I have just received confirmation from the Metropolitan Police Press Bureau that both the European Arrest Warrant and Interpol Red Notice remain in the names of Boshirov and Petrov, with the caveat that both are probably aliases. Nothing has been issued in the name of Chepiga or Mishkin.
As for Bellingcat’s “conclusive and definitive evidence”, Scotland Yard repeated to me this afternoon that their earlier statement on Bellingcat’s allegations remains in force: “we are not going to comment on speculation about their identities.”
It is now a near certainty that Boshirov and Petrov are indeed fake identities. If the two were real people, it is inconceivable that by now their identities would not have been fully established with details of their history, lives, family and milieu. I do not apologise for exercising all due caution, rather than enthusiasm, about a narrative promoted to increase international tension with Russia, but am now convinced Petrov and Boshirov were not who they claimed.
But that is not to say that the information provided by NATO Photoshoppers’R’Us (Ukraine Branch) on alternative identities is genuine, either. I maintain the same rational scepticism exhibited by Scotland Yard on this, and it is a shame that the mainstream media neither does that, nor fairly reflects Scotland Yard’s position in their reporting.
Still less do I accept the British government’s narrative of the novichok poisoning, which remains full of wild surmise and apparent contradiction. No doubt further evidence will gradually emerge. The most dreadful thing about the whole saga is the death of poor Dawn Sturgess, and the most singular fact at present is that Boshirov and Petrov are only wanted in relation to the “attack on the Skripals”. There is no allegation against them by Scotland Yard or the Crown Prosecution Service over the far more serious matter of the death of Sturgess. That is a fascinating fact, massively under-reported.
I remain of the view that the best way forward would be for Putin to negotiate conditions under which Boshirov and Petrov might voluntarily come to the UK for trial. The conditions which I would suggest Russia propose are these:
1) A fully fair and open trial before a jury.
2) The entire trial to be fully public. No closed sessions nor secret evidence and no reporting restrictions.
3) No restrictions on witnesses who may be called, including the Skripals, Pablo Miller, Christopher Steele and other former and current members of the security services.
4) No restrictions on disclosure – all relevant material held by government must be given to the defence.
I strongly suspect that, if a trial would bring to public light something of the extent of the convoluted spy games that were being played out in Salisbury, we would find the British Government’s pretended thirst for justice would suddenly slam into reverse.
Sadly, it currently seems highly improbable that either justice will be served or the full truth be known.
Israel Shamir has very good contacts in Russia so his article is well worth reading.
http://www.unz.com/ishamir/cloak-and-dagger/
Do we know the source of the photo of the Skripals toasting the camera? Do we know when and where it was taken.? It should be possible to confirm what they were wearing the day they were poisoned … And latest reports from Russia say Yulia phoned her grandmother on 24th July.
No, it’s a closely-guarded secret. It came out very soon after the poisoning so I suspect the photographer himself sent it to the press.
But it is possible to glimpse the photographer…….
Surely the photo of the Skripals toasting the camera was taken several years ago?
I wonder if this is connected to the Skripal case? Apologies if someone has already made this connection:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/oct/21/uk-backs-trumps-nuclear-treaty-withdrawal-blames-russia-for-breakdown
gm
Look at London Bob’s post top of page. I agree with him this analysis by Shamir is important and explains a lot. There is a serious information and propaganda war and it seems that Russia is losing this at this time because it’s system has been infiltrated. All the indicators are of an aggressive anti-Russian campaign that might turn into a hot war.
Truly the ways of secret services everywhere are a mystery to behold. I mean why torture and chop up Khashoggi in the Istanbul consulate (which of course is not the embassy so may expected to be bugged) when you could chloroform him or inject a syringe and cart him off to Saudia in one of the planes you have waiting on the runway at Istanbul airport. Once on home soil, he could be disposed of without leaving a trail of evidence in a hostile country.
Yes, it makes as little sense as the Skripal poisoning.
More on this at:
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2018/10/nicola-and-independence/comment-page-10/#comment-797353
For those interested in the views of V. Putin here is a transcript link of his 2018 Valdai Club comments and answers to numerous questions.
(Those who consider Russia/Putin an enemy should be reminded that knowing your enemy is rule nr. 1).
http://thesaker.is/striking-a-strategic-balance-putins-preventive-response/
You probably all read blogmire but just in case let me reiterate what Mark Urban said on Sunday at the Salisbury Literary Festival.
Chepiga and Fedotov (third man who flew back with other two after Skripal) came together to the UK on the same dates in March in 2016 and 2017 (and 2018 obvs). Without Mishkin first two times. Urban put this down to planning the op.
To me it seems more like couriers either bringing something to Sergei or receiving something from him.
This piece on the fake twitter Syrian terrorist watcher from Bangalore wipes the floor with the bellends united.
https://exiledonline.com/shamiwitness-when-bellingcat-neocons-collaborated-with-the-most-influential-isis-propagandist-on-twitter/
Link via moonofalabama.
//I have just received confirmation from the Metropolitan Police Press Bureau that both the European Arrest Warrant and Interpol Red Notice remain in the names of Boshirov and Petrov//
On the Interpol website there are three Petrov, but all not “agents of GRU”, and there is no Boshirov.
https://www.interpol.int/notice/search/wanted
Why the Metropolitan Police Press Bureau lie ?
A pub doesn’t belong to a company. Even if you’ve had the paperwork done, and it’s been in the same name for 100 years, it’s just temporary ownership – it always belongs to the community. It’s a public house.”
That’s the lesson I learnt from Iain, the manager of the Bevy community pub in Brighton, on the learning journey in Par Bay, Cornwall. Whether it is a hall, a bookshop, a garden or a running track, these are all community assets, and they belong to the people who use them. Our conversation over tea and cake helped ground me in the ethos of the work that was happening in the space all around us.
Why Putin should trust the legal system in England remains unexplained. It is, after all, the country that framed Russia for the Skripal Lucha libra and the harm that came to two homeless people. There are countless ways to corrupt the legal process and few are as proficient at this dark art than the UK and US courts. That it would likely expose other Russian intel ops in the UK–where the UK no doubt has many such agents operating in Russia who would not be held to account–makes this trial suggestion a non-sequitur at best, even ludicrous.