Russian double agent poisoning UK

[gadget99]

Ok....

This thing is still developing at this time.

Basic facts as this point.

1. A Russian who was a double agent settled in the UK. Was found sitting with his daughter in Salisbury town centre on park bench. The daughter was unconscious leaning against him and he was strangely animated.
2. They are both still in the hospital in critical condition.
3. The police officer that was first on the scene fell ill also and is also in the hospital still. Though it is said his condition is better.
4. It is unsure where and when the officer was exposed. As it has been reported that he had been the the victims home. Apparently after finding the two victims.
5. The are reports the an additional 20 people were affected in some manner. Yet the details are not being reported well enough to understand to what levels people were affected.
6. The response to the event was symbolic and flawed enough that I believe there will be a major review for lessons learned.
7. It is being reported that a nerve agent the was developed by the USSR that is stronger than VX or Ricin. It was developed to also be very difficult to detect.
8. The Prime Minister went on record giving Russia 24hrs to explain their invovment and disclose the details of this unique Nerve Agent. (Yeah like Putin is stupid enough to say anything and like the UK is a threat in any way to Russia)
9. It finally looks like the Gov is getting their act together. They have finally cordoned off any potential areas of contamination and finally have the experts in investigating the scenes. I suspect decontamination work would then begin.
10. In must be highlighted that it took days for the Gov to get areas cordoned off. So I suspect that they got lucky nobody else other than the three people got seriously exposed.

Cheers for now all.

[JohnyMac]

So Gadget99, do you think that PM May will:

1) Eject the Russian Ambassador,
2) Evoke Nato Article 5,
3) UK Sanctions, or
4) Other?

May has to do something.

[Kbop]

i think a wild-card is the relationship between Putin and Trump.
and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novichok_agent
 

[JoJo]

May has to do something.

Thacher was the Iron Lady, May is the cooked spaghetti lady. NO BACKBONE.  

[gadget99]

So Gadget99, do you think that PM May will:

1) Eject the Russian Ambassador,
2) Evoke Nato Article 5,
3) UK Sanctions, or
4) Other?

May has to do something.

This is the question of the day.

What is she going to do to backup her threat?

As you point out she can do a few things in retaliation. Yet is there enough backbone there to take significant action?

I am not completely sure at the moment.

We shall see.

[Jackalope]

   I don't see much happening by May.  However, Putin is up for re-election, and may do something provocative just for political theater. But Russia needs the E.U. financially, so he won't go too far.   

[gadget99]

   I don't see much happening by May.  However, Putin is up for re-election, and may do something provocative just for political theater. But Russia needs the E.U. financially, so he won't go too far.   

Another consideration that is not reported heavily is that the EU relies on natural gas piped in from Russia. Without that gas the EU would face issues.

[JohnyMac]

gadget,
right now the USA is FLOODED with Natural Gas. Maybe we could make up the difference if Russia slows down delivery.

[gadget99]

Well the time limit has passed.

The great and powerful UK has expelled a bunch of Russian Diplomats. (Sarcasm Alert)

The thing to remember is that the elimination of agent's and double agent's has been a consistent part of nation state interactions throughout history. Nothing has changed. I am no longer amazed that our populace has such short term memories.

Now to the question of why stronger steps  have not been taken.

The global economies have become so intertwined that economic sanctions carry real potentials for negatively impacting the sanctioning country.

The UK and specifically London is awash in Russian and Chinese wealth. To the point where there is a certain amount of reliance on such in the UK economy. So while economic sanction are possible against Russia. Undertaking such holds the potential for tangible negative impacts to the UK economy.

Now to another point. The mighty UK is no longer mighty. Take a few moments to objectively examine this point. A small Island nation such As the UK does not truly possess the ability to project power in most manners onto the global nation state interaction scheme.

Now this is the very reason I am comfortable being settled here. In a conflict the big players are less likely to take the effort to do much to the UK. This the UK is in my opinion much safer than some other places. Being an Island Nation holds a certain amount of inherent safety also. We have a pretty significant moat around us for protection.

Even better I reside on an Island off the south coast so have double the protective effect.

So while there will be much shouting and gnashing of teeth. I do not see this episode being something significant in the grand scheme of things. With a significant caveat  though.

There is the potential for knee jerk reaction without considered thought. So if there is such ill considered measures taken by the UK government in an attempt to teach Russia a lesson. I am cool with that. If it hurts the UK economy then my US Army retirement check will be worth more in the exchange rate.

Cheers all....

[Kbop]

 

[JohnyMac]

WARNING WILL ROBINSO WARNING  Alert

To do nothing will signal to Russia it is OK to moving into some former Russian satellites west of the Father Country.

[JoJo]

 

Now to the question of why stronger steps  have not been taken.

The global economies have become so intertwined that economic sanctions carry real potentials for negatively impacting the sanctioning country.

Globalization AKA the New World Order.

 On this side of the pond the democrats are trying very hard to get President Trump to start a war. In the beginning it was NOKO but that failed when Rocket Man said he wanted to talk denuclearization. Now they're want the President to punish Putin in a strong manner even that they know the Russians attacked our electric grid, nuclear power plants and our water supply.
 Putin an ex KGB operative is no dummy he understands how week PM May is and the blind hatred democrats have for Trump. He, Putin has a plan and right now he has England and the EU wetting themselves.
 Just think if HilLIARy won we would have three of the largest free countries run by wacko women.    

[JohnyMac]

Russia's main goal with us, and maybe the EU too, to create descent in the populous. That is why there are so many bots on social media. One bot talks up the right and another bot talks up the left.

Me, if I was in charge - I would resupply the newer NATO countries in eastern Europe with no fanfare. Resupply with a few tank brigands, air support, and men to support both.

Again, I would just do it and wait to see what Russia does. I suspect nothing. Then I would go about taking a way some of Russia's natural gas sales to the west by supplying them with gas.

Once accomplished I would say nada till Valdimir started to whine. At that point I would say, "stop acting like a little man trying to be big, or I will cut off all of your gas sales to the EU."

Natural gas and crude oil exports is the entire Russian economy. What else do they export? WWII Mosin Nagets?

 

[JoJo]

hen I would go about taking a way some of Russia's natural gas sales to the west by supplying them with gas.

 The price of gas and oil would go up here, how much is anybody's guess. Do you think the democrats and the snowflakes would stand for it? I don't. They will use it as a hammer on our President and you can guess what the will cry. 
 But anyways I agree with you (Colloquialism).