Gorky Park redux...
The ongoing mystery of the now-murdered former Russian intelligence officer is the stuff of action-adventure-intrigue novels. You know the story: Russian officer with the supposed "reformed" intelligence agency becomes disaffected, sees wrongs of "the system", defects. Reveals secrets. Hunted down by assasin sanctioned by the highest levels of the Russian government, and, sometimes, killed. With the case of Alexander Litvinenko, life imitates art...
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The TimesOnline (UK) reports on the death of the Russian agent-turned Briton as witnessed by a friend:
Moments after he saw his friend pass away, Mr Nekrasov said: “I have been through a few things in Russia and Chechnya, but this is one of the most horrible crimes I have witnessed in my my life.”
“It was sadistic, slow murder. It was perpetrated by somebody incredibly cruel, incredibly heartless. It had no meaning whatsover.”
Although Mr Nekrasov had seen Mr Litvinenko sometimes more than once a day, Tuesday was the last occasion on which his friend could communicate properly. Yet in his final remarks, the former spy remained defiant in his battle against President Putin and the Russian security services..
You see, Mr Litvinenko wrote a book, Blowing Up Russia, in which he claims Russian security services blew up the buildings in the infamous 1999 Moscow apartment buildings terror attack in an effort to propel Putin to the presidency. Bunk? Hooey? Conspiracy? "Bush did the same on 9/11". Perhaps Litvinenko's claim is as silly as the Bush claim. Then again, maybe not. The perpetrators of the Reichstag Fire were never fully proven. And we're talking about the RUSSIANS here- who would say that their entire system does not resemble organized crime patterns?
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When you throw in the recent murder of the Russian journalist following certain actions of the intelligence services, the plot thickens:
Mr Nekrasov revealed that Mr Litvinenko’s British citizenship had come through on the day of a service at Westminster Abbey for Anna Politkovskaya, a friend and critic of the Kremlin murdered in Moscow..“We discussed the likelihood of another killing. Sasha warned me not to go back to Russia because it was too dangerous,” Mr Nekrasov said. “Very sadly he turned out to be the next victim, attacked in the perceived safety of Central London.”.Last night, Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB agent who defected to Britain, told Sky News: “It’s very sad news because he was a hero to Russia and a hero to Great Britain. He loved Britain as much as he loved Russia.”
Oh, and what does Putin have to say about all this?
An aide to Mr Putin said: “Of course it’s a human tragedy. A person was poisoned. But the accusations against the Kremiln are so incredible, so silly, that the President cannot comment.”
Like my Dad always says, "You can't ever trust the Russians." Dad's right. (again)
