Guardian: Litvinenko was victim of 'Russian rogue agents'

Litvinenko was victim of 'Russian rogue agents'


Sandra Laville and Richard Norton-Taylor
Friday December 1, 2006
The Guardian

British intelligence sources increasingly suspect that Alexander Litvinenko,
the former spy killed with a radioactive poison, was the victim of a plot
involving "rogue elements" within the Russian state, the Guardian has learned.

While ruling out any official involvement by Vladimir Putin's government,
investigators believe that only those with access to state nuclear laboratories
could have mounted such a sophisticated plot.

Police were last night closing in on a group of men who entered the UK among a
large crowd of Muscovite football fans. The group of five or more arrived shortly
before Mr Litvinenko fell ill and attended the CSK Moscow match against Arsenal
at the Emirates stadium on November 1. They flew back shortly afterwards. While
describing them only as witnesses, police believe their presence could hold the
key to the former spy's death.

-snip-

Explaining the increasing belief that Mr Litvinenko's death involved Russian state
elements, one official said yesterday: "Only the state would have access to that
material".

-snip-