John Chuckman
COMMENT POSTED TO A REUTERS ARTICLE IN CBC NEWS
“Russia warned not to use people as 'pawns' as ex-U.S. marine born in Canada held on spying charges
U.K. 'extremely worried' about Ottawa-born former marine Paul Whelan
"Individuals should not be used as pawns of diplomatic leverage [or] being used in diplomatic chess games,"
I don't think there is a more ridiculous government on earth than the present British government.
In virtually everything it does, from two years of Brexit fiasco to the Skripal Affair, it makes itself look silly.
I am not in a position to judge, but an article I read about Paul Whelan’s case said he was caught red-handed by FSB agents with a list of the employees of a Russian secret agency. They were on some electronic memory device such as a memory stick.
Mr Whelan also has a long history of visits to Russia in his capacity as head of international security for a large American corporation. The FSB has said that some of his behavior over that time was unusual and rather suggestive. A background in the American military only adds to the mix.
If those are indeed the facts, there is nothing unusual in Russia’s arrest. It is what security agencies do, everywhere, if they have strong suspicions and, indeed, evidence.
For the government that gave us the Skripal Affair to say this is laughable. That case of asserted, but totally unproved, poisoning represents the very height of diplomatic games. The “victims,” to this day, have not been allowed to talk to anyone. They are not even seen. Russian relatives have not been able to visit. They have not been granted any consular services (in contrast to Whelan who was quickly granted consular services), despite many requests by Russia’s government. Yet the British government saw fit on such a flimsy basis to create a major diplomatic incident.
AFTERNOTE:
An intriguing fact about Paul Whelan has just been revealed.
He apparently holds at least four citizenships – British, American, Irish, and Canadian.
So, he has more passports than James Bond.
