Porton Down can’t say poison from Russia

The Government’s defence research laboratory have not established whatever poisoned Sergei and Yulia Skripal was made in Russia.

Gary Aitkenhead, chief executive of the government’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), said the poison had been identified as a military-grade novichok nerve agent. He said it could probably be deployed only by a nation state.

Porton Down leaves embarrassment

The UK government moved quickly to make the best of the embarrassment. According to the Guardian, Theresa May ‘had always been clear the assessment from Porton Down was “only one part of the intelligence picture”.’

Mr Aitkenhead backed up the Prime Minister. He said the government had reached its conclusion that Russia was responsible for the Salisbury attack by combining the laboratory’s scientific findings with ‘information from other sources’.

The scientist also denied Russian claims that the substance could have come from Porton Down, which is eight miles from Salisbury. He said: ‘There’s no way that anything like that would ever have come from us or leave the four walls of our facilities.’ The comment stopped short of a complete denial that Porton Down had ever manufactured ‘Novichok’ or had the chemical on its premises.

The Russian embassy in London said: ‘This only proves that all political declarations on the Russian origin of the crime are nothing but assumptions not stemming from objective facts or the course of the investigation.’

Theresa May’s backtracking

Theresa May’s choice of words is also revealing. On 12th March 2018 she said that it was ‘highly likely’ that Russia was responsible for the attack. On 14th March she said that Russia was ‘culpable’ of the attack on Sergey and Yulia Skripal. Since the EU Council meeting of 22nd March 2018 the British government together with the EU have reverted to Theresa May’s original 12th March 2018 position that it was ‘highly likely’ that Russia was responsible for the attack.  On the Off-Guardian website, Alexander Mercouris says:

‘Gary Aitkenhead’s comments taken by themselves in my opinion make it impossible even to say that Russia was ‘highly likely’ to have carried out the attack.’

Mr Mercouris also voices what many of us have been wondering about the potency of whatever it was poisoned the Skripals. We were told Novichok was ten times more lethal than VX agents. The scientist who developed it said there was no antidote. Mr Aitkenhead confirmed this. Yet DS Bailey walked out of hospital two weeks ago, and Yulia is recovering and talking. Mr Mercouris says this, ‘suggests either that her contact with the poison was very slight, or that the potency of the poison has been greatly exaggerated.’

Boris Johnson misled public

Two weeks ago, broadcaster Deutsche Welle, asked Mr Johnson how the UK had been able to determine so quickly that the novichok came from Russia.

The Independent reports he replied: ‘When I look at the evidence, the people from Porton Down, the laboratory, they were absolutely categorical.’

But they say they were not. The scientists were almost cdertainly pressured by the Government to conclude the poison came from Russia. It is to their credit they refused to do so. Mr Johnson must have known they could not identify its origin.

Foreign Office deleted tweet

Even worse, the Foreign Office had to admit it deleted an “inaccurate” tweet stating that scientists had concluded the novichok used in the attack had been “produced in Russia”.

It read: “Analysis by world-leading experts at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down made clear this was a military-grade Novichok nerve agent produced in Russia.”

The Foreign Office blamed mistakes in tweeting a briefing given by the UK’s Ambassador to Russia “in real time” for its blunder.

“One of the tweets was truncated and did not accurately report our Ambassador’s words. We have removed this tweet,” a spokeswoman said.

Foreign Office lied about speech

Neverrtheless, Dr Lawrie Bristow said in a speech on 22nd March: ‘…There is also no doubt that the Novichok was produced in Russia by the Russian state.’

A gov.uk web page carries a transcript of his speech ‘exactly as was delivered’, it says.  Except it doesn’t.  On this page, the Foreign office has removed the crucial definite article, to make the ambassador’s words more vague: ‘There is also no doubt that Novichok was produced in Russia by the Russian state,’ (sic) says the web page.

There is a video of the ambassador right above the false quote. At 21 seconds he clearly says ‘the Novichok’ meaning ‘the Novichok used in Salisbury’. How does our government think it can get away with such a brazen lie? But even given that, again and again Dr Bristow says ‘the nerve agent was produced in Russia.’
That goes beyond evidence and into what the Uk Government refers to as ‘assessments’. That’s ‘best guesses’ to you and me. The UK Government has plunged the world into a diplomatic crisis on guesswork.

Yulia Skripal ‘growing stronger’

Happily, Yulia Skripal is now said to be growing stronger in hospital. The Police issued a statement claiming to be ‘on her behalf’, according to the BBC. It is also on the police website here.

(We ought just to mention a purported telephone conversation between someone who may be Yulia Skripal and someone who is probably Viktoria Skripal. It took place on a Russian media channel and is reported verbatim on the BBC. We make of it what we will.)

In the police statement, Miss Skripal says she is ‘grateful for the many messages of goodwill’ she had received.
‘I woke up over a week ago now and am glad to say my strength is growing daily,’ the statement said. She thanks the people of Salisbury who went to her aid and ‘the staff at Salisbury District Hospital for their care and professionalism.’

Press not welcome

There follows a strange passage asking for privacy. It is reminiscent of the alleged statement by policeman DS Bailey.  He was released from the same hospital on 22nd March.  ‘I am sure you appreciate that the entire episode is somewhat disorientating, and I hope that you’ll respect my privacy and that of my family during the period of my convalescence.’

There have indeed been no interviews of DS Bailey that we can discover. That is yet another strange incident in a very strange affair. Nor have the press in any shape or form been allowed anywhere need the recovering Yulia. Sherlock Holmes famously found a clue in the fact that a dog did not bark. There are too many non-barking dogs in the Salisbury poisoning. There are too many things that just do not add up.

Moreover, if the press are not allowed to interview either Nick Bailey or Yulia Skrpial, it’s because someone high up does not want them to share what they know.  That could mean the authorities do not want the perpetrators alerted.  (But days ago the Sun reported police were ‘closing in’ on ‘the gang’. )  Or it could mean there is a fear they will tell the public something ‘off-message’.  In that case, their lives could be seriously in danger.

Park bench taken into custody

Meanwhile, according to a Metropolitan Police press release, the park bench that Sergei and Yulia Skripal were sitting on when they were found unwell in Salisbury was removed on Friday, 23 March. Police used an angle grinder to cut it from its fixings. The Met said: ‘It is being removed from near Zizzi restaurant in order to preserve it as a potential crime exhibit as part of the investigation into the attempted murders.’

Another press release, dated 28th March, said: ‘As a result of detailed forensic and scientific examination, detectives believe the Skripals first came into contact with the nerve agent at their home address. Specialists have identified the highest concentration of the nerve agent, to-date, as being on the front door of the address.’

A press officer, who refused to give her name, could not say what ‘the’ alleged nerve agent actually was.  Nor could she say whether whatever it was appeared on the inside or the outside of the door. If it was on the inside, how did it get there with no signs of forcible entry? If it was on the outside, why were police women photographed guarding the door in their ordinary uniform?

Precautionary

A day later, three-and-a-half weeks after the Skripals were found unwell, another press release said the Met ‘placed a cordon around a children’s play area at Montgomery Gardens, near the Skripals’ home.’

‘Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon said: “I would like to reassure residents that we have placed the cordons around the park, and officers will be searching it, as a precautionary measure. I would like to reiterate Public Health England’s advice that the risk to the public is low.’ As a precautionary measure against what, exactly? The Met did not say.

There has been no further press release from the Met to date. Their current press releases may be found in this link.

Reckless disregard for truth

But on the same day, in a speech to the Lord Mayor’s Easter Banquet, the Foreign Secretary was still spreading disinformation. He spoke of a ‘reckless and contemptuous disregard for public safety that saw 39 others seek medical treatment.’  But not one of those who sought medical treatment actually needed treatment.  That is according to Stephen Davies, consultant in emergency medicine at the Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.

But Dr Davies also said something puzzling, which he has not clarified.  He wrote to the Time: ‘no patients have experienced symptoms of nerve-agent poisoning.’

Boris Johnson is not alone.  The Government reports our ambassador to the OPCW, John Foggo, said on 4th April: ‘What happened in Salisbury on 4 March was a reckless and indiscriminate act, which threatened the lives of innocent civilians. More than 130 people were affected by the attack. More than 50 people, including first responders and 3 children, reported to hospital.’

Again, we have to say, not one of them received treatment.

‘Limited evidence’ of Skripal neice

The pulling of wool over eyes was also taking place in the courts. The UK Government applied to the Court of Protection for permission to take blood samples from Yulia Skripal and her father.  These were for analysis analysis by the OPCW. Mr Justice Williams concluded, on 22nd March, on the evidence offered to him:

“…Given the absence of any contact having been made with the NHS Trust by any family member, the absence of any evidence of any family in the UK and the limited evidence as to the possible existence of family members in Russia I accept that it is neither practicable nor appropriate in the special context of this case to consult with any relatives of Mr Skripal or Ms Skripal who might fall into the category identified in s.4(7)(b) of the Act.”

And yet Viktoria Skripal, niece of Sergey and cousin to Yulia was interviewed by the Sun on 14th March. That was one week before the court judgment. She also appeared on the BBC.

Writing on the Off-Guardian website, one ‘Catte’ said: ‘These interviews suggest this particular relative is pretty real, and not very hard to locate. If the Sun could find her on March 14, it’s hard to see how she could still be a mere thought experiment and “limited” theory for the Home Office eight days later.’ The conclusions the court reached were ‘obviously untrue’, said Catte, asking ‘why has the Home Secretary (SSHD) not “sought to make contact with” the Skripals’ mother/grandmother and niece/cousin?’

Presumption of innocence

Barrister James O’Neill, also writing in Off-Guardian, spoke for ‘those of us with fond of memories of some of the traditional virtues of common-law justice, such as the presumption of innocence, the onus of proof upon the accuser, a verdict based upon evidence beyond reasonable doubt, and a prohibition on prejudicial pre-trial comment…’  Indeed, are these not the sort of ‘British values’ Mrs May hopes we think she is defending?

Mr O’Neill went on: ‘The Skripals were admitted to Salisbury Hospital on 4 March 2018 and it took until 14 March for the British government to invite the OPCW to assist in the technical evaluation of what had caused the Skripal’s illness.

‘The Judge did not comment on why it took 10 days for this invitation to issue, particularly as the Russian government had correctly pointed out that it should have been done much earlier in accordance with the article 9 of the Convention.’

The UK’s case: 5 slides

Lastly (almost) details have emerged of the case the UK put to the Europeans.  Again, thanks to Off-Guardian, it’s all here.  (in far better resolution).  It consists of five slides.  Firstly, a sort of timeline of events from 4th to 20th March.  Secondly, a lie that only Russia can make Novichok.  And a picture of men in scary bio suits.

Thirdly, a pseudo-medical ‘Effects of Novichok.’  (This was written before Nick Bailey was released.  It was well before Yulia began to recover.)  It’s coupled with numbers of people thought to have been affected.  We now know that was entirely bogus.

Fourthly, there’s a whole load of other stuff the UK blames Russia for.  It will come as no surprise that Alexander Litvinenko is there.  And the Skripals.  So is ‘interference in 2016 US election.’  As if we would never …  And my favourite: ‘February 2014: Occupation of Crimea; Destabilisation of Ukraine’.

For the last time (no it won’t be).  It was the EU and Soros who destabilised Ukraine.  And Crimea held a referendum in which 96% voted to rejoin Russia on a turnout of over 80%.  Historically, the Crimean parliament has on multiple occasions attempted to trigger this referendum, every one of which was stopped by the larger Ukrainian government.

Lastly, the fifth slide sports the UK’s hysterical reaction.  Or ‘UK’s Measured and Proportionate Response’.  This starts with ‘attribution to the Russian State’.  With no evidence.  And that’s it.  It truly makes one ashamed to be British.

The case continues!

Make no mistake, this curious case is not over yet.  Please continue to pray the truth will come out.  Pray fervently for protection for Sergei and Yulia Skripal.  This is especially serious.  Pray our leaders will act with integrity and honesty, and embark on the ways of peace:

Proverbs 3:13  Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.  …17  Her Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

Proverbs 25:5  Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.

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