Article: From Russia with Love: Former K.G.B. Officer Assassinated!

Alexander Litvinenko, the super spy from Russia who defected to the U.K., has died from radiation poisoning at the hands of the K.G.B. They killed him for investigating the death of a Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya who was a critic of President Vladimir Putin. Anna Politkovskaya (shot in an elevator) and fellow journalist Yuri Sheckochikhin (poisoned) were killed for exposing the atrocities of the second war between Russia and Chechnya.

After defecting to the U.K. through Turkey, Alexander Litvinenko became an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin. He accused Vladimir Putin of ordering the assassination attempt of Boris Berezovsky. Boris Berezovsky is an alleged Chechen mafia boss, billionaire, and campaign contributor of Ukranian President Viktor Yushchenko. President Yushchenko was also poisoned and suffered facial disfigurement, but survived. Berezovsky, who has changed his name to Platon Elenin, also defected to the U.K. and has recently accused Vladimir Putin of Alexander Litvinenko's assassination. Incidentally, Berezovsky is now a business partner with Neil Bush, brother to President George W. Bush.

Alexander Litvinenko had two meetings the day he was poisoned. One with Andrei Lugovoy (former Berezovsky bodyguard) and a former K.G.B. officer (rumored to be named Vladimir) at a hotel. Lugovoy "used to be in Mr Berezovsky's entourage and was imprisoned in Moscow. Then suddenly he was released, and soon after that he became a businessman and a millionaire. It is all very suspicious. But the KGB has recruited agents in prisons and camps since the 1930s. That is how they work." This is according to Oleg Gordievsky, the highest ranking known K.G.B. agent to ever defect to the U.K. He also says that Litvinenko's wife, Marina, "is reluctant to speak about it. It is all very hurtful, as he was a former friend. But now all that has been left to the police, and they have told his family not to talk about it."

The other meeting was with Professor Mario Scaramella who was to pass along supposed information about the murders of Politkovskaya and Sheckochikhin. He remains in hiding in fear for his life. He is a self described Italian "security specialist" who is supposedly investigating Russian infiltration of Italian government. Other sources say that he has been seen meeting with the K.G.B. and is in fact a K.G.B. asset. He was told by Litvinenko on previous meetings that Romano Prodi was the "K.G.B.'s man in Italy" before he became Prime Minister.

Of Scaramella, Gordievsky reports:
"Why should this Italian do it? I know him. He is a solid, respectable man. And Sasha (Litvinenko) was already feeling unwell before the lunch. He was poisoned before he met the Italian."

Traces of the toxin have been found at both meeting places. Both Scaramella (Italy) and Lugovoy (Russia) have returned to their home countries and denied any involvement in the death of Litvinenko.

Here is the full text of the statement dictated by Alexander Litvinenko:

"I would like to thank many people. My doctors, nurses and hospital staff who are doing all they can for me; the British Police who are pursuing my case with vigor and professionalism and are watching over me and my family.

I would like to thank the British Government for taking me under their care. I am honored to be a British citizen. I would like to thank the British public for their messages of support and for the interest they have shown in my plight.

I thank my wife, Marina, who has stood by me. My love for her and our son knows no bounds.

But as I lie here I can distinctly hear the beating of wings of the angel of death. I may be able to give him the slip but I have to say my legs do not run as fast as I would like.

I think, therefore, that this may be the time to say one or two things to the person responsible for my present condition.

You may succeed in silencing me but that silence comes at a price. You have shown yourself to be as barbaric and ruthless as your most hostile critics have claimed.

You have shown yourself to have no respect for life, liberty or any civilized value. You have shown yourself to be unworthy of your office, to be unworthy of the trust of civilized men and women.

You may succeed in silencing one man but the howl of protest from around the world will reverberate, Mr. Putin, in your ears for the rest of your life.

May God forgive you for what you have done, not only to me, but also to beloved Russia and its people."

-Alexander Litvinenko

TO BE CONTINUED...