The news coverage reads like the beginning of an Ian Fleming novel.
Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent convicted of spying for Britain, is lying critically ill in a U.K. hospital after he and his daughter were exposed to an “unknown substance” on Sunday.
Skripal, 66, a retired colonel who was convicted by Russian authorities in 2006 of spying for MI6, was part of a 2010 “spy swap” between the U.S. and Russia, similar to the one depicted in the 2015 film Bridge of Spies, starring Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance.
Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia Skripal, are now both fighting for their lives after they were discovered unconscious on a bench at a shopping center in Salisbury, England. Skripal’s wife, son and older brother have all died in the past two years, the BBC reports.
The big story here in Britain right now is the attempted assassination last week of Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy. Mr. Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were found unconscious and deathly ill on a park bench in Salisbury last Wednesday. Both remain in hospital in critical condition.
In a press conference on Monday, British Prime Minister Theresa May said that Skripal and his daughter had been poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent (developed by the Soviets in the 1970s) and that it was “highly likely” that the Russian government was responsible. (Also on Monday, Nikolai Glushkov, a wealthy Russian businessman and noted Putin critic exiled in the UK, was found dead in his London home. Glushkov was reported to have had “strangulation marks” on his neck.)
Yesterday, May announced that Britain would expel 23 Russian diplomats and it would not send government officials or members of the royal family to Russia this summer for the World Cup.
Luke Harding wrote in the Guardian yesterday (the Guardian!) about the prime minister’s incredibly “modest” response: “Nothing May has announced is likely to deter Putin from future adventures similar to what happened in Salisbury. Justly or not, he will interpret May’s remarks on Wednesday as proof of what he concluded long ago: THAT BRITAIN IS LACKING IN ALLIES AND WEAK” (emphasis added).
Harding is right, but the issue here is larger than just Theresa May. There is a major problem with the manner in which British authorities and much of Britain’s media is perceiving, reporting and responding to Russia’s attempted assassination of a resident on British soil. This is generally being perceived more as a political or diplomatic issue, and not for what it really was. This was an attack on British sovereignty. It shows that the Russians have no respect or fear of Britain. And it reveals a lot about Vladimir Putin’s character and ambitions.
Russia’s attempt to publicly assassinate a man on British soil gives Britain’s leaders and its media a unique opportunity to see Putin up close and personal, to really see Russia’s leader for who he is, and to learn what he thinks about Britain’s sovereignty. It’s also an opportunity for Britain to show Russia where it stands; to draw a line in the sand with Putin.
The Russian government attempted to publicly kill a man and his daughter in broad daylight with a weapon that was easily traced directly to Moscow. Do we really believe Vladimir Putin will refrain from such behavior in the future because Theresa May tossed a few Russian spies out of Britain and declined to send spectators to the World Cup? (England’s team is still participating, by the way.)
The real issue here is the West’s view of Vladimir Putin. British officials and the media refuse to really consider his character, motives, and aspirations. There is a propensity in the West to perceive Putin more as a schoolyard bully than a ruthless tyrant. We tell ourselves he is mischievous and unfriendly, but his behavior is just the result of insecurity. We think that if we ignore him, he will, as Britain’s defense secretary put it this week, “go away and shut up.”
More than a few in the West even admire Putin’s personality and behavior. For many, he’s a fetching anachronism, a holdover from a more traditional, macho, conservative world. He’s the John Wayne of geopolitics, riding the planet, defending the weak, and killing “bad guys.” Many admire Putin because he’s decisive, uncompromising and masculine, the antithesis of the soft, politically correct Western politician. He’s old-fashioned, conservative and pragmatic in a world growing ever more secular, liberal and idealistic.
This perception, as Gerald Flurry and other Trumpet writers have explained for more than 10 years, is naive and dangerous. “This man is not just an authoritarian leader!” wrote Mr. Flurry. “He is an evil, ruthless, vindictive agent with Soviet-style methods of psychological warfare, assassination and war!” Vladimir Putin has led Russia in invading Georgia and Ukraine, he routinely incites trouble and conflict in nations and regions across the plant, he supports the world’s most dangerous regimes and terrorists, and he has destroyed democracy in Russia and murdered hundreds of his own people. Putin is much closer to being a psychopath than a cowboy.
If you haven’t seen it, this compelling video from our “In 90 Seconds” series will introduce you to the true nature of Vladimir Putin.
Finally, if you identify with the point I’ve tried to make here and are concerned about Putin and his impact on Britain and the world, then you really need to study The Prophesied ‘Prince of Russia.’ This booklet explains in detail how Vladimir Putin fulfills a specific Bible prophecy in Ezekiel 38. It contains the most insightful, most important intelligence available on Russia’s president and his role in end-time events. Frankly, it’s the only booklet I’ve read that sees Putin for who he really is.
Brad MacdonaldManaging Editor, theTrumpet.com
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -- Plato (429-347 BC)
"FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM AND LIBERTY"
and is protected speech pursuant to the "unalienable rights" of all men, and the First (and Second) Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, In God we trust
Stand Up To Government Corruption and Hypocrisy
NEVER FORGET THE SACRIFICES
BY OUR VETERANS Note: We at The Friends Of Liberty cannot make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information.
Don't forget to follow the Friends Of Liberty on Facebook and our Page also Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr and Google Plus PLEASE help spread the word by sharing our articles on your favorite social networks.
LibertygroupFreedom 
The Friends Of Liberty is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with the mission to Educate, protect and defend individual freedoms and individual rights.
Support the Trump Presidency and help us fight Liberal Media Bias. Please LIKE and SHARE this story on Facebook or Twitter.
WE THE PEOPLE
TOGETHER WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
Join The Resistance and Share This Article Now!
TOGETHER WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
Help us spread the word about Friends Of Liberty Blog we're reaching millions help us reach millions more.
Help us spread the word about Friends Of Liberty Blog we're reaching millions help us reach millions more.
Please SHARE this now! The Crooked Liberal Media will hide and distort the TRUTH. It’s up to us, Trump social media warriors, to get the truth out. If we don’t, no one will!
Share this story on Facebook and let us know because we want to hear YOUR voice!
‼️️ ♻️ PLEASE SHARE ♻️ ‼️️
No comments:
Post a Comment