The bloody trail leads to Moscow

Traces of a radioactive substance have been found on two British Airways planes at Heathrow Airport, says BA. The planes, plus a third in Moscow, are being tested as part of the probe into the death from radiation poisoning of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko.

This puts a small crimp in the theory of Independent's vultures, doesn't it? Unless we assume that colonel Litvinenko a) flew to Moscow himself, which for him, being a defector from FSB, is not a simple venture; and b) obtained there a quantity of polonium sufficient for the suicide.

The dates of the BA flights published here are of high significance: the first one on the list is very close to the date when Litvinenko fell ill.

So the source of the poison is known by now. The only question is whether the murder was carried out by a "rogue" (or, in plain words, deniable) thug for hire or a plain good ole FSB thug.

Not that there is a big difference, I would say...

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