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Originally Posted by Uncle Peter
Well if Putin and the FSB are behind this it'll probably be his final mistake.
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If only. Putin's increasingly becoming a loose cannon.
Upside? Downside? What Putin views as an 'upside' probably isn't what we'd consider rational or in the best interest of ordinary Russians. So this guy wasn't a major threat to Putin but then neither was Litvinenko and that didn't stop Russian agents using polonium 210 to murder him in London. It's laughable to think Putin knew nothing about that even if he didn't give a direct order. Murders like this send a very clear message to anyone who'd dare to oppose Putin and they've been happening for years.
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Violent deaths of Putin opponents
April 2003 - Liberal politician Sergey Yushenkov assassinated near his Moscow home
July 2003 - Investigative journalist Yuri Shchekochikhin died after 16-day mysterious illness
July 2004 - Forbes magazine Russian editor Paul Klebnikov shot from moving car on Moscow street, died later in hospital
October 2006 - Investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya shot dead outside her Moscow apartment
November 2006 - Former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko died nearly three weeks after drinking tea laced with polonium in London hotel
March 2013 - Boris Berezovsky, former Kremlin power broker turned Putin critic, found dead in his UK home
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31669061
Then we have:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Magnitsky
Who was detained, tortured and eventually died in custody.
What was the upside in that I wonder?
What we have in Russia is a rogue state led by people who're now playing a very dangerous game.