Dec 09 2006

UK Preparing For Dirty Bomb Attack

I don’t need to underline what could possibly have pushed the UK to scramble and prepare their police forces for a possible dirty bomb attack:

POLICE forces have been told to buy anti-radiation masks for their 100,000 frontline officers to protect them in the event of a “dirty bomb” terrorist attack.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has told all forces they should look to purchase specially designed chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) hoods as soon as possible.

Senior officers are concerned that, with only 1,000 thought to have been distributed, their ability to deal with any radiation threat will be severely hampered.

The urgency that is being placed on the purchase of the hoods reflects the level of concern over the likelihood of a “dirty bomb” attack, where radioactive material, packed around a conventional explosive, is detonated and spreads radiation over a wide area.

The threat has been highlighted by the use of radioactive polonium-210 to kill Alexander Litvinenko, the Russian defector.

An ACPO spokesman said: “All UK police forces have been made aware of the availability of escape hoods. They have been advised by ACPO that individual forces should consider acquiring sufficient hoods to equip all patrolling officers at times of heightened threat.”

The current “threat level” of a terrorist strike in Britain is judged by MI5 and the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre to be “severe”, meaning that an attack is highly likely.

It would seem that there is heightened concern out there. And in a clear case of closing the barn door after all the horses are out the US and others are pondering whether to tighten controls on Polonium-210. I will attempt to help them shorten the process. The answer is: Hell yes!

67 responses so far

67 Responses to “UK Preparing For Dirty Bomb Attack”

  1. clarice says:

    **MAYBE because******

  2. AJStrata says:

    Folks,

    The assassin theory will never hold up, unless the authorities require it for some other reason. The assassin theory cannot yet explain the three trips by Lugovoi where each hotel he stayed at was the center of contamination in multiple rooms and the rallying point for smuggling. The assassination theory cannot explain why these earlier locations that include 3-4 meetings with Litvinenko were not used to kill him with something much less expensive than $35 million worth of Polonium-210. And the assassination theory cannot confirm there was only $35 million dollars with of Polonium-210 brought into the UK.

    The tea cup must have signs of more than 50-100 doses of Polonium-210 because to still have scars or residue requires a density of material that can damage a porcelain surface and possibly embed particles from a material which has radiation that cannot penetrate paper in small doses.

    The assassination theory has a lot of loose ends to address with facts. And the fact is the only supporting evidence is the wild claims of the very people who are tied to the Polonium-210 on three occasions and who, if smugglers, needed a diversionary story. Beyond that there is no evidence of an assassin. The Polonium is in the UK in large amounts with contamination tied to Lugovoi and Litvinenko. That is not speculation.

  3. crosspatch says:

    most likely damage to the cup would be crazing of the porcelain glaze

  4. redwood99 says:

    I’m sorry if I missed this somewhere but how/why was the polonium ingested? I’m assuming it was ingested and not inhaled because of Marina’s description of Litvinenko’s stomach problems immediately prior to his hospitalization and subsequent death. Accidental ingestion must be explained in order for the smuggling theory to hold water.

  5. crosspatch says:

    Maybe the press is coming around

    “Mr Simonov believes Mr Litvinenko may have been smuggling polonium-210 because he “badly needed money”, “made a bit on the side by smuggling toxic isotopes”, and “wanted to earn from the transaction”. Mr Simonov also states that on the day of his poisoning, Mr Litvinenko visited Boris Berezovsky, an exiled Russian businessman and “key wheeler and dealer of the Yeltsin era”, and left traces of the radioactive isotope in Mr Berezovsky’s office.

    Apart from accidental self-contamination, Mr Simonov further suggests that Mr Litvinenko may have been murdered by Mr Berezovsky because he “knew too much” about fraud charges pending in Russia and “posed a threat to the exiled oligarch”. He said a memorandum of cooperation between Russia’s Deputy Prosecutor General and Scotland Yard does not bode well for Mr Berezovsky, who may have figured that “a dead acquaintance is better than a living friend who talks too much”.

    SOURCE WARNING:
    Vladimir Simonov, a political commentator for the Russian News and Information Agency Novosti

  6. crosspatch says:

    Also, as of December 8, Scaramella was still in London accodring to the NYT.

    Link

  7. Snapple says:

    Crosspatch–

    Novosti Press was an arm of the Soviet Propaganda.

    http://intellit.muskingum.edu/russia_folder/pcw_era/sect_03.htm

    Maybe not much has changed.

  8. clarice says:

    Thaat report seems toconflict with the L’Repubblica article which had him in Italy.

  9. crosspatch says:

    That is why I made special note of the source. But keep in mind … if it was not a state hit then their analysis is as good as anyone elses. If it was a state hit, it is bad enough to have Putin tossed out of office by his own people.

  10. wiley says:

    The last I saw, Scaramella was in Italy. And the Novosti source is what’s expected from the Kremlin coverup/smear/re-direct.

  11. crosspatch says:

    I also note this in the article concerning Scaramella:

    “He told CNN this week that he had urgently flown to London to warn that he had received e-mail messages from a “source” Mr. Litvinenko had introduced him to earlier”

    So he didn’t “jus happen” to be in the neighborhood at a conference according to his words, he flew to London specifically to deliver that message.

  12. tempester says:

    I have read that litninenko was attacked twice

  13. wiley says:

    … but, I would think the NYT probably accurate in reporting where Scaramella is.

  14. tempester says:

    it was reported that he brought forward his meeting with litvinenko
    from the 10th to the 1st. the daily mail has today an interview with the wife of Litvinenko where she says litvinenko believed his computer was tapped. Many people have asked why he simply didnt just forward the email to litvinenko.

  15. crosspatch says:

    Oh, so they aren’t afraid to tell everyone in the world about AFTER he is sick but they were worried about it being seen BEFORE he was dead? Makes no sense. He would want that list known far and wide in case anything happened to anyone on it.

    In other words, sending a copy of the list by email wouldn’t have done any harm. Besides, he had already been told he was on such a list by the same person some 4 years before. The only new information that list provided were the names of OTHER people. That angle doesn’t pass the common sense test.

  16. tempester says:

    yes you are right – I wonder whether Scarramela wanted to see his face – to see how he reacted – to the email to guage how worried he was about it? (the email)

  17. crosspatch says:

    For it to be a hit you have:

    Bumbling hit squad leaks its plans to man in prison for 2.5 years.

    Somehow contaminate Lugovoi and company three times over the course of weeks

    Contaminate locations in Germany along with a dozen locations in London.

    Contaminate several hotels and the workers employed there for a total of some 20 people showing contamination so far and another 200 now being asked to be checked.

    Give the target such a massive dose that he is ill the same day and can then easily retrace steps and all memories of the day are fresh

    Manage NOT to hit Boris or the Chechen who are close associates and higher priority targets but somehow missed in the hit even though the Chechen drives over to pick up Litvinenko to take him home.

    Somehow know that Litvienko will be at the Pines Bar and not hit him at the one place where he frequently goes (the sushi bar) and initially thought to be where the hit must have occurred (because he left his food unattended to visit the toilet).

    If it was a state hit, it was the sloppiest hit ever recorded in the history of intelligence services.

  18. crosspatch says:

    Scaramella might not have known the Litvinenko was already on such a list. But I really think Scaramella was put up to this to provide additional cover to point the finger at Russia. He was probably told he must “immediately” deliver the information in person. And he did. Part of the smokescreen.

  19. crosspatch says:

    Ment to say:

    “Scaramella might not have known that Litvinenko already knew he was supposedly on such a list”

  20. tempester says:

    yes i had thought that the email was sent in order to create a scenario
    where Scaramella would be present with litvinenko on that day.

    I wonder whether it was meant to be sloppy, If Russian investigaters come to London and get a chance to interview Boris Berezovsky et al isnt that a good outcome for them?