[ictoan]

What is it that makes this fishy to you? Why do you think Russia is not responsible? Who else would've done this? Did someone just magically have a rare nerve agent made in Russia, brought it to UK and sprayed it on an ex-Russian spy? Gosh, what a freak accident! Or if someone did it on purpose then what is his intention? Why would someone go out of his way to frame Russia? What is the goal? Purpose? Or maybe... just maybe... it is just Russia being Russia and doing shady Soviet style operations.

[random_upvoter]

As geopolitics go, it is probably wise to remain somewhat skeptical about what any actor says, even when it happens to be your own country.

[PeterMikhailov]

> Did someone just magically have a rare nerve agent made in Russia

One of the main points of Novichok is that its made from non toxic precursors, that are easier to smuggle, which you don't mix until you are about to deploy them.

Scary.

[chopin]

A nerve agent made in Russia - that's what we are told. I would believe this only if confirmed by a truly independent third party.

[ictoan]

So you're saying the U.K. lied and Russia is telling the truth? Lol, how do I know Russia is being truthful? I would believe this only if confirmed by a truly independent Russian insider. Oh wait, there aren't any because Putin assassinated them all!

[chopin]

I don't believe any government. I simply don't know whom gto believe.

I vividly remember the US presenting "evidence" in the UN to start the war in Iraq. None of the allegations held water.

How about holding these affairs to the same standard as crminal trials? Means, having a verifiable chain of custody, presenting the evidence to public scrutiny and having each side challenging the evidence.

[hugh4life]

Mossad could easily be as responsible and they have motive with Syria.

[ictoan]

How does Mossad have the facilities and knowledge to produce Novichok? It's not something you can order from Amazon.

[pakitan]

> It's not something you can order from Amazon.

No, but apparently you can order it from a chemist. A russian banker and his secretary were killed in 1995 by the banker's business partner. With that said, blaming Mossad for this makes zero sense.

[hugh4life]

Vil Mirzayanov(who lives in the US) apparently wrote the forumula for Novichok in a book available on Amazon.

https://twitter.com/mashant/status/973930996918865920

"It's the Russians... unless it's anybody else who got the formula from my book (Kindle edition is only $8 on Amazon), Novichok whistle-blower Mirzayanov tells AFP"

"The only other possibility, he said, would be that someone used the formulas in his book to make such a weapon."

(I personally find it a bit difficult to believe they would actually put the formula for dangerous nerve agent in a book but that's what's reported)

[gnode]

> I personally find it a bit difficult to believe they would actually put the formula for dangerous nerve agent in a book

As the author explained, knowing what the chemical is doesn't help you much with making it, and such information was already available for Sarin and others. Producing these chemicals is a difficult engineering challenge, and incredibly dangerous. Even in the professional labs, people died trying to produce them.

[scottmf]

>I personally find it a bit difficult to believe

Quite the skeptic aren’t you.