[Flintstone]

Ummmm, Joe. Hate to break it to you but James Bond ain’t real.


Sorry.

[chevvron]

I would not be shocked to discover that the Russians had nothing to do with it, but if that is the case MI6 and HMG will make sure the public never gets to know as blaming Putin and his mates suits their agenda! Litvinenko I can understand as he was in a position to cause harm to the Russian state, but by all accounts Skripal was no longer in a position to do so.

Just think who might profit from de-stabilising our way of life at this moment.
Who needs us; who needs our money? Our (pitifully ill equipped) armed forces?
We are nothing to Russia; just an annoying fly that could be swatted out of existence; they don't need to go to these lengths to annoy us or even 'practice' assassinations, they could do that to some African head of state more easily.(Not that I wish to defend Russia for anything)
I think it's all a plot by the EU heirarchy using the old connections with Russia of one of the east european member states to try to 'prove' to us it would be in our best interests to remain in spite of our democratic decision to leave.
Look how they 'bullied' the Irish when they had a referendum and came up with the 'wrong' answer.

[johnm]

I do hope @chevvron missed the irony emoticon

It seems most likely that the Russians were to blame, not necessarily directly. The collapse of the Soviet empire might have caused them to lose control of the material. The questions seem to be; who would be motivated to hit a man seen as a traitor in Russia? Who would want to test the solidarity of NATO and the EU?

That just might be the one undertaking hacking of critical infrastructure and playing games with elections mightn’t it?

[Sooty25]

Ummmm, Joe. Hate to break it to you but James Bond ain’t real.


Sorry.

WHAT!!? Noooooooooo

[Flintstone]

Ummmm, Joe. Hate to break it to you but James Bond ain’t real.


Sorry.

WHAT!!? Noooooooooo

Santa Claus had him bumped off by the Tooth Fairy.

[Sooty25]

Ummmm, Joe. Hate to break it to you but James Bond ain’t real.


Sorry.

WHAT!!? Noooooooooo

Santa Claus had him bumped off by the Tooth Fairy.

Oh, so he was real once then, phew!

[Flyin'Dutch']

The only things the Russians (who are in charge in Russia or wield influence) care about is money.

Sending some 'diplomats' back is of little consequence,

The average Russian on their equivalent of the Clapham Omnibus does not care what we think or do; they are immensely proud of Russia and take the view: 'right or wrong my country'

[Pete L]

I think money is to some extent a proxy for security.

The benefit of living in a proper country is that society protects all with reasonable equality.

[JoeC]

Russian premier responds with speech on action against British luxury hotels:

Putin on the Ritz

[Paul_Sengupta]

It was said on the (BBC One) news earlier this evening that the daughter had arrived from Russia the day before the incident. Is it possible that she unwittingly brought the agent with her and when they opened whatever it was it contaminated them? (Or is my imagination on overtime?)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/15/suitcase-spy-poisoning-plot-nerve-agent-planted-luggage-sergei/

The nerve agent that poisoned the Russian spy Sergei Skripal was planted in his daughter’s suitcase before she left Moscow, intelligence agencies now believe.

Senior sources have told the Telegraph they are convinced the Novichok nerve agent was hidden in the luggage of Yulia Skripal, the double agent’s 33-year-old daughter.

They are working on the theory that the toxin was impregnated in an item of clothing or cosmetics or else in a gift that was opened in his house in Salisbury, meaning Miss Skripal was deliberately targeted to get at her father.

[chevvron]

I do hope @chevvron missed the irony emoticon

It seems most likely that the Russians were to blame, not necessarily directly. The collapse of the Soviet empire might have caused them to lose control of the material. The questions seem to be; who would be motivated to hit a man seen as a traitor in Russia? Who would want to test the solidarity of NATO and the EU?

That just might be the one undertaking hacking of critical infrastructure and playing games with elections mightn’t it?

No 'irony' about it; I hate the EU just like:
The Catalunyuns hate the Spanish
The Corsicans hate the French
Everybody else hates Millwall
I also hate the fact I don't hate Arsene Wenger.

[Flyin'Dutch']

Maybe you Need to take a chill-pill?

[johnm]

Ah, it's just primitive tribalism again then Football seems to foster that and should therefore be banned IMHO, supporters could take up something more interesting such as watching paint dry

[Pete L]

But are you a Crown or Dulux man? Magnolia or Pale Beige?

(The village camera club my wife belongs to have Canon vs Nikon wars. ).

[kanga]

..
I think it's all a plot by the EU heirarchy ...

what 'hierarchy' [sic] a Greek word, of course ] ?

Council of Ministers ? (always including UK Ministers)

Commission ? (including a UK-appointed Commissioner, only HMG has chosen not to replace the last one; a Commission which employs fewer people to cover all their different work across 28 countries and foreign missions than a midsize UK town council, all of them working in multinational teams including many Brits, with English now as the commonest working language; and including no military, paramilitary, police nor Chemical Warfare facilities; and all EU nations with a Chemical Defence element in their military have their facilities fully inspectable by OPCW, unlike the Russian ones)

Parliament ? (including UK MEPs most of whom from most UK Parties represented are reasonably diligent in their attendance and participation in Committees)

Who in which of these, alone or together, was in any position to create, let alone execute, such a plot ?

I really hope the above post was meant in jest, but there was no smiley