Shakespeare’s heirs at the BBC produced this deathless and entirely convincing line as the climax of the first episode of “The Salisbury Poisonings”, a three part piece of state propaganda on the Skripal saga, of which I watched Part 1 as it was broadcast last night. The other two parts are to be broadcast today and tomorrow, which unusual scheduling reflects the importance our masters place on this stirring tale of the resilience of the great British nation under attack by devilish foreigners. You can watch all three episodes now on BBC iPlayer, but personally I suffer from overactive antibodies to bullshit and need a break.
The line about Putin was delivered by salty, ex-British military Ross Cassidy, so of course was entirely convincing. It may have been more so had he ever said it in public before this week, but there you are.
To judge by social media, an extraordinary proportion of the public find the official narrative entirely convincing. I find myself unable to pretend that does not fill me with despair at the future of democracy. That anybody could listen to the following dialogue without doubling up in laughter is completely beyond me. I do not quite understand how the actors managed to speak it.
Porton Down Man: “And it’s one of the deadliest synthetic substances on earth. It’s so toxic that a spoonful, with the right delivery mechanism, could kill thousands”.
Heroic Public Health Lady: “But if it’s so toxic, how come the Skripals are still alive?”
Porton Down Man: “The paramedics assumed that they had overdosed on fentanyl so they gave them a shot of Naloxone, which happens to combat nerve agent toxicity. Plus, it was cold, further inhibiting the speed with which the substance took effect.”
Aah yes, it was cold. A factor those pesky Russians had overlooked, because of course it is never cold in Russia. And everybody knows it is minus 40 inside Zizzis and inside the Bishops Mill pub. Once the nerve agent has entered the body, only in the most extreme conditions could exterior temperature have any kind of effect at all. Neither Sergei nor Yulia was anyway outdoors for any significant period after supposedly being poisoned by their door handle.
Many wildly improbable stories have been produced by the security services over the last three years to explain why this ultra deadly nerve agent did not kill the Skripals. Interestingly enough, the BBC drama left out a detail which the Daily Mail alleged came from a security service briefing, that:
“Completely by chance, doctors with specialist chemical weapons training were on duty at the hospital when the victims were admitted. They treated Sergei and Yulia Skripal with an atropine (antidote) and other medicines approved by scientists from Porton Down, the government’s top secret scientific research laboratory”
Which is very believable, I suppose, because it is no more of a coincidence than the Chief Nurse of the British Army being right there when they first collapsed on a bench.
Yet in all the multiple attempts to explain the non-deadly deadly nerve agent, “it was cold” appears to be a new one. It must have official approval, because all purpose security service shill, warmonger and chemical weapons expert, Lt Col Hamish De Bretton Gordon was listed in the credits as “military advisor” to this BBC production.
Let me offer you this tiny smidgeon of wisdom, for nothing: when the state broadcaster starts to make propaganda videos that credit a “military advisor”, you are well on the way to fascism.
Perhaps wisely, Part One at least of the BBC Drama made no attempt at all to portray how the alleged poisoning happened. How the Skripals went out that morning, caught widely on CCTV, to the cemetery according to this version, and then returned home without being caught coming back. How while they were back in their house two Russian agents rocked up and, at midday in broad daylight on a very open estate, applied deadly nerve agent to the Skripals’ door handle, apparently without the benefit of personal protective equipment, and without being seen by anybody. How the Skripals then left again and contrived for both of them to touch the exterior door handle in closing the door. How, with this incredibly toxic nerve agent on them, they were out for three and a half hours, fed the ducks, went to the pub and went to Zizzis, eating heartily, before both collapsing on a park bench. How despite being different ages, sexes, body shapes and metabolisms they both collapsed, after this three hour plus delay, at exactly the same moment, so neither could call for help.
The BBC simply could not make a drama showing the purported actions that morning of the Skripals without it being blindingly obvious that the story is impossible. Luckily for them, we live in such a haze of British Nationalist fervor that much of the population, especially the mainstream media journalists and the Blairite warmongers, will simply overlook that. The omission of the actual “poisoning” from “The Salisbury Poisonings” is apparently just an artistic decision.
All those events happened before the timeline of this BBC Drama started. The BBC version started the moment people came to help the Skripals on the bench. However it omitted that the very first person to see them and come to help was, by an incredible coincidence, the Chief Nurse of the British Army. That the chief military nurse was on hand is such an amazing coincidence you would have thought the BBC would want to include it in their “drama”. Apparently not. Evidently another artistic decision.
The time from touching the door handle to the Skripals being attended by paramedics was about four hours. That Naloxone is effective four hours after contact with an ultra deadly nerve agent is remarkable.
I do not want to under-represent the personal suffering of policeman Nick Bailey nor his family. But he was shown in the drama as rubbing this “deadliest synthetic substance” directly into the soft tissues around his eye, but then not getting seriously ill for at least another 24 hours. Plainly all could not be what it seems.
The actual poisoning event, the specialist team coincidentally at the hospital and the Army Chief Nurse were not the only conspicuous omissions. Also missing was Skripal’s MI6 handler and Salisbury neighbour Pablo Miller, who did not rate so much as a mention. The other strange thing is that the drama constantly cut to newsreel coverage of actual events, but omitted the BBC’s own flagship news items on the Skripal event in those first three days, which were all presented by BBC Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban.
Now Mark Urban happens to have been in the Royal Tank Regiment with Skripal’s MI6 handler, Pablo Miller. Not distantly, but joining the regiment together at the same rank in the same officer intake on the same day. I do love a lot of good coincidences in a plot. Mark Urban had also met frequently with Sergei Skripal in the year before the alleged attack, to “research a book”. Yet when Urban fronted the BBC’s Skripal coverage those first few days, he kept both those highly pertinent facts hidden from the public. In fact he kept them hidden for four full months. I wonder why Mark Urban’s lead BBC coverage was not included in the newsreel footage of this BBC re-enactment?
There is much, much more that is wildly improbable about this gross propaganda product and I must save some scorn and some facts for the next two episodes. Do read this quick refresher in the meantime. How many of these ten questions has the BBC Drama addressed convincingly, and how many has it dodged or skated over?
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I’ve just remembered the Wiltshire air ambulance was loitering for half an hour in the air before the time of the poisoning. Its flight record was later erased. One reason this Novacaust failed to succeed is that the involvment of multiple intelligence communities, each an individual empire loathing interference, created a major internecine clusterfuck. The Oxbridge chaps at Vauxhall look down on the ruffians in Millbank, while the Met (SO12) have simmering anger since MI5 usurped its powers over homeland terrorism. On top of this the local Salisbury plod had no clue and continued along its village bobby path. But then, enter military intelligence. Army nurses, assorted pongos and most important, Lt Col Hamish De Pfeffel Bretton Woods, a former mobile phone salesman, held the key to persuading the OPCW that the novochok they manufacture was not past its expiry date.
I await the Lloyd Webber musical with interest (Gilbert and Sullivan would have produced a corker)…
Hardly think the OPCW needed much “persuasion”. It had been well nobbled by that point. The Chef de Cabinet in the new regime was British “Diplomat” Bob Fairweather.
Still, I’m sure the technical bods responsible for acquiring the samples spiked them with BZ for legitimate “quality assurance” purposes, ’cause that’s what you do with samples that are political dynamite, where absolute clarity on provenance is paramount.
The whole real life Skripal affair was dodgy.
As it was get Russia.
Ms Sturgess and boyfriend were victims of the Engerlish state.
Let’s face it, the rushed through statement from May,
The utter disgrace British citizen killed on British soil.
Was a contrived Engerlish state utterance to solidify
Anti Russian sentiment.
Skipal poisonings an Engerlish propaganda trick.
??
hello Monster.
Imhave to say I am truly astonished by your comment.How do you know the was a helicopter hovering above the scene. Were you there? how do you know the flight records were erased? that just seems remarkable to be privy to some ellement of skull duggery. Pretty stupid plotters who could not keep their secrets.
Also how do you know about the internal relations betweenMI5 and the met?That also seems remarkable.Are you a senior we;ll placed observer of such stuff.
Any way will be fascinated to hear in your detailed acount.
Does Russia/China/the East have a Hollywood style, Holywood MI5 Type Nerve Centre Operation which can script Great Games Changing Blockbuster Movie Pictures for Surreal Presentation and Practical Remote Virtual Realisation?
If they do, I’m not much impressed by the obvious absence of effective and attractive global media promotions teams.
Such does though present a very lucrative opportunity for anything which and anyone who can easily provide that which is missing.
And not so much a case of …”If you cannot beat them, join them” …. more a case of … “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander ‽ .
Further to the above post ….
Here’s a brief concise relatively modern history of the foundations for such as be the bastard lovechildren of Surreal Presentation and Practical Remote Virtual Realisation aka Politically Incorrect Failed State Propaganda, or if you prefer to like, Geopolitically Adept Anonymous Semi-Autonomous State Intervention ….. The Enemy Within: A Story of the Purge of American Intelligence
However …… whenever one cannot handle the truth and would strive to deny and quarantine its existence, is all lost to such competition and opposition. It is only natural ….. so take care out there, IT is a veritable mined mind field and it doesn’t suffer useless fools with useful tools.
The whole affair looks like a hoax cooked up by the intelligence services and communications people in Whitehall.
That’s because of the details, but mostly because of the timing. If Sergei was the target, the Russians would have chosen to kill him when his daughter was not visiting (they had years to do so). Otherwise it could have got messy. Yulia was visiting, Toxic Dagger and chemical war games were on, so it looks like a hoax, possibly with Sergei and Yulia playing along to get a new life. Probably staged in March to coincide with events in Syria and the elections in Russia.
All the actors getting medals, awards, funding for their labs and featuring in a TV drama. Nobody would spoil that party by speaking the truth.
“Let me offer you this tiny smidgeon of wisdom, for nothing: when the state broadcaster starts to make propaganda videos that credit a “military advisor”, you are well on the way to fascism.”
Yes, they are completely taking the piss.
Meanwhile another example may be the story of supposed Black Lives Matter demonstrator (as he was called at first) Patrick Hutchinson rescuing the still anonymous probable white Nazi fan of Churchill statues on the South Bank in London. Hutchinson and the small group he was with are all involved with Ark Security, a “London-based” bodyguard (“close protection”) firm run by Pierre Noah. What’s its Companies House registration number? One possibility that comes to mind is that the company was asked to be there by MI5. Many commentators seem to have difficulty imagining such a possibility because they don’t seem to think big black guys might have anything to do with MI5. Which is not to say they definitely were, but this is surely a strong possibility.
Found it: Ark Protection Limited, company no. 11662730, registered addres Norbury in London.
He appeared on BBC Breakfast this morning. No mention of Ark Security though. He did refer to ‘our lot’ at one stage which was cryptic. He appeared with his two young daughters. The moronic presenter, Ben someone, started interrogating these children as to what they thought of their father. ‘My Daddy’s a hero’ stuff.
https://companycheck.co.uk/company/12466645/ARK-SECURITY-LTD/companies-house-data One director, Reginald Campbell. No connection?
The interview with Hutchinson followed yet another with Captain Sir Tom Moore (with his daughter as usual) about what he thought of a little girl with a crippling disability who is copying him walking with a frame. ‘Absolutely marvellous’ said Cap’n Tom. It is so formulaic over at the BBC. I should imagine the propaganda in WW2 came nowhere near what we are being presented with today.
PS There is a Pierre Noah at Ark Protection Ltd. Sole director. No accounts. ‘Private security activities ‘ –
https://companycheck.co.uk/company/11662730/ARK-PROTECTION-LIMITED/companies-house-data
Pierre Noah and Patrick Hutchinson seem to have done more than one appearance on breakfast TV: in this one, Noah calls for a meeting between himself and Tommy Robinson. Such a meeting may well now happen, probably out of the public gaze.
I’m not sure how to interpret the two references Noah makes to the British-based Chinese.
When food shortages kick in, gangs are likely to play an even more important role in British cities than they do already.
In preparation for food shortages and doubtless hand in hand with Tesco the government has announced it will give families £90 of supermarket vouchers over the summer vacation for each child who is entitled to free school meals.
The administrative structure required for that scheme is unlikely to disappear in September.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Peace and racial harmony in our time vibes?
Suppose if that rather bizarre incident were staged, you can understand the logic behind it. But still, it’d be a deception and therefore not something the state flat out shouldn’t be involved in.
therefore, something the state flat out shouldn’t be involved in – typo
If it was staged (and Noah says he thought beforehand that something like that might happen, which is a bit of a giveaway) what do you think the logic behind it was?
Although there are powerful interests that are trying to stoke up race war (see the thread entitled “How do we get our country back?” at the main open online socialising forum for the British army), there are doubtless also some in MI5 who genuinely want to keep a lid on things (and who probably know a fair bit about Northern Ireland).
Also business must have been a bit slack for the past three months in the bodyguarding sector (as also in nightclubs), and some may see the opening back up as an opportunity.
But Pierre Noah offering to meet “Tommy” (as he calls him) seems the key point.
If you analyse the photograph of Hutchins you will notice he is wear black gloves with knuckle dusters included in them.
Uk column revealed yesterday in their program.
I also suspect that agent provocateurs were deployed as well.
Waiting with baited breath for episode 2 destruction.
Forty years ago the standard UK military NBC training involving the toxicity of nerve agents such as Sarin was that exposure to the skin or inhalation attacked the nervous system within seven seconds. That was the time limit in which an autojet syringe containing atropine needed to be administered for anyone exposed to stand a chance of survival. Self injection was even part of the drill for test subjects.
Regardless of the series of remarkable coincidences in this case – which includes the pseudo-scientific bullshit about environmental conditions – any nerve agent which takes hours to take effect is, to use the standard military term, US – ie USless or UnServicable. Anyone who seriously believes that anything which takes that long to take effect whilst leaving those allegedly exposed as the deadliest nerve agent on the planet, or similar description, able to control their limbs never mind remain alive needs sectioning for the safety of themselves and the wider public.
The snake oil salesmen and carpetbaggers pushing this blarney should be placed in the public stocks indefinitely.
Carry On Novichoksi.
Straight outta Pinewood Studios….or Ealing.
Bit of a caper what what?
Trebles and promotions all round-and dont forget your overtime chits!
I completely share your despair but not just about the Skripal case which has merely led to a manufactured political dust up. What really does make me despair is that even people who can clearly see through this ludicrous charade apparently cannot see through the corona virus hoax. They share so many characteristics, advisors all with direct personal and financial links with shady links to billionaires and governments, mysterious illness that has symptoms that don’t make sense, victims that aren’t victims, incoherent and constantly changing story, media complicity, government censorship, agendas that a moments logical thought make obvious.
If you doubt my reasonng check out “The Corbett Report” on You Tube or if you prefer uncensored free speech try this
https://lbry.tv/@corbettreport:0
There are hundreds of hard facts demolishing the virus narrative and Mr Corbett documents them all to the point you simply cannot doubt the collusion and corruption.
” . . . the corona virus hoax.”?
So the ‘plutocracy’ {which, through its control of the media and the political process eg J. Corbyn in the UK?, remains unchallenged?} deliberately {or at the request of W.H.G.?} makes thousands of young people unemployed?
And,
“Less obviously – but far more dangerously – actions which are being taken by governments around the world today threaten huge food shortages in the autumn.“
https://consciousnessofsheep.co.uk/2020/04/07/getting-the-economy-wrong/?fbclid=IwAR3Rml1S0lwcrTO1WkBXw_WzAKm1T_a0_VqAND4iWOr-t34zdTAJDvREbf4
Insurrection anyone?
Thanks Pete, my thoughts exactly.
A couple of junkies would have killed them both for a few hundred quid. No possible connection to Russia would ever have been identified and it would have been put down to attempted theft/ street crime.
This elaborate conspiracy story developed by OUR intelligence service with the aid of the BBC is farsical!
It is like an old James Bond movie. They capture Bond and instead of shooting him the evil genius creates a very complex fate and leaves it to a few hapless idiots to execute.
In real life we have hit and runs, people falling onto railway tracks, street muggings. WHY would Russia use such a complex, high risk and traceable procedure. Did no one else touch this deadly doorknob?
The parade of British State Actors who just happened to be on the scene is more Brian Rix than James Bond.
The whole sordid affair strikes me as a small part of a bigger picture where the theme is a failing empire desperately flailing and suffering inevitable overreach.
Today we learn that Israel is trying to foist Tzipi Holovely on us as its new Ambassador. Holovely is a fanatical Zionist. Consider; “All territory that is West of the Jordan River can only be (held) by the one nation: the Jewish people.
Last week AIPAC told its lapdogs in Washington (via a Zoom conference call) that they were permitted to criticise in the event of annexation of the West Bank, just so long as it remained empty words.
Both examples shout desperation and overreach. Eliot Engel, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is being challenged from the Left in a Primary. Engel has been endorsed by House Majority Whip Jim Clayburn and Adam Schiff, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and key pumper of Russiagate infamy. Eliot’s challenger (Jamaal Bowman) has been endorsed by AOC and Bernie Sanders. Under normal circumstances Eliot would breeze through, but he f@cked up getting caught on a hot mic saying he was only willing to speak out against Police brutality because “I’m being Primaried”.
AIPAC’s days of unchallenged hegemony are drawing to a close.
Well I’ve just seen the final episode and quite enjoyed it!
As someone said earlier it became Midsummer Murders.
I don’t think many people will take this as remotely realistic. There were so many holes in the plot that it became risible.
The programme was dedicated to Dawn – the poor woman who hasn’t even had an inquest to date.
Writing about the colossal statues of Egypt, Flaubert said the only thing they were good for was collecting the shit of birds.
It seems timely to bring this observation back, in regard to Britain’s BBC and Britain’s shitty statues.
I think the whole conversation about the statues, let alone the media, will be shut down soon enough. But there is, agreeing with the Bristol mayor who spoke of the ‘historical poetry’, an opportunity for revisiting the whole question of what monuments and statues are for.
I know only a few statues the world over which would seem to deserve their place. Most should be in museums of anti-slavery and anti-colonialism, as far as I’m concerned, not left out in the squares for deranged right-wing Stella-swigging baldies to masturbate over.
Sadly, the causes that deserve monuments and statues continue to be ignored. And we end up with stuff that deserves to be shat and urinated upon.
Thanks for the insightful review.
What do you make of this article from The Guardian back in March 2018?
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/16/russian-spy-poisoning-attack-novichok-chemist
Hi Craig,
Assuming I know nothing about the whole affair, could you recommend an on-line overview?
Thanks :o)
I really hope the BBC will also release a video game to accompany this much acclaimed Skripals series. They could easily rely on the “expertise” of Elliot Higgins from Bellingcat in order to make it as truthful as assured a success, for playing video games is his major credential. He declared as well that fruitful pastime gave him “the certainty that any secret could be discovered”. Will it be available on console too? I already cracked all the missions of the latest Call of Duty, Special Ops. Really, I can’t wait!