Litvinenko, the former KGB agent who died of polonium poisoning, was known to be sympathetic to Chechen Separatists. But it is now confirmed that Litvineneko has requested a Muslim burial, removing all doubt about his religious preference. Rumors are swirling around Litvineneko that he may have been involved in a plot to sell a dirty bomb to al-Qaeda or other terrorist organization.
Litvinenko's father, Walter, said in an interview published today that his son - who was born an Orthodox Christian but had close links to Islamist rebels in Chechnya - had requested to be buried according to Muslim tradition after converting to Islam on his deathbed.
"He said ’I want to be buried according to Muslim tradition’," Mr Litvinenko told Moscow's Kommersant daily.
Russia will not extradite Litvinenko suspects
Guardian The Russian prosecutor general today said the country would not extradite suspects in the Alexander Litvinenko case to Britain.
Yuri Chaika also insisted that polonium 210, the radioactive element with which the former spy was poisoned, could not have come from Russia.
This may just be damage control on the part of the Russians, even if Litvinenko was trying to sell polonium to terrorists, the polonium had to come from somewhere. It stands to reason that a former KGB agent would have access to the fabled "suitcase bombs", and there have been reports of Litvinenko smuggling radioactive material from Russia to Swtzerland in 2000.
If KGB agents are stealing polonium or other materials needed to make a dirty bomb, the Russian government needs to stop them before an international incident escalates into an unintended war between Russia and the country suffering the terrorist attack. But for Putin to transport polonium via British commercial airliners just to assassinate Litvinenko seems unnecessarily sloppy and heavy handed.
One piece of evidence that may help clear the Russians;
This is London Radiation tests are to be carried out at the British Embassy in Moscow as part of the investigation into the death of former spy Alexander Litvinenko.
The tests will be carried out in one room of the embassy by a team of experts who flew to Moscow yesterday from Britain.
Amid growing diplomatic tension, a Foreign Office spokesman said: "Precautionary tests are taking place in one room in the British Embassy in Moscow. They are just precautionary tests and they do not expect to find anything."
It would seem unlikely the Russians would use their embassy as a "polonium depot", but further cooperation in the extraditions of Russian citizens involved in this case would be a lot more helpful, and help ease "diplomatic tensions". A little glasnost please.
