Peter McKenna

I would comment on the editorial statement made that a “special designer pill” could have been manufactured for the poisoning of Mr. Litvinenko, that this is probably far fetched. This material would best be handled by being placed in a solution of water or other liquid, as this would make it much easier to control, and probably delivered via syringe or similar delivery method. You have to ask yourself, “How would I do it?” I read many years ago, that it was standard KGB tradecraft to have a syringe loaded with the weapon (a poison of some kind) under a coat or newspaper, and then to deliver it in a crowd, typically at a crowded airport, restaurant, etc. This technique was repeated through many works, Suverov, maybe Grushenko, being quoted by Angleton, or some such (I can't remember, it has been many years). I do remember reading this bit of tradecraft in an old compendium of Intel tradecraft ‘dirty tricks’. The mark wouldn’t suspect anything other than what would probably feel like a pinch or scratch, when delivered by expert hands. And yes, polonium 210 in solution, in a syringe, would be undetectable as it is a major alpha emitter only. Polonium 210 is a fairly easily obtained radionuclide used in the manufacture of static eliminators (like in removing static charge from fabric in manufacture). The polonium is atomized and cast into ceramic nodules, such that it is rendered harmless. Typically a license for use of an isotope must be granted (in the US this wold be the USNRC) to utilize a radionuclide such as polonium 210, however in Russia, or other country with lesser control of such materials (I read where Russia exports about one thousand grams of Polonium 210 per year), obtaining the isotope would probably be fairly easy for anyone in the manufacturing infrastructure. The delivery mechanism of such a weapon is much more instructional or informational than the weapon itself. The handling, by an expert, would imply a certain regard for "Clean" treatment, i.e., to deliver without spreading about. The traces should be nothing other than the excretion of Litvinenko's body burden, the traces shouldn't indicate anything of the weapon deliverer, unless handled by a moron, which apparently was the case, or someone attempting to appear amateurish, based upon the current litter of polonium spread about London. Polonium 210 has a 138 day half life, so the forensics are very important and should tell whether the traces are from the same source as had come from Litvinenko or some other, different, source. These pieces seem to indicate that this is a conspiracy to place the blame on the FSB or Putin. If the FSB had executed Litvinenko, it should have been handled with a little more finesse. The use of Polonium as a weapon could only be a means of identifying the source as being of a very select few, which would seem to be a set-up. The fact that the polonium was spread about seems to indicate amateur theatrics. Are you the same Peter McKenna who (with wife) helped me take photos in Dealey Plaza a number of years ago? Jack [Are you the same Peter McKenna who (with wife) helped me take photos in Dealey Plaza a number of years ago? Jack I lived in the Dallas area (Granbury, Texas) from 1988 through 1992. I don't remember taking pictures in Dealey Plaza, but could have. I didn't spend very m uch time in Dallas. Peter McKenna

I would comment on the editorial statement made that a “special designer pill” could have been manufactured for the poisoning of Mr. Litvinenko, that this is probably far fetched. This material would best be handled by being placed in a solution of water or other liquid, as this would make it much easier to control, and probably delivered via syringe or similar delivery method. You have to ask yourself, “How would I do it?” I read many years ago, that it was standard KGB tradecraft to have a syringe loaded with the weapon (a poison of some kind) under a coat or newspaper, and then to deliver it in a crowd, typically at a crowded airport, restaurant, etc. This technique was repeated through many works, Suverov, maybe Grushenko, being quoted by Angleton, or some such (I can't remember, it has been many years). I do remember reading this bit of tradecraft in an old compendium of Intel tradecraft ‘dirty tricks’. The mark wouldn’t suspect anything other than what would probably feel like a pinch or scratch, when delivered by expert hands. And yes, polonium 210 in solution, in a syringe, would be undetectable as it is a major alpha emitter only. Polonium 210 is a fairly easily obtained radionuclide used in the manufacture of static eliminators (like in removing static charge from fabric in manufacture). The polonium is atomized and cast into ceramic nodules, such that it is rendered harmless. Typically a license for use of an isotope must be granted (in the US this wold be the USNRC) to utilize a radionuclide such as polonium 210, however in Russia, or other country with lesser control of such materials (I read where Russia exports about one thousand grams of Polonium 210 per year), obtaining the isotope would probably be fairly easy for anyone in the manufacturing infrastructure. The delivery mechanism of such a weapon is much more instructional or informational than the weapon itself. The handling, by an expert, would imply a certain regard for "Clean" treatment, i.e., to deliver without spreading about. The traces should be nothing other than the excretion of Litvinenko's body burden, the traces shouldn't indicate anything of the weapon deliverer, unless handled by a moron, which apparently was the case, or someone attempting to appear amateurish, based upon the current litter of polonium spread about London. Polonium 210 has a 138 day half life, so the forensics are very important and should tell whether the traces are from the same source as had come from Litvinenko or some other, different, source. These pieces seem to indicate that this is a conspiracy to place the blame on the FSB or Putin. If the FSB had executed Litvinenko, it should have been handled with a little more finesse. The use of Polonium as a weapon could only be a means of identifying the source as being of a very select few, which would seem to be a set-up. The fact that the polonium was spread about seems to indicate amateur theatrics.

I am 51 Years old, born 7/17/1955. I am a mechanical system engineer working in the energy industry 30 some years now. I have read many works concerning the Intel field, mostly history, of the KGB, GRU, Mossad, MI-5, MI-6, CIA, OSS, etc., as well as fiction, non-fiction history, quantum physics, etc.; I read as a hobby, am self educated (no college degree). I am married and a father of 5, and live in Destrehan, La., USA. I grew up in the US, New York, California, Africa (Liberia ~3years, Morocco), Europe, and have worked around the US in many states.