The group of chemical weapons (click here) collectively known as Novichok originated in a secret Cold-War era weapons program
Why should the UK hand over actual chemical weapons to Russia found at the scene of a crime? To begin it is a chemical WEAPON. Hello?
Additionally, there is no incentive for the UK to seek help from Russia because if it is found a Russian or the state of Russia is responsible there is no Russian extradition law that would resolve the crime and the second suspect could lead to war. There is nothing in the Geneva Conventions that state two parties have to cooperate with each other.
...The Novichok class of agents (click here) were reportedly developed in an attempt to circumvent the Chemical Weapons Treaty (chemical weapons are banned on the basis of chemical structure and therefore a new chemical agent is not subject to past treaties). They have reportedly been engineered to be undetectable by standard detection equipment and to defeat standard chemical protective gear. Like other nerve agents, the Novichok agents act by inhibiting the enzyme cholinesterase....
If the chemical agent is Novichok (click here), it falls outside the Chemical Weapons Treaty anyway. That can be validated by a secure third party.
...We also don’t know how exactly Novichok kills....
The UK has a chemical agent that is not known how it kills and it is supposed to let Russia decide? I don't think so and quite frankly, I am suspicious of the USA even being involved in this investigation because of the underworld relationship Trump has with Putin. Why not just hand it to Assad.
Novichok (Russian: новичок meaning "newcomer") is a series of nerve agents that were developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s. Allegedly these are the most deadly nerve agents ever made, with some variants possibly five to eight times more potent than VX, though this has never been proven. They belong to "third generation chemical weapons" designed as a part of Soviet "Foliant" program. Initially designated K-84 and later renamed A-230, the Novichok family of analogs comprises more than a hundred structural variants. Of all the variants the most promising, from a military standpoint, was A-232 (Novichok-5)....
...It’s surprising to see Novichok surface in 2018, not least because Russia was supposed to have destroyed its 39,967 metric tons of chemical weapons by September 2017, according to the international organization that oversees the chemical weapons ban. The British prime minister has demanded that Moscow release information about the Novichok program, so it’s possible that we could soon learn more about these nerve agents....
If the Brits state this is Novichok, then Russia is in violation of yet ANOTHER international agreement. There are more reasons for the UK to maintain the highest security of this chemical and it's recent use, for many, many reasons; the least being charges against Russia in its continued possession of Novichok. Is Russia willing to allow inspectors to be sure there is none still existing?
I think the UK needs to protect this investigation and it's sovereign authority to bring evidence to international platforms.
Additionally, there is no incentive for the UK to seek help from Russia because if it is found a Russian or the state of Russia is responsible there is no Russian extradition law that would resolve the crime and the second suspect could lead to war. There is nothing in the Geneva Conventions that state two parties have to cooperate with each other.
...The Novichok class of agents (click here) were reportedly developed in an attempt to circumvent the Chemical Weapons Treaty (chemical weapons are banned on the basis of chemical structure and therefore a new chemical agent is not subject to past treaties). They have reportedly been engineered to be undetectable by standard detection equipment and to defeat standard chemical protective gear. Like other nerve agents, the Novichok agents act by inhibiting the enzyme cholinesterase....
If the chemical agent is Novichok (click here), it falls outside the Chemical Weapons Treaty anyway. That can be validated by a secure third party.
...We also don’t know how exactly Novichok kills....
The UK has a chemical agent that is not known how it kills and it is supposed to let Russia decide? I don't think so and quite frankly, I am suspicious of the USA even being involved in this investigation because of the underworld relationship Trump has with Putin. Why not just hand it to Assad.
Novichok (Russian: новичок meaning "newcomer") is a series of nerve agents that were developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s. Allegedly these are the most deadly nerve agents ever made, with some variants possibly five to eight times more potent than VX, though this has never been proven. They belong to "third generation chemical weapons" designed as a part of Soviet "Foliant" program. Initially designated K-84 and later renamed A-230, the Novichok family of analogs comprises more than a hundred structural variants. Of all the variants the most promising, from a military standpoint, was A-232 (Novichok-5)....
...It’s surprising to see Novichok surface in 2018, not least because Russia was supposed to have destroyed its 39,967 metric tons of chemical weapons by September 2017, according to the international organization that oversees the chemical weapons ban. The British prime minister has demanded that Moscow release information about the Novichok program, so it’s possible that we could soon learn more about these nerve agents....
If the Brits state this is Novichok, then Russia is in violation of yet ANOTHER international agreement. There are more reasons for the UK to maintain the highest security of this chemical and it's recent use, for many, many reasons; the least being charges against Russia in its continued possession of Novichok. Is Russia willing to allow inspectors to be sure there is none still existing?
I think the UK needs to protect this investigation and it's sovereign authority to bring evidence to international platforms.
