Thread: U.K. announces measures against Russia for attack on ex-spy

U.K. announces measures against Russia for attack on ex-spy

March 14, 2018, 8:17 AM
Last Updated Mar 14, 2018 9:39 AM EDT

LONDON -- British Prime Minister Theresa May announced punitive measures against Russia on Wednesday over the chemical weapon attack on Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury. Speaking on the floor of the British Parliament, May said Russia had provided "no credible explanation" as to how the powerful Novichok chemical nerve agent came to be used in Britain, saying, "instead they have treated the use of a military grade chemical agent in Europe with sarcasm, contempt."

She said it was part of a "well established pattern" of Russian actions and that she and her cabinet had "agreed immediate actions to dismantle Russian espionage operations in the U.K." -- Britain was formally expelling 23 Russian diplomats who were identified as "undeclared" intelligence agents.

May vowed that new laws would be sought to try and prevent future attacks by foreign agents in Britain, and that authorities would push for the full use of existing powers to track people travelling to Britain from abroad suspected of nefarious intent.

Before her remarks to lawmakers in Parliament, May chaired a meeting of the national security council to consider various sanctions after Moscow ignored a deadline to explain how poison -- developed by Moscow decades ago -- ended up being used to target the former spy on English soil.

May said Britain would not cut all diplomatic contact with Russia, but it would curtail "all planned high level bilateral contacts," including revoking an invite to Russia's top diplomat Sergey Lavrov. In addition, she said no members of the royal family or the cabinet would attend the soccer World Cup this summer in Russia.

May had weighed a range of economic and diplomatic measures against Russia in response to the assault, which has left Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia in critical condition in a Salisbury hospital. The first police officer to attend to the pair where they were found on a public bench on March 4, in an incoherent state, also remains hospitalized in a serious but stable condition.

Russia's foreign minister has dismissed Britain's accusations that Moscow was involved in the nerve agent attack -- either by failing to control its chemical weapons stockpiles or through direct involvement in the attempted murder.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Russia had no motive to poison Skripal -- but "those who want to press their Russophobic campaign in all spheres of life could have it."

Lavrov compared London to a prosecutor who oversaw Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's purges and who said confession is enough for conviction. Lavrov said London went a step further, expecting the world to rely on its suspicions to blame Russia.

But pressure is mounting on Moscow.

President Trump voiced his support for Britain, telling reporters outside the White House on Tuesday that, "it sounds to me that it would be Russia based on all the evidence they have."

"As soon as we get the facts straight, if we agree with them, we will condemn Russia or whoever it may be," Mr. Trump added.

Before May's remarks to Parliament, the British Foreign Office said the U.K. delegation to the United Nations had requested an urgent meeting of the Security Council, "to update Council members on the investigation" into the nerve agent attack.

May said Britain would seek a "robust" response from the Security Council to the attack, and would seek a full verification of the evidence in the incident from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The Kremlin rejected May's deadline, which expired at midnight Tuesday evening, to explain the poisoning. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, told reporters on Wednesday that Russia "rejects the language of ultimatums."

Peskov said Britain had so far only offered "baseless accusations which are not backed up by any evidence" and said Russia would cooperate with the investigation but did not consider Britain willing to reciprocate.

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/novicho...l-live-stream/

Britain was formally expelling 23 Russian diplomats who were identified as "undeclared" intelligence agents.

Interesting. That's the same number of diplomats that Obama expelled from the US in 2016.

Do countries "declare" their "intelligence agents"? That seems contrary to the whole purpose of having spies, doesn't it?

My guess is the former Russian spy had some of this nerve agent and he was doing something with it and something went wrong. If Russia wanted to eliminate this guy, they would have just hired some people to kill him with so me guns or knives or those neck wires, or potassium chloride or ... fetanyl laced oxy.

Originally Posted by Judy

Interesting. That's the same number of diplomats that Obama expelled from the US in 2016.

Do countries "declare" their "intelligence agents"? That seems contrary to the whole purpose of having spies, doesn't it?

My guess is the former Russian spy had some of this nerve agent and he was doing something with it and something went wrong. If Russia wanted to eliminate this guy, they would have just hired some people to kill him with so me guns or knives or those neck wires, or potassium chloride or ... fetanyl laced oxy.

Poisoning seems to be rather popular for assassinations. I'm going to have to disagree with your opinion that Sergei Skripal harmed himself and his own daughter. I'm going to assume British intelligence is doing much more than guessing.

They should probably do an investigation to try to find the person who gave them the poison, if they were murdered, that's how most murders are handled isn't it?

Originally Posted by Judy

They should probably do an investigation to try to find the person who gave them the poison, if they were murdered, that's how most murders are handled isn't it?

What makes you believe they aren't? I know it's not policy to openly discuss ongoing investigations here, I suppose they probably do it the same in England.

Originally Posted by MW

What makes you believe they aren't? I know it's not policy to openly discuss ongoing investigations here, I suppose they probably do it the same in England.

Because they're already blaming the Russian government for the murders.

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LIVE: UN meets to discuss poisoning in UK


The United Nations Security Council calls an emergency session to discuss the poisoning of a former spy by Russia in the United Kingdom.

https://www.cnn.com/specials/live-video-2?adkey=bn

Haley: Russia responsible for UK poisoning

Newsroom
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley says the US believes that Russia is responsible for the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury, UK.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/...ing-uk-sot.cnn