Putin Probably aprproved murder

[tvbcof]

Polonium-210 is (as far as I can tell) only available to those engaged in maintaining nuclear weapon stockpiles

That's false, polonium is widely used for the civil applications. Just for example, millions of polonium-based antistatic brushes are sold every day.

[img https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4110/5045922654_903916866f_b.jpg  img]

as it is necessary to maintain 'pits' for nuclear weapons

Well, that is false as well. Though the polonium-based neutron sources are used in laboratories, polonium isn't used in the modern nuclear weapons due to short period of half-life. There is a plenty of more suitable methods of initiation.

and is damn challenging to make

Polonium is produced in the nuclear reactors, via irradiation of bismuth-209 with thermal neutrons. This process is very simple and production cost is quite low, price for 500 mCi sample of polonium is only about $36 in the USA. By the way, 500 mCi is more than enough to get rid of somebody.

and fairly tightly regulated by international weapons treaty frameworks

There are no specific international treaties, which would regulate production of polonium. In fact, there are even no utilization procedures for used polonium sources, it is allowed to dispose of them with regular household rubbish.

Fair enough.  My quick research indicates that you are at least mostly correct.  I see no backup for my understanding that maintaining modern nuclear stockpiles involves refreshing polonium triggers or any other such material.  I thank you for the corrections.

My recollection of the poisoning was that the production of the polonium was not long after it's production (due to the half-life which you mention.)  I guessed (probably incorrectly) that the production involved refining of material from a fusion reactor, but it's an equally valid assumption that neutron bombardment from other sources could produce the material as well.

In my defense, I would say that while the unit cost of products resulting from neutron bombardment (either within a fusion reactor or otherwise) may be cheap, and especially if they are byproducts, operation of such a process is probably not, and it probably is under scrutiny of the IAEA except possibly in the strongest of the nuclear powers or in a non-cooperative state such as North Korea.

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[manis]

The UK is kidding itself.
What makes them think this judgement is even going to make a difference to Russia?

[galdur]

It´s a part of the smear campaign. And it´s desperation. At this point almost nobody believes the propaganda behind the Russia sanctions. So, it´s just more propaganda. Whether it´s true or not is never a concern where it originates.
It´s just about interests.

[bryant.coleman]

It´s a part of the smear campaign. And it´s desperation. At this point almost nobody believes the propaganda behind the Russia sanctions. So, it´s just more propaganda. Whether it´s true or not is never a concern where it originates.
It´s just about interests.

Probably a plot to continue with the Russian sanctions and embargoes. Countries such as France and Italy want to remove the sanctions, as their agricultural sector has been hit hard. The Germans are more or less neutral on this. The pro-US camp is able to get support only from the United Kingdom, in addition to the Russophobe states in the Baltics.

[galdur]

Times have changed drastically. Nowadays they can´t push their scams through garbage media. Nobody takes that seriously anymore. Social media is just too strong, people are fed up with one-sided propaganda.

[Daniel91]

Putin is nothing but a modern dictator.
Unfortunately, because of the size and importance of Russia in the today's world, and because of the current global crises, such as Syria or N. Korea, no one wants to confront with Putin and Russia's opposition is too weak now.
Because of this, Putin can do whatever he like, and it seems nobody can stop him now.

[practicaldreamer]

I can only speak for myself, but in my experience the favourite topics of conversation for the Great British public are the weather, last nights telly, football, welfare cuts/austerity/economic decline and the ins and outs of the latest BMA recommendations on safe alcohol consumption. Not the findings of the inquiry by Sir Robert Owen.

Nobody gives a shite about double agent Litvinenko/Putin/Crimea. No-one I know could, within a 500 mile diameter margin of error, even put their finger on Moscow, St. Petersburg or Vladivostock.

And now we are all readily devouring the BBC's adaptation of War and Peace I am sure we are just as ready to see the Russians as our brothers as we are our enemies.

Yes, its as shallow,vacuous, transparent - but ultimately innocent - as that. No-one gives a shite.

Putin did it ? I dunno.
The guy was a double agent. It goes with the territory. Why would I care one way or the other ?

Breaking news - joy rider dies in high speed chase.

[galdur]

I can only speak for myself, but in my experience the favourite topics of conversation for the Great British public are the weather, last nights telly, football, welfare cuts/austerity/economic decline and the ins and outs of the latest BMA recommendations on safe alcohol consumption. Not the findings of the inquiry by Sir Robert Owen.

Nobody gives a shite about double agent Litvinenko/Putin/Crimea. No-one I know could, within a 500 mile diameter margin of error, even put their finger on Moscow, St. Petersburg or Vladivostock.

And now we are all readily devouring the BBC's adaptation of War and Peace I am sure we are just as ready to see the Russians as our brothers as we are our enemies.

Yes, its as shallow,vacuous, transparent - but ultimately innocent - as that. No-one gives a shite.

Putin did it ? I dunno.
The guy was a double agent. It goes with the territory. Why would I care one way or the other ?

Breaking news - joy rider dies in high speed chase.

Oh yeah, War and Peace. I was going to download all episodes when it was over and watch it all on a rainy day. Good to be reminded.

[Nemo1024]

Is this the (renewed) topic about the murder of Litvinenko by the British special services and then a post-haste attempt to frame Russia for it (with an explicit character assassination, targeted at Putin)?

I saw this hitting the MSM a few days ago, with the immediate predictable reaction from USA along the lines of "oh, great, finally a fresh reason to put 'moar sanctionz' on Russia". Make you wonder who ordered the news...

I am still waiting for a sensible explanation to Litvinenko's wife's testimony regarding some men coming into Litvinenko's hospital ward, shaving his head and taking pictures of him - the pictures you see in the MSM. And the fact that polonium traces appeared later in places, where no trace of polonium was found during the first inspections - as if somebody was adding more drama as an afterthought...

[Chinatsu]

Death penalty?

[galdur]

Is this the (renewed) topic about the murder of Litvinenko by the British special services and then a post-haste attempt to frame Russia for it (with an explicit character assassination, targeted at Putin)?

I saw this hitting the MSM a few days ago, with the immediate predictable reaction from USA along the lines of "oh, great, finally a fresh reason to put 'moar sanctionz' on Russia". Make you wonder who ordered the news...

I am still waiting for a sensible explanation to Litvinenko's wife's testimony regarding some men coming into Litvinenko's hospital ward, shaving his head and taking pictures of him - the pictures you see in the MSM. And the fact that polonium traces appeared later in places, where no trace of polonium was found during the first inspections - as if somebody was adding more drama as an afterthought...

....some men coming into Litvinenko's hospital ward, shaving his head and taking pictures of him - the pictures you see in the MSM.

Yes, I remember that one. The whole affair seemed extremely dramatized, especially since it was a question of well, pretty much a nobody. At least not someone that the Russians would bump off in such a theatrical manner. And I guess their intelligence services use much more prosaic methods anyway if they need to get rid of someone.  The story didn´t seem to have much legs at the time and I doubt that this rehashing has any more traction.

[Balthazar]

Though sometimes GRU used explosive devices, I think that russian intelligence would prefer to use either bullet or ice ax to deal with Litvinenko's issue. Very simple and effective, Bandera and Trotsky would agree with that.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jun/16/past.russia

[galdur]

There was a boom in insider-based conspiracy theories after 9/11 and Putin had been blowing up buildings and wiping out schoolchildren and doing other evil things. But some theories have legs and others not so much in the long run. Especially if the smell test leads to London and some disgruntled Russians there.

[Nemo1024]

Yesterday's edition of "The Special Correspondent" program was dedicated to this "skeleton out of the British closet".

http://russia.tv/video/show/brand_id/3957/episode_id/1268114/

The journalist did some telling and revealing investigations. There is an interview with Litvinenko's daughter, who said that she never got shown her father's death certificate and that during the funeral she appeared to be the only grieving person.