Both US and UK experts do not think that the alleged Russian nerve agent used in the alleged Skripal poisoning even exists. Perhaps this is why the British government will not agree to any tests and can supply no evidence.
Notice that the governments of the US, UK, France, and Germany did not require any evidence to decide that the Russian government used military-grade nerve gas to attack two people on an English park bench and a UK policeman. It makes no sense. There is no Russian motive.
The motive lies in the West. It is the latest orchestration in the ongoing demonization of Russia. The demonization is a huge boost to the power and profit of the military/security complex and prevents President Trump from normalizing relations. The military/security’s budget and power require a major enemy, and Russia is the designated enemy and will not be allowed to escape that assigned role.
The false accusations against Russia are damaging the Western countries that make and support the accusations. There has never any evidence provided for any of the accusations. Consider them: the Malaysian airliner, Crimea, the polonium poisoning of a Russian in the UK, Putin’s alleged intention to restore the Soviet Empire, Russiagate and the stealing of the US presidential election, other charges of election theft or interference. The current Skripal poisoning. Accusations abound, but never any evidence. Eventually even insouciant Western peoples begin to wonder about the transformation of evidence-free accusations into truth.
What do leaders and peoples of the few independent and sovereign countries think when they see a signed condemnation of Russia for poisoning a long-retired UK double-agent without a scrap of evidence by the political heads of the four major Western countries? What do the Chinese think? The Iranians? The Indians? We know that the Russians are beginning to think that they are being set up by demonization for invasion, as was Saddam Hussein, Gaddafi, Assad, Yemen, and the attempt on Iran. It is finally dawning on Russia that all these accusations are not some kind of mistake that diplomacy can straighten out, but, instead, the setting up of Russia for military attack.
This is a reckless, irresponsible, and dangerous impression for the West to give Russia. Some commentators, who understand the falsity of the Skripal accusation, explain, in my view incorrectly, that UK prime minister May orchestrated the charge in order to divert attention from her Brexit difficulties. Others say, incorrectly, that it is an effort to turn the Russian election against Putin. Some have concluded that Skripal was involved in the fake “Steele dossier,” and was silenced by Western intelligence, whether UK or US.
Even an astute observer such as Moon of Alabama has been confused by these explanations. Nevertheless I recommend his article “Are ‘Novichok’ Poisons Real? – May’s Claims Fall Apart”, which obviously was written prior to the French President, German Chancellor, and President Trump’s endorsement of UK prime minister May’s unsupported charges. The article shows that both US and UK experts do not think that the alleged Russian nerve agent used in the alleged poisoning even exists.
Perhaps this is why the British government will not agree to any tests and can supply no evidence.
This article was originally published at PaulCraigRoberts.org on March 15, 2018.
The Skripal incident is so ludicrous that only a complete moron would believe it. As my son put it: “the murderer would be the one entering the Salisbury restaurant in full hazard gear”. There is no possibility that the Skripals, nor any of the other restaurant patrons and staff would have survived such an attack – if a military-grade nerve gas was used. One litre of the stuff would eradicate the entire population of London.
This does not mean that Skripal and his daughter are out of danger. They must at least be silenced in order not to reveal the truth of this deplorable political scam, which is clearly a pretext for justifying an illegal military action against Russia by the US, UK and its pathetic allies.
As someone noted: “the very last thing the Russians ever want to do is to use a stupid method to try to kill a person who is of absolutely no interest to them whatsoever”.
In 2006, Sergei Skripal was convicted of Espionage and sentenced to 13 years in Russia, Lili-Ann, reduced from the 15 to 20 year tariff for such convictions because of his “co-operation”.
He was in poor health and suffering from diabetes, serving 6 years before being exchanged for Russian spies.
Had the Russian authorities wanted him dead, they had 6 years to complete the job without causing the slightest suspicion.
I`m British and unconvinced – The UK Governments outdated histrionics make me uncomfortable
The latest I heard is that Yulia Skripal is apparently “recovering” in the unknown hospital where she and her father have been “treated”.since the alleged “poisoning”. I’m sick of listening to Theresa May spewing her filthy accusations all over the place, desperately trying to sound earnest but only coming across like the lying cow she is. That she has managed to rattle up “support” from so many gutless EU member nations is deeply disturbing. The warmongering Western elite is clearly insane, utterly corrupt and stupid beyond belief. If I was Putin I would turn my back on the sorry lot of them, close my borders, and let them self-implode. Russia do not need the West it has friends in other places..
In the aftermath of the collapse of the USSR, Lili-Ann, Boris Yeltsin had allowed “Oligarchs” to virtually, and by very dubious methods, to effectively run the State.
As late as 2001, it was estimated that 85% of the value of Russian privately owned businesses were controlled by just 8 shareholder groups. This implies a level of “ownership in excess of that found in Western Europe, The USA and even in South Korea, and achieved in just 10 years – amazing really!
Putin was elected with the promise to restore State Control of Russian interests, his Legislation had the result that many Russian Oligarchs fled with their £ billions – the UK provided residential visas to some 433 Russians, on payment of £1 million, encouraging them to invest in the UK (Israel and the USA also issued residency visas).
Russia has made many extradition applications to the UK Courts, all have been blocked. The conduct of these Russian ex-pats has been questionable, suing each other for £billions, with several deaths in “unexplained” circumstances, where the UK Government seem content to leave these deaths “Mysterious”, quite unlike the Skipral activities.
As Napoleon once said “Attack is the best form of defence”, Teresa May has great problems with Brexit, what better to deflect from that.
Putin remains immensely popular in Russia, and that`s all that matters.
China has taken exactly the same position as Putin, requesting that information be provided by the independent Chemical Warfare authorities, a request that the UK seems to ignore.
You are quite correct, with close Chinese (Indian and Iranian) ties, Russia does not need “The West” – The pages of time will show an increasing “Western” dependence on “The East” where none of those countries have any historical reason to be beholden to “The West”.
It`s a funny old world Lili-Ann!
There’s more holes in this pile of festering garbage than a second hand dart board. Anyone believing a “Detective Sergeant” would attend the incident hasn’t watched enough of “The Bill.” They want a war, Europe is falling apart and some of the slumbering masses are finally using their heretofore dormant brain cells to question the narrative put forward by these criminal sociopaths. Has anyone even noticed the number of times 33 and 66 appear in these reports?
Anything the US Government insists is true, I will believe is false until I get to see solid proof before I believe anything the US, the UK, France, Belgium or Australia may have to say!