Russian spy...

[Katieface]

What exactly was he poisoned with? and why did someone do it?

[jno]

Thallium. But as to why, there are lots of theories. Probably because he opposed Putin, basically. <looks nervously over shoulder>

[honest_joe]

When the Kremlin said they were no part of it somehow I believe them. Putin was in Asia along with Pres. Bush, Would he wan't this bad publicity at the time Russia was about to sign the WTO treaty allowing them into the trading block.

[antiguru]

Perhaps he was about to reveal something that would have a much more negative effect than his murder. I suspect he wasn�t supposed to live so long or be so coherent while he dies.

I can�t really imagine that Putin being out of the country means the Kremlin were not involved. Are we thinking he would have done this personally?

Oh, and Thallium is a metal used in rat poison.

I too am looking nervously over my shoulder. Hope the Eds got our personal details well secured�.

[andy-hughes]

At this stage, no-one knows how he died, or why, and indeed if, he was poisoned deliberately. Conspiracy theoris abound - perhaps all will be revealed after a post mortem.

[dyli795]

Well now we all know. If you believe the news on T.V. He had injested some radio active material. Forgot the name of it at the moment, but even if I knew I wouldn't know what it looks like. (...anyway, R.I.P.)

[jno]

oh yeah, can't think why I said thallium, of course I meant polonium.

[kwicky]

Oh by the way you can buy this radioactive substance over the internet. This therefore increases the number of suspects dramatically. Could even be a British citizen who objects to the close relationship with Britain and Russia. Keep a broad mind!

[mandimoo]

do you think he may have killed himself, knowing people would think it was the russian government?

[LazyGun]

Kwicky, whats your source for the idea that you can buy Poloniu, over the internet?

[shomer42]

Not entirely sure i believe it was the Russians, it seems a bit predictable.

If it was the Russians and we can prove a link you can be sure they will then accuse us of something. Tit for tat and all that.

[kwicky]

Lazygun it seems that polonim 210 that killed that spy is readily available on the internet

http://www.unitednuclear.com/isotopes.htm

I hope the powers that be put a block on this site.

[Gef]

kwicky, have you looked at that site in detail? Do you have any idea what you are talkinig about?

[bimbim]

I predict in 20 years people will still be coming up with conspiracy theories for this one. I heard yesterday that it was the FSB were trying to get a foothold in Italy , just as likely the Mafia are trying to link up with their 'brothers' in Russia.

[kwicky]

Interestingly that Nuclear station advert put out this disclaimer after journalists located the site selling Polonium 210. Like me they are not radiation experts but eggs are eggs whether you buy small, medium or large.

[zimzam]

I am not so sure that it was Russia wanting to silence him and his noted critisisms of his Mother Country. Russia have now made a rule that their oil is to be sold by roubles per barrel and not in the normal dollar purchase. The UK are the new USA state - and USA and UK all want oil (and we are well aware of the conflicts in the Middle East) so we need to keep well in with Russia right now. let's suppose that someone in the Middle East did not yet have an atomic bomb but could poison someone in another country and leave unrest with the CIA/MI5/Russian secret service - all finger pointing at the possibility that one of its countrymen murdered someone in another country? There was a known hit list against a few people, so let's assume that Ireland and France were not getting on well and I - as a British person knew that and was at war with France . Easy for me to poison a French person and leave everyone assuming that someone in Ireland did it.....that's a sort of example as I could sit back and watch a political war unfold when neither Country were guilty of murder.