Shades of the Cold War! For all you John Le Carre fans, a fascinating tale of espionage, international intrigue and murder has been playing out in London. Unfortunately, it's all true: a dissident Soviet spy who sought political asylum in Great Britain has been murdered. And his cause of death has provoked serious cause for alarm: radiation poisoning.
Medical and police reports indicate Alexander Litvinenko, 43, was killed by a massive dose of alpha radiation from Polonium 210. A large quantity of the deadly radioactive element was detected in Litvinenko's urine, just hours prior to his death Thursday night in University College Hospital, London. For weeks doctors had tried to determine the type of poison that made Litvinenko ill, sending him to intensive care.
Press reports said traces of radiation were found at the hotel and sushi bar Litvinenko visited on November 1, the day he fell ill. The Health Protection Agency attempted to calm public anxiety, saying the risk of contamination was low. But the agency admitted that the apparent poisoning was "unprecedented."
The disclosure that radiation was to blame for Litvinenko's death came after his family released his deathbed statement, in which the Kremlin critic and former security agent accused Russian president Vladimir Putin.
"You have shown yourself to be as barbaric and ruthless as your most hostile critics have claimed," he said. "You may succeed in silencing one man, but the howl of protest from around the world will reverberate, Mr Putin, in your ears for the rest of your life. May God forgive you for what you have done, not only to me, but to beloved Russia and its people."
Litvinenko's father Walter blamed Russian security services for the death of his "courageous" son.
The ex-spy's statement prompted Putin to speak out for the first time about the situation. He insisted there was no proof that Litvinenko's death was "violent."
Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism unit, led by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, is heading an investigation into Litvinenko's poisoning. Further, on Friday senior government ministers and security officials held a meeting of Cobra, the government's emergency planning committee.
Update Nov. 25 - Cahal Milmo's article in London's The Independent discusses the fallout from Litvinenko's death.
yeah, my parents had bbc news on, and this was the major report. what a horrible way to die!
:-(
i hate politics. sure, there's the good stuff, but as Arthur Miller once wrote "Life is God's greatest gift, woman!"..and how many people have died in the name of political conflicts? ugh.
Posted by: [a}ma | 25 November 2006 at 20:49
I agree with Awareness. Very, very scary stuff. Will we ever find out the truth about this man's death? Thank you for writing about this, Tara.
Posted by: Laura | 25 November 2006 at 19:15
how very sad. I would think there were few sources that could get ahold of something that potent.
Posted by: AscenderRisesAbove | 25 November 2006 at 17:11
Tara,
Another case of truth being stranger than fiction. Disturbingly so.
rel
Posted by: rel | 25 November 2006 at 12:28
What is wrong with this world we live in? My goodness what could Litvinenko have known worth killing him for? I’m afraid I may have fallen prey to Putins propaganda when he first took power. There were always rumblings that he was a hard ass! Hmmmm.... I wonder what will be discovered?
Posted by: giggles | 25 November 2006 at 08:30
Ye, gods! This entire story is a chilling reminder of the lengths some governments will go to silence their critics.
Has anyone else felt a small frisson running up their spine at this news?
Thank you for reporting on this.
-- f
Posted by: Footpad | 25 November 2006 at 07:49
Dear Tara,
Thank you for addressing this horrific tragedy. I'm sure for their government (like the US) it is simply another death in the name of national security.
Frankly, I wonder who is feeling secure right now?
your friend & comrade in peace, JP
Posted by: JanePoe (aka Deborah) | 25 November 2006 at 07:34
Deeply disturbing.
Posted by: annieelf | 25 November 2006 at 05:04
Just like in the movies, eh? Thank you for enlightenment in this case, strange but true.
until next time,
sage
Posted by: sage | 25 November 2006 at 03:56
I have been following this story since it initially broke and was stunned when I saw the photo of him a couple of days ago.......more shocked and stunned when I read of his passing today. Unbelievable. I fear (and have for quite a while now) that we know only the tip of the iceberg of what Putin has been really orchestrating.
It's time someone connected the dots to the various heinous stories over the last few years to reveal more about this man. For whatever reason, he has been allowed to live behind a protective curtain........
I wonder why....
Posted by: awareness | 25 November 2006 at 02:24