Attempted murder of russians in Salisbury

[Jimgward]

This is now looking increasingly like the government deflecting from brexit and other aspects of recent negative news....

[WHL]

This cant be true ...the....I was in the army chap, said so?

[Jimgward]

Why am I not being serious? Johnson has lied. On camera. He did so at and extremely sensitive time. You tell me why?

The only reasonable explanation is that he needed the accusation to stick before he had all the evidence. It would then create a furore. Interesting that while lots of other things are going awry with May’s government, that deflection seems high on the agenda and using the media to support deflection is tight up there.

I know you will claim that ‘other’ evidence that cannot be revealed, points to Russia..... but if we also told all the other nations that have backed the calls to sanction them, were told Porton Down ‘confirmed’ the source - when it’s a lie - then we will have seriously affected the UK’s credibility evermore.

[Jimgward]

My entire point is about Johnson lying. He shouldn't have and now he has been caught, it looks bad.

[Devil]

I doubt very much if the Nerve Agent came with a "Made In" sticker....and it has been made clear that "absolute" proof was never in the cards....and yes I agree if the UK Government lied about this then our credibility would be shot to pieces...but I don't honestly believe it did...it is not the Russian State....

Unlike you, I still keep an open mind on the subject. We have no proof that the Russian State is in any way implicated, even if it seems to be a likely one (of a few) explanation. There are far too many unanswered questions.

[Dominic]

The same countries who went with the weight of evidence over Iraq.

[Jimgward]

And sometimes you just have to go with the weight of evidence as a significant number of other countries have done. "We" will probably never see or be privy to where the evidence came from...but it was enough to convince the likes of France,Germany and the USA...

You continue to ignore the mute point.... that Boris Johnson lied through his teeth, that the evidence was VERIFIED as Russian, by Porton Down.....

That's the issue. I am sure most of us suspect Russia was involved.... however, blatant lies like this make us now all suspect that if he could lie on live TV, what others lies might have been told?

[PhotoLady]

Eh, I only asked about a conspiracy theory! I love conspiracy theories but it doesn't mean I believe them... The one I mentioned has been doing the rounds since day one of the poisonings.

I do feel though the powers that be are quite happy to let Boris be the fall guy when it suits them. Everyone on the outside has the impression he's a buffoon so they're inclined to make allowances for his wayward remarks.

But he isn't a buffoon, by any means....

[Varky]

Buffoon, maybe not, but loose mouthed, not the type of person we would want to represent us as a prime minister. I wouldn't go as far as to call him a liar, though. The world already has a leader that shoots from the hip via twitter etc. and I like to think that our leaders are a bit above that level

Regarding the origin of Novichok, I am sure that its origin has been confirmed by a spy working for British Intelligence, whose identity will never be disclosed for obvious reasons. Those wishing to have clear definitive evidence are not being realistic but it's not too difficult to join the loose ends. Novichok was only developed by the Russians during the cold war, Novichok was used to attempt to kill the Skripals. Whilst it would not be sufficient to convict in a UK court of law, in the world of diplomacy, intrigue etc. it is a coincidence that cannot be ignored. Maybe it wasn't done under the direct instruction of Putin, but someone in the Kremlin bureaucracy has a finger in the pie.

It is interesting to note that at first the Russians treated the whole matter dismissively and as a matter of disdain using sarcasm in their rhetoric, whilst now they want to go to the UN Security Council to raise the matter. Maybe all the bad publicity is having an effect?

[WHL]

Boris /Kim Jong-un / Putin/ Trump, who to believe?... none...all politician's lie, more fool anyone that believes what they say.