On March 4, 2018 Sergei Viktorovich Skripal was found unconscious with his daughter on a park bench. After an examination of the two, it was diagnosed that they have apparently been poisoned. At first nothing was reported about the poison. After several days it was stated that it is a neurotoxin of the Novichok class. These nerve agents are extremely dangerous. They are several times more potent than, for example, VX. Novichok not only sounds Russian, it should have been developed there as well. Accordingly, the British government has made massive allegations against the Russian state and directly against Vladimir Putin.
According to previous findings, Sergei Viktorovich Skripal was a double agent, who was sentenced to prison in Russia many years ago. It finally came to a prisoner exchange and Skripal lives since then in the UK.
I now face the following questions in this context:
(1)
What sense does it make for Russia / Putin to liquidate a revealed double agent after years?
(2)
Why is Skripal still alive?
(3)
Why was a nerve agent used?
(4)
Why did not the UK allow Russia to be involved in the investigations?
(5)
Is it a coincidence that only a few miles from the site of the poisoning there is a British plant for the investigation of chemical weapons (Porton Down)?
(6)
Are there similarities to the case of David Kelly?
(7)
Who really uses Skripal?
(1) What sense does it make for Russia / Putin to liquidate a revealed double agent after years?
For me, answering this question may be too simple: Nothing
A double agent has no chance to learn any super secrets or something like that after his unmasking. He is worthless. After the many years that have passed, I can not imagine that any spark of actuality was so explosive there is a need to liquidating him. As well then I can not imagine that belated revenge could play a role here.
(2) Why is he still alive?
If Russia (or any other state) gives its intelligence services the job of evicting a potential adversary, so too. That Skripal is still alive is amateurish.
(3) Why was a nerve agent used?
This question is really interesting. The reason is obvious to me:
The use of nerve agents is outlawed worldwide. Whoever uses these weapons places himself outside of civilization and modern worldview (it sounds perverted, but also in case of war!).
The state, to which one can prove (or can accuse) the use, will be outlawed to a great extent internationally. Is the goal to do this with Russia or Putin? I’ll come back to this question later.
(4) Why did not the UK allow Russia to be involved in the investigations?
I find this regrettable. A joint investigation would certainly have been for the elucidation of international advantage. I can not really answer that question. However, I think that the answer can be found in (7).
(5) Is it a coincidence that only a few miles from the site of the poisoning there is a British facility for the investigation of chemical weapons (Porton Down)?
Here there are various conspiracy theories in the net. I do not join them.
It is pure coincidence.
Russia is not so dilettante and tries to kill a discarded agent of all things with a Russian nerve agent. Nor will the UK ‚get‘ a nerve agent from a chemical weapons laboratory a few miles away to assassinate an ex-agent.
(6) Are there similarities to the case of David Kelly?
This question is highly speculative. Strange, however, are the circumstances of the death of Mr. Kelly, who, as a bioweapon expert, believed Iraq lacked biological weapons. Anyone can research the net and make their own thoughts.
(7) Who really uses Skripal?
This is the central question.
Right at the beginning: Russia and Putin absolutely nothing.
Look at the state of UK with the BREXIT. The British government is having an extremely difficult time with this situation. Above all, domestic policy UK is split. Economically, UK is likely to fall into recession with BREXIT, which will lead to further domestic struggles and difficulties. In such situations, governments tend to open up other fronts to divert public focus. In this sense, Skripal is a very welcome case for the British government under May. In foreign policy terms, everyone’s eyes are now on the escalating conflict with Russia. In addition, other nations stand in solidarity behind and beside the British. The British, who become an insignificant nation internationally after BREXIT, are now receiving undivided attention. And in front of this foreground the impending catastrophe fades for this country when the UK finally leaves the EU.
Everything I’ve written in the previous section may be wrong. But one thing is out of the question. UK obviously uses the case Skripal. And against this background, it becomes clear why there is no cooperation in the investigation (see question (4)). This is not desirable from the outset. Does the UK need an enemy foreign policy to survive domestically?
We will never really know …