laboratory, which will further augment our capabilities in this field.

Thank you for your attention.

https://www.opcw.org/fileadmin/OPCW/EC/M-59/en/ecm59dg01_e_.pdf
 
Caporegime
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1. Lavrov was right about the Swiss finding BZ as well as 'novichok/A-234'.
2. The OPCW head has now explained its presence as being a control marker and part of quality control procedures.
3. Why would the Swiss lab insider not be aware of control markers as part of quality control procedures, and feel the need to contact the Russians about it. Maybe they knew, but were still a bit "hmm". Or maybe something else.


I think you're digging a bit now... you lapped up the Russian propaganda when it was released, their standard play to try and spread some doubt when there wasn't any and now you're still trying to come up with some argument for this BZ nonsense - it was just a Russian attempt to confuse things and for you, it seems to have worked

Well you might have missed the latest - the Swiss OPCW lab sent information to the Russians about their own findings, which were never included in the report. The Swiss found the BZ incapacitating agent in the samples, along with the now "unnamed agent" referred to as 'Novichok', or A-234. Russia has asked the OPCW for an explanation.

We could have a half-truth at play, and an OPCW cover-up. Did the OPCW report confirm the findings of Porton Down? Yes - they found the 'Novichok'. Did the OPCW report mention that BZ was also found in the samples and that the Swiss expressed surprise at the purity of the 'Novichok', casting some doubt that it was used on March 4th? No.
 
Soldato
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I think you're digging a bit now...

Perhaps you didn't dig enough, because you quoted accurate information, that you haven't cared to acknowledge is such, and a little speculation about it but no claims (other than those that turned out to be true).


their standard play to try and spread some doubt when there wasn't any

It's someone else's standard ploy to falsely claim "there is no doubt", when doubt most definitely exists, as well as many unanswered questions.


it was just a Russian attempt to confuse things and for you, it seems to have worked

How would you know it was just that? You don't even bother to use "probably" or "highly likely". As for confusion, some were confused about BZ being mentioned in the report, when it wasn't. Some also expressed doubts, to put it mildly, about Lavrov's word. But it was proven true by the OPCW's response to his question, confirming the presence of BZ and explaining it.

Would you prefer that nothing coming from the Russian side, which is part of the whole saga, was mentioned in this thread, Dowie?
 
Caporegime
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The confusion from Russia was deliberate and you're seemingly utterly blind to it even when you've taken it at face value and then later realised it was nonsense... Instead of questioning it you then assume there was some explanation for the confusion other than the rather obvious one of it being deliberate, it is all rather silly... but this is the sort of mindset required to detach yourself from reality and believe in conspiracies I guess.
 
Soldato
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The confusion from Russia was deliberate and you're seemingly utterly blind to it even when you've taken it at face value and then later realised it was nonsense... Instead of questioning it you then assume there was some explanation for the confusion other than the rather obvious one of it being deliberate.

No answer to my questions, no acknowledgement, and doubling-down with more assumptions and misconstruing of my position.

I won't lie to myself that I have no doubts. And I'm not going to assume this, or that, as the truth, like you are doing. I'm also not going to assume the OPCW's explanation is the end of it. It might be, or it might not. What you claim can only be deliberate confusion can also be explained as a likely result of excluding Russia from participation and seeing all the details of the investigation and testing, and them then finding out about the presence of another chemical, the symptoms of which match the witness statements of the Skripals' condition and behaviour on the park bench, and feeling they should inquire about it.

Russia is the defence in this case, they have the right to put forward any evidence and ask questions of the investigation, and the trial is ongoing. That the prosecutor has wanted to also act as judge and jury along with some friends, doesn't mean it's over. It just means the prosecution is out of order and jumping the gun.

The UK ambassador to the OPCW, Peter Wilson, has now said they will be complying with the rules to answer Russia's questions (around 45 I believe) within 10 days.
 
Caporegime
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The investigation was carried out by the OPCW, they're supposed to be impartial - there is no requirement to include Russia in the investigation itself, that would be rather dubious in itself. If you're instead referring to the separate investigations carried out by the UK then Russia were asked for some level of cooperation and refused it... then demanded involvement. You fell for the deliberate disinformation hook, line and sinker yet are still trying to pretend it has some entirely reasonable explanation.
 
Soldato
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And what did the OPCW confirm? Only the UK findings relating to the identity of the nerve agent. Not the UK's other accusations as to origin or "who dun it". It's rather apparent now that other countries, including the US, possess types of Novichok. Vast stockpiles of it were not required for use in Salisbury, either. Perhaps one of the few completely apparent things so far is that a party has let other parties know that they have untraceable Novichok.

As for the OPCW's impartiality, they're not all Swiss and neutral. They're a collection of chemical experts and diplomats from a wide array of countries. Is there form in politics and separate ambitions getting entangled with the OPCW? Look no further than John Bolton's track record of threats to an ex-OPCW head, and allegedly even to his children. Even now, the US/UK and others, are working hard to politicize the OPCW and give it the power to assign blame. I don't think anybody in their right mind believes this is because they'd always be impartial but rather because they are confident they have enough influence to steer it to desired outcomes.

By accusing the Russians and "convicting" them by punishing them, it was ensured that Russia, which would otherwise have been involved in the OPCW investigation (which took place after the punishment), was left out. It's all rather convenient and they are absolutely right to have questions, including about how the OPCW carried out the investigation and why it left certain details out of the report. As for me, I don't need the Russians to make me extremely suspicious of how this has all been handled by the government. Listening to the Russians' side, and accurately judging that Lavrov wouldn't lie about something like that, doesn't mean I believe everything they say.

Just because you believe and have become invested in the government's conspiracy theory of who was responsible, doesn't mean others are wrong to withhold judgment, and consider other conspiracy theories, without believing or becoming invested in them, till the facts become clearer (if ever).
 
Soldato
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By accusing the Russians and "convicting" them by punishing them
do you think they have been punished ? - May has been politically impotent to apply any finanical sanctions like the USA, or even acknowledge it is in the works.
The slow drip feed of information on the circumstances of the poisoning is keeping it in the news, the extensive cleanup operations now decided, must be worrying if you live in Salisbury.

working hard to politicize hard to politicize the OPCW and give it the power to assign blame
not sure how they could ever have that remit, they would need massive resources to contemplate such a role ... becoming a worldwide security/intelligencee agency.
yes - with spectometry they can establish whether ingrediants came from particular geographical regions, but that would not be conclusive ... they cannot go much further.
 
Soldato
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I see you've now changed the subject from this nonsense about a western nerve agent that you lapped up...

I invite you to read back and see how I addressed that interpretation of yours. Then you moved on to other things, which I've also addressed. I also invite you to take some responsibility, perhaps vainly.


do you think they have been punished ? - May has been politically impotent to apply any finanical sanctions like the USA, or even acknowledge it is in the works.

This is a great question because it highlights how the punishment (which there was - a swathe of diplomat expulsions in conjunction with other countries, and leading to more US sanctions on Russia) hardly fits the alleged crime. Almost as if they knew they were pushing it, but didn't want to push it too far. Craig Murray has recently shared that sources at the FCO remain unconvinced that Russia did this. He was previously right about Porton Down's true position, which he says was shared by FCO sources.


not sure how they could ever have that remit, they would need massive resources to contemplate such a role ... becoming a worldwide security/intelligencee agency.
yes - with spectometry they can establish whether ingrediants came from particular geographical regions, but that would not be conclusive ... they cannot go much further.

Nevertheless, that is what they are pushing for. Note how Boris Johnson embellished what Porton Down actually said. Note how it is the diplomats at the OPCW who prepare the actual statements and reports, and try to get away with as much as possible before the chemical experts yell "foul".
 
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