Well Beyond Unnerving: The Poisoning of a British Citizen by Russian Agents

 

Photo Credit: Leader-Telegraph

The use of nerve agents against Russians-turned-citizens-of-democracies touches me personally.  In the mid-1980s, I served as the first Russian-speaking staff member and first Program Director at The Jamestown Foundation which worked to acculturate high-ranking Soviet and East European defectors into American society after their C.I.A debriefings. I was the point person for these brave men and women who lived under death sentences from the former USSR working to bring their insights to academics, policymakers, the press and concerned citizens by bringing forward their books, speeches, media appearances and Congressional testimonies.  As well, I worked with them to become United States citizens and live as openly and productively in our free society as possible for their circumstances and the realities of the Cold War.  We lost not one.  Now, at least in Europe, citizenship in a democracy is no longer an understood "hands off" to Russian operatives.  And the assassination methods are grotesque.  For the bigger picture of Putin's mob boss methods and crime syndicates, the following is a must read from Dr. Stephen J. Blank:

 

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/from-russia-with-hate

Lisa Bernard is the President of SecuritySpeak, LLC, a consulting firm devoted to matters of security and crisis management. Experts in these areas offer briefings, talks and distinguished lectures to audiences of all types working to bring analyses and understanding of security matters to people in all walks of life. (203) 293-4741. www.SecuritySpeak.net.