Britain may expel Russian diplomats

London Daily Telegraph ^ | july 11th, 2007 | DancesWithCats

[DancesWithCats]

Britain is poised to expel Russian diplomats for the first time in a decade in protest at Moscow's refusal to extradite the chief suspect in the murder in London of a KGB defector.The option is one of several being considered by Downing Street after Moscow formally refused to hand over Andrei Lugovoi, a suspect in the poisoning of the former agent Alexander Litvinenko last November.

The expulsions would be reminiscent of former Cold War rows between Moscow and London and almost certainly prompt similar retaliation by the Kremlin.

Incensed by Russia's refusal to co-operate in the inquiry into Mr Litvinenko's death, the Government has already signalled that it was preparing a tough response.

[DancesWithCats]

Andrei Lugovoi, suspect in the poisoning with polonium-210 of Alexander Litvinenko

... and so another Cold War heats up! HERE'S yer global warming! Could get ugly ...

[lndrvr1972]

Hate to say this they are only doing this to please Muslims from Chechnya I agree that Putin is a bastard but they do not want any problems that have been seen in Russia.

[doc1019]

I think their time would be better spent getting ride of all the Muslim clerics.

[ken21]

the soviets are sore losers.

[Otaku6]

We sadly were on the wrong side when we went into Kosovo and instead of uniting against the ancient enemy we did the same thing we did in afghanistan without good reason this time.

[DancesWithCats]

Litvinenko died a horrific, torturous death last November. Britain has got to do something.

But I don't get what Muslim clerics have to do with it?

[sure_fine]

“We sadly were on the wrong side when we went into Kosovo and instead of uniting against the ancient enemy we did the same thing we did in afghanistan without good reason this time.”

but it took the media off Monica

[RusIvan]

Britain is poised to expel Russian diplomats for the first time in a decade in protest at Moscow’s refusal to extradite the chief suspect in the murder in London of a KGB defector.==

The matter of fact is that Russia simply cann’t extradite her citizen to the foreign country according her Constitution.

[DancesWithCats]

The matter of fact is that Russia simply cann’t extradite her citizen to the foreign country according her Constitution.

Oh! Well then ... but are they pursuing the case or allowing the Brits to pursue the charges in Russia?

[lndrvr1972]

You are right I believe the reason we went into Kosovo at that time was Clinton could look good on camera stating peace in the middle east. Many of those groups we helped were financed by Hitler and other Muslims to rid the area of Christians and Jews.

[RusIvan]

Oh! Well then ... but are they pursuing the case or allowing the Brits to pursue the charges in Russia?==

Same is exactly the offer which General Prosecution Office(Russia) made to Britain. “Let us to prosecute the case in Russia. Give us the evidences. Bring here your prosecutors who will work in concert with our prosecutors on a case. We will arrest Lugovoi and charge him if your proves are substancial. And so on..”

But Britain wants only the extradiction knowing that is an impossible.

[DancesWithCats]

But Britain wants only the extradiction knowing that is an impossible.

Very frustrating and sad for Mrs. Litvinenko. Nothing will ever be done.

[propertius]

But the Russians were quite happy to flout their own constitution to hand over a Russian citizen to Turkmenistan and two others to Uzbekistan, which likes to boil critics of the president alive.

Russia is a country where the rule of law is entirely subordinate to the whims of the Kremlin. The Kremlin could hand over Lugovoi if it wanted to. But it has no desire to because they know full well that the truth would probably come out — and point to the FSB as the true murderers.

Expect Lugovoi either to be murdered or to be the star of a show trial in which the murder is pinned on Putin’s big enemy, Boris Berezovsky ( a man who should be in jail, but almost certainly not the man who was behind Litvinenko’s death)

As past masters in sophistry, the Russian government always has an argument or fall back when it behaves in an aggressive or criminal matter.

Britain is quite right to reject Russia’s offer to put Lugovoi on trial in Russia. There is no way he would get a fair hearing. This is a country where statistics show that over 99 percent of people who go on trial are convicted, while the real criminals (unless they oppose Putin) flounce about Moscow in armoured hummers, live the high life in London or are sitting in the Kremlin itself.

[DancesWithCats]

But the Russians were quite happy to flout their own constitution to hand over a Russian citizen to Turkmenistan and two others to Uzbekistan, which likes to boil critics of the president alive.

Literally!? Recently!?? I'd like to know more about that one if you know ...

... Mexican stand-off ... no winners here. And I suspect that you are right on the money about Lugovoi ... he will be murdered himself or disappear, having been murdered. They wouldn't want to take the chance that he'd spill the sensitive beans.