Dec 11 2006

The Emerging “Dirty Bomb” Theory

Finally we are seeing some people using science, analysis and logic to address the fact we have a series of sworn enemies of Russia, who are aligned with allies of Al Qaeda, turning up exposed to massive amounts of Polonium 210 (compared the amount needed to kill one person), a material used in nuclear bomb triggers and a good candidate for a dirty bomb:

Therefore, without sounding as unhinged as the conspiratorial hordes that we seek to expose, we must seriously consider the possibility that Litvinenko was not assassinated but died after somehow exposing himself to Plutonium 210. The “dirty bomb” theory is one of the most likely means of exposure. Plutonium 210 has certain industrial uses that make it relatively easy to obtain; however, Litvinenko was not involved in any business that would have had a legitimate reason to use Plutonium 210. He was, however, intimately involved with a Chechen terrorist organization that had, in the past, made a “dirty bomb” from radioactive material similar to Plutonium 210. The possibility, therefore, exists that Litvinenko was at some point in a location where Plutonium 210 was being used to assemble a terrorist weapon. Such a prospect is far more disconcerting then your simple, run of the mill, Kremlin-ordered “hit” of a political dissident; and it is a possibility which should be explored by the British government and the civilized world.

Indeed it is. One thing not being reported is whether anyone thinks they have accounted for all the Polonium 210 associated with Berezovsky’s long time associates (Litvnenko and Lugovoi). These are not Putin’s people. A dirty bomb is a realistic option in this case.

197 responses so far

197 Responses to “The Emerging “Dirty Bomb” Theory”

  1. Lizarde1 says:

    and Boris is accused of money laundering in SWITZERLAND and you know how touchy they are about looking into bank accounts

  2. crosspatch says:

    Enlightened, you have unreasonably high expectations of the financial system.

    For example:

    I can monitor all trucks on an interstate but can you tell by looking which ones have stolen goods in them?

    Same with financial transactions. You can watch every single one but you don’t know which ones involve ill-gotten funds. Now sure, if there was a big payment from the mark to Litvineko’s personal bank account, it would be easy to spot. Even so, just getting money isn’t illegal. It would have never triggered any inquiry until now. But chances are there would be no direct transfer. How could you prove that a payment by the mark to a security company and a payment to you for services rendered are connected? You can’t unless you have testimony by someone involved. You can’t prove squat by just looking at the transactions.

  3. crosspatch says:

    “and Boris is accused of money laundering in SWITZERLAND and you know how touchy they are about looking into bank accounts”

    What is really interesting is that the case was stalled for a long time pending some information from the US. It was being blocked for some reason from going to Switzerland until just recently.

  4. clarice says:

    CP_-I think you should make a big investment in Russia–No one else will at this point.

    And, I cannot believe we’ve found no money trail if this were a smuggling operation. So odd. With 2 Euro cities now showing signs of radiation ontamination, I feel sure the banks–even those in Switzerland would cooperate.

  5. Lizarde1 says:

    The more I think about this the more certain I am that Lugovoi and Kovtun had NO idea they were exposed to radiation – Lugovoi said in an interview – it was even on my HANDS…it was everywhere. I’m not so sure about Litvinenko. The behavior of these guys after the alleged poisoning doesn’t suggest that the knew – they went on about their business – they didn’t flee Britain the next day or that night – Lugovoi even went to Armenia and didn’t return until the 20 of Nov. What that means I have no idea!

  6. Enlightened says:

    Boris has been accused of many nefarious things – by the Kremlin. Haven’t seen him accused by SY or Interpol or the FBI.

  7. Lizarde1 says:

    Stephen Cohen: …there are reports that Litvinenko was dealing in polonium, and poisoned himself…

    whose reports? Ours?

  8. clarice says:

    Thanks for the tip on Mitvoi, mariposa..A $15 billion dollar suit against Shell, huh? Fab. The earlier story indicated the enviro “violations” included such big deals as cutting down a tree. Either he’s on the take or a combo-Fitzgerald/Nader self-serving kook.

  9. Enlightened says:

    It’s interesting that Boris is charged in absentia with many crimes in Russia – and nowhere else.

    Now why would the UK give asylum to a known criminal? And why is Boris not been charged with any crimes outside Russia?

    The Kremlin really hate him. And someone is really trying to make a deal – Lugovoi and Kuvtun for Boris.

    Interesting the Kremlin is so interwtined with this little alleged smuggling ring.

  10. clarice says:

    CP–For those of you in smuggler’s gultch–You are claiming this was $35 million or more worth of PO. I can’t imagine there would be no paper trail–and consulting apayments seem unlikely to handle it.

  11. Spy-Games: Litvinenko, Polonium 210, Dirty Bombs and Conspiracy Theories…

    The Litvinenko affair continues to confound…once again, here is a compilation of notes, some harvested and others new. However, it is continuing to look like this was a smuggling operation gone badly, and maybe (even if it is a stretch),…

  12. topsecretk9@AJ says:

    I found this –what appears to be a “paste” on a blog with no link to the publication…I had not seen this – (plus it fits with my “smuggle” version /speculation)

    Monday, October 25, 2004

    Tycoon foils ‘nuclear bomb sale’ plot
    .
    THE London-based Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky has claimed that the intelligence services helped to foil a plot by Chechen terrorists to sell a nuclear device on the international black market.
    Berezovsky last week described the curious events that led to him tipping off the authorities about the plot.

    The exiled Russian oligarch, who according to The Sunday Times Rich List is the 14th richest man in Britain, said that he had contacted British and American intelligence after being approached by a Chechen at his home in Surrey.

    The Chechen said he was acting as an intermediary for a man who wanted to sell a nuclear bomb concealed in a suitcase for $3m (£1.6m).

    The tycoon arranged for a member of his staff to meet the Chechen at the Bristol hotel in Paris. The two-hour meeting was taped on Berezovsky’s instructions and the tycoon handed the tape to the CIA at the American embassy in London.

    A senior UK Whitehall security official confirmed that MI5 was aware that Berezovsky had approached the authorities on several occasions “offering to assist in investigations into the supply of illicit nuclear and radiological materials”.
    “He has made these allegations to the authorities in private, but we can’t discuss the details,” the official said.

    After the Beslan school siege last month, for which Shamil Basayev, the Chechen warlord, claimed responsibility, the possibility that rebels in the breakaway republic may be able to acquire a small nuclear device is causing alarm among senior officials in Moscow and the West.

    Two years ago American officials revealed their fears that Chechen rebels had stolen radioactive materials, possibly including plutonium, from a Russian nuclear power station in the southern region of Rostov.

    The disappearance of the materials from the Volgodoskaya nuclear power station, near the city of Rostov-on-Don, heightened fears that weapons-grade material, including caesium, strontium and low-enriched uranium. had been obtained by Chechen terrorists.

    The theft was reported by Russian officials to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which told the US energy department. Speaking for the first time about the plot, Berezovsky said that he had been approached in 2002 by a Chechen living in Paris whom he knew as Zakhar.

    The Russian tycoon had previously helped Zakhar by giving him $5,000 when the two men were in exile in Paris. He said: “I didn’t hear from him again until he rang me when I was in England and said he had enormous, very important information about nuclear weapons.

    “I informed the American embassy in London. I told them it could be serious or it could be a provocation.” Berezovsky asked Yuli Dubov, a business associate and fellow exile, to investigate the background to the plot. Dubov said that Zakhar had claimed that the portable bomb was one of several made by Soviet scientists during the early 1990s.

    “One of them disappeared during the mess of the early 1990s,” Dubov wrote in a report. “The person who holds this suitcase with a bomb wants to sell it and he (Zakhar) is empowered to act for him.

    “Zakhar approached Berezovsky. The price asked for it is not large, only $3m. The idea is that Berezovsky pays $3m and advises on whom the A-bomb should be delivered (to). Zakhar will then organise everything in the best possible way.”

    During a subsequent meeting, arranged at the behest of the CIA in London, Zakhar was asked by Berezovsky’s aide to provide evidence that the nuclear device existed. But Zakhar, by this time suspecting a trap, failed to do so. Berezovsky said that he reported the matter to British intelligence through an intermediary.

    That was end of the affair, as far as Berezovsky was aware. It could have been a hoax and he does not know whether the intelligence services tried to retrieve the nuclear device. The plot is the latest in a series of strange incidents to involve Berezovsky, who was granted political asylum by David Blunkett, the home secretary, last year.

    Once Russia’s most influential tycoon, Berezovsky, 58, has a £1.8 billion fortune and recently bought a Surrey estate for £10m from Chris Evans, the radio DJ. He was forced to flee Russia after falling out with President Vladimir Putin.

    Doesn’t look like Berezovsky is too keen to participate in illicit nuke deals (even sympathetic figures, but has been approached)

  13. topsecretk9@AJ says:

    Found the link

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1325302,00.html

  14. Enlightened says:

    Here’s some alleged swindlers – maybe they worked for Boris too.

    criminal case against swindlers who tried to sell weapons-grade Pu in Sarov continues

    The city court in Sarov reached the final phase of deliberations regarding a criminal case of alleged theft of weapons grade Pu from the secret storage facility in Sarov. The perpetrators: 51yo V. Blinov, who works in a commercial company and 36 yo investigator of Sarov’s Office of Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) S. Denisevich were apprehended as a result of the successful operation performed by the regional FSB office in N. Novgorod region.
    Several months ago, resident of N. Novgorod Markin came to the FSB office and told them that he was cheated by Blinov and Denisevich (Denisenko? some publications). Markin was going to buy a large batch of weapons grade plutonium, which accomplices of Blinov and Denisevich were going to steal from the Sarov’s special storage facility. Markin paid $50,000 to Blinov and Denisevich (or Denisenko) to organize the theft and was going to pay $750,000 upon receiving the plutonium. During one of their meeting, Denisevich (or Denisenko) came dressed in old military uniform and showed an expired and “fixed” military ID; Denisevich (or Denisenko) and Blinov also showed the container made to house Pu. Then Blinov and Denisevich (or Denisenko) took $50K and disappeared.
    The Prosecutor’s office of Sarov opened a criminal investigation of S. Denisevich (or Denisenko) and charged him with swindling (art. 159) and abuse of the office (art. 285) and of V. Blinov who was charged with swindling (art 159). During the investigation, the officials looked into a possible theft of nuclear materials and concluded that it did not happen (the perpetrators did not have any materials for sale

  15. Enlightened says:

    Hey – Isn’t PO 210 a decay of UR 235/238? Look:

    10/7/2003

    Radioactive Powder Recovered in Murmansk Could Have Been Used for ‘Dirty’ Bomb

    A radioactive substance seized by the law-enforcement agencies from Aleksandr Tyulyakov, deputy director of the Murmansk Atomflot Federal State Unitary Enterprise, who was arrested in early September, could have been used by terrorists to manufacture a proper nuclear bomb. That is the result of an expert investigation commissioned by the special services to study the extent of the danger and the sphere of application of the substance that Mr. Tyulyakov was trying to sell for $55,000. Vyacheslav Gudkov has studied the experts’ findings.
    Kommersant has already reported the arrest of 50-year-old Aleksandr Tyulyakov, who was charged at the beginning of this week with the unlawful acquisition and storage of radioactive materials (see our 30 September issue). Let me remind you that the Atomflot deputy director was arrested at the beginning of September in a joint operation by the Murmansk Oblast Internal Affairs Directorate and FSB [Federal Security Service] Directorate, attempting to sell a radioactive substance. The only thing that has been officially reported about this criminal case is that the radioactive substance confiscated from the deputy director contains uranium-235, uranium-238, radium-226, and the disintegration products of these elements.
    http://www.sandia.gov/asc/russia/russianmedia.html

    Same link for above swindlers.

    So tell me – why do THESE swindlers/thieves get caught with MONEY? And why didn’t Litvinenko, Lugovoi or Kovtun have any?
    Why are these swindlers caught and charged – but not the 3 bumbling PO 210 idiots?

  16. clarice says:

    ts–Sure doesn’t look to me like Boris was interested in the illicit nuke business. And frankly, I cannot imagine why the 14th richest man in Britain would be.

  17. Enlightened says:

    Clarice – if the 14th richest man in Britain was going to smuggle – he would never be linked to these 3 alleged “couriers” who apparently are mental midgets that know nothing about their mission.

  18. Enlightened says:

    Another story about the above incident – I saw this, and wonder if this is how the PO 210 might have been tranported:

    “Izvestia reported that Tyulakov was arrested in his garage after trying to sell a briefcase holding a capsule with 1.1 kg of a radioactive powder containing uranium-235, -238, and radium-226 for $55,000.”

  19. Enlightened says:

    Here’s the link for above.

    What I also find interesting is why Uranium and Radiu are only worth $55 K- yet this PO 210 was supposedly worth $35 MILLION.

    http://www.nti.org/db/nistraff/2003/20030560.htm

  20. Lizarde1 says:

    Boris was certainly kissing up to the Americans that’s for sure.