UK HYPOCRISY OVER POLONIUM POISONING

The U.K. citizenry and its political class are beating their chest in anger and pride as a result of the recent open investigation into the Litvinenko asssination. The judicial inquiry into the 2006 poisoning death (by polonium) of Russian spy turned MI5 informer Alexander Litvinenko has revealed a good deal of circumstantial evidence. None of the suspects were present or interviewed. The judge's conclusion that someone in the higher echelons of the Russian government must have given the OK for the hit against Litvinenko remains only a supposition. It is true Litvinenko died a horrible death after sipping tea laced with the radioactive element polonium. The people are rightly aroused and many support some sort of political action against Russia by PM David Cameron. In response, the Conservative government did call in the Russian Ambassador and imposed an asset freeze on the two main Russian suspects.

As an observer from across the "pond" I am happy to see the Brits so eager for justice. I only wish it was more equally disposed. Where is the logic and evenhandedness? Where is the balance? Not to absolve Putin, but why pick on the Russian strongman who is presently doing the heavy lifting in Syria to stomp on the neck of the ISIS serpent? Is there some other elelment of anti-Putinism involved here? Perhaps it is that he has shown himself to be a better chess player and angered the the west with his effective support for Mr. Assad.

But I wonder. Where was all this demand for justice when MI5, or the CIA, was stabbing, garotting, poisoning their supposed "evil doers"? In regard to the USA, Britain has remained (mostly) silent while President Obama meticulously and mechanically worked down his personal "hit list" of extrajudicial assasinations. Many of his victims were British and American citizens. Many were known to be innocent bystanders. We will never know if the actual targets were innocent or guilty, since all evidence and victims were blown to pieces. Will President Obama have to face British justice too? Not likely!

What about MI5 being complicitous in the American torture and rendition of suspects (many who proved to be innocent victims of misidentification) snatched from a city street corner? Why not investigate in open court Israeli Mossad known to have assassinated thousands of Palestinians and others perceived as enemies or potential enemies of the Israeli state. Another probe may be all those innocent Iranian atomic scientists who died at the hands of Mossad assassins? Not one word from British Justice on all those assassination cases. Why?