Page 9 - Aruba Today
P. 9
WORLD NEWS 9
Friday 22 January 2016
UK judge: Putin ‘probably approved’ killing of ex-KGB agent
JILL LAWLESS was “absolutely appall- cow. secrets to Western intelli- port.
Associated Press ing.” Britain summoned Litvinenko fled to Britain in gence services, and — the The judge said the case for
LONDON (AP) — Almost the Russian ambassador 2000 and became a critic judge said — was widely Russian state involvement
a decade after former for a dressing-down and of Russia’s security services regarded within the FSB as was circumstantial but
KGB officer Alexander Lit- imposed an asset freeze and of Putin, whom he ac- a traitor. strong. Owen said Litvinen-
vinenko lay dying in a Lon- on the two main suspects:
don hospital bed, a British Andrei Lugovoi, now a Rus- Marina Litvinenko, widow of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, centre, with her solicitor
judge has concluded who sian lawmaker, and Dmitry Elena Tsirlina, leaves Matrix Chambers on Gray’s Inn following a press conference and media
poisoned him: two Russian Kovtun. interviews in London, Thursday Jan. 21, 2016. President Vladimir Putin probably approved a plan
men, acting at the behest Home Secretary Theresa by Russia’s FSB security service to kill former agent Alexander Litvinenko, a British judge said
of Russia’s security services, May said the involvement Thursday.
probably with approval of the Russian state was “a
from President Vladimir Pu- blatant and unacceptable (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)
tin. breach of the most funda-
That finding prompted mental tenets of interna- cused of links to organized “There were powerful mo- ko had “personally target-
sharp exchanges Thurs- tional law and of civilized crime and other alleged tives for organizations and ed President Putin himself
day between London behavior.” transgressions including pe- individuals within the Rus- with highly personal pub-
and Moscow, and a dip- Moscow has always strong- dophilia, Owen said in the sian state to take action lic criticism,” allied himself
lomatic dilemma for both ly denied being involved in report. He was a very vocal against Mr. Litvinenko, in- with Putin’s opponents and
countries. With Russia and Litvinenko’s death and ac- annoyance, feeding inside cluding killing him,” Owen was believed to be working
the West inching closer to- cused Britain of conduct- information about Russia’s wrote in the 326-page re- for British intelligence.q
gether after years of strain, ing a secretive and politi-
neither side wants a new cally motivated inquiry.
feud — even over a state- Putin spokesman Dmitry
sanctioned murder on Brit- Peskov told reporters that
ish soil. the “quasi-investigation”
Judge Robert Owen, who would “further poison the
led the public inquiry into atmosphere of our bilateral
the killing, said he was cer- relations.” He said the re-
tain that two Russians with port “cannot be accepted
links to the security services by us as a verdict.”
had given Litvinenko green Russian Foreign Ministry
tea containing a fatal spokeswoman Maria Zha-
dose of radioactive polo- karova said the British in-
nium-210 during a meet- quiry was neither public
ing at a London hotel. He nor transparent, saying it
said there was a “strong had turned into a “shadow
probability” that Russia’s puppet theater.”
FSB, the successor to the “There was one goal from
Soviet Union’s KGB spy the beginning: slander Rus-
agency, directed the kill- sia and slander its officials,”
ing and that the operation she told reporters in Mos-
was “probably approved”
by Putin, then as now the Colombia frees group of rebels to bolster talks
president of Russia.
Before he died, Litvinenko CESAR GARCIA he would pardon a group firmed that a contingent of tences.
accused Putin of order- Associated Press of 30 rank-and-file mem- those prisoners had been Four of the newly-freed
ing his killing, but Owen’s BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) bers of the Revolutionary released. It was not imme- men and women are ex-
report is the first public of- — Colombia released a Armed Forces of Colombia diately clear how many of pected to travel to Cuba in
ficial statement linking the group of imprisoned reb- as a unilateral confidence- the 30 had left government the coming days to partici-
Russian president to the els late Wednesday, mark- building gesture. custody. pate in formal peace talks
crime, and it sent a chilling ing another milestone in a The pardons were slow to The fighters had been con- there.
jolt through U.K.-Russia rela- peace process that could arrive, generating some victed of non-violent crimes The rebels have been in
tions. end Latin America’s lon- friction with the rebel group. including rebellion, illegal talks with the government
British Prime Minister Da- gest-running armed con- On Wednesday night, non- possession of weapons and for three years, working
vid Cameron said the flict. government organizations false use of army uniforms. toward a ceasefire that
evidence in the report of President Juan Manuel San- working with the rebels and Several were weeks away would end a half century of
“state-sponsored” killing tos said late last year that a government official con- from completing their sen- drug-fueled fighting.q
