The Italian Job ... spaghetti trails

Mario Scaramella a professor at the University of Naples, was a consultant to the Mitrokhin commission (1)an Italian Parliamentary commission of inquiry into KGB spy recruitment which was was headed by journalist Paolo Guzzanti - and remarkably (?) a senator from former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia and fount of wisdom and icon of probity and Truth.A surprising view of commission members was that Romano Prodi was the "Kremlin's man in the EU and Rome".


Corriere della Sera quotes Scaramella today' about Litvinov (with whom he shared the sushi) "He was killed because of everything he knew."

Adding darkly "It can all be found now in the documents of the Mitrokhin commission,"

Asked by the paper if he wanted police protection, Scaramella said: "I'm not asking for anything. But there is no doubt it was the Kremlin. And as I am the only one to have collected all his information..." He left the statement unfinished.

They also quote KGB turncoat and London resident "007" Oleg Gordievsky " Litvinov become the victim of the vendetta and the badness of these forces"(2)

The Guardian today publishes what is supposed to be the e-mails that Scaramella showed to Litvinov as he chewed on his sushi.

"All SVR (Russian foreign intelligence service) officers are sure that PG (journalist Paolo Guzzanti) and MS (Scaramella) still live closely with 'enemy No 1 of Russia' -- (self-exiled oligarch) Boris Berezovsky and his 'companion-in-arms' -- first of all A. Litvinenko," one read.

"Russian intelligence officers speak more and more about necessity to use force again PG and MS, considering their 'incessant anti-Russian activities' -- as well as against Berezovsky and Litvinenko."

Well, there you go Guv. Bang to rights. e-mail. printed off. Know what I mean. Totally unforgeable. Totally. Know what I mean. (If only we had Mrs Jowell's husband handy to put all this into flawless Italian).

Not to be outshone by Scaramella, Guzzanti breathlessly tells La Stampa : "I have no doubt that the current Russian secret services ... are behind this murder and not only this one."

"Litvinenko was their third victim.The first was general Anatoly Trofimov, former deputy chief of the FSB, who was killed in front of his house in 2005 because he was Litvinenko's superior,"The second was (journalist) Anna Politkovskaya, who had strong ties to Alexander (Litvinenko) and who had denounced the involvement of Putin's secret services in the war in Chechnya,"

Guzzanti, whose commission completed its inquiry without reaching any definite conclusions, said Litvinenko's cooperation wiht the probe "confirmed that the biggest community of Russian agents in the world lives and work in Italy".

"The Cold War has never ended," he added. "Today we are seeing a conflict between Russia and the West whose consequences are unpredictable."


(1) Vasili Mitrokhin was a KGB archivist who had access to papers which went to the heart of Soviet espionage activity during the Cold War. He defected to the UK in 1992 - The Mitrokhin commission was charged with it's re-examination due to references in the late Pope's memoirs that Leaders of the former Soviet Union were behind the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in 1981.

Guzzanti said the commission had photographic evidence that Sergei Antonov, a Bulgarian cleared of conspiracy at the 1986 trial, was in St Peter’s Square with Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca, when the Pope was shot.Yeah.Wow.

(2) Whilst struggling with Dame Eliza Manningham - Buller's corset one memorable afternoon , she apprised Lord Patel that Gordievsky was seduced by the portrayal of 007 by Fleming that the UK SIS were men of honour and would protect him when he defected.

...and finally


Talking about political intrigue - Have a look at this curious video on Corriere - Rock Steady by All Saints which features curiously Benito Berlusconi and robbing banks.Black & White. Explanation here.

Very entertaining.

Andrei Lugovoi, like Litvinov an ex(?) FSB spy tells the Moscow News that he met his friend briefly (20-30 mins) at the Millenium Hotel and has nothing to do with his death. ...the "What me Guv?" defence often used by Boris Berezovsky - seen here with our Dear Leader - not to suggest that TB provides cover for BB or is even a friend, whose wife's chambers (e.g his extradition to Russia - Clare Montgomery/ Alun Jones) sometimes do work for him - No. No. They just happened to be in the same place at the same time as a photographer. Zhirinovsky is a fucking liar says Tony.

BB (friend of football genius Mr Abramov) is a very, very, seriously, very rich man. He has not got a knighthood. Yet.

For yet more absolutely crazy conspiracy theories go here .... who thinks Baloneyium-210 is one the rarest minerals on Earth.

..and finally the world waits with bated breath for Clark of the Yard to speak ... you can bet he'll have "sound evidence" ...... get the shooters out Carter!

SUNDAY UPDATE

News of the World has more of this bollix here Xymphora of course raises the argument for self inflicted poisoning.

MONDAY UPDATE 27TH Nov

The Daily Mail today has the usual confusing tale,Scaramella has told of a KGB "hit man" tall, with a limp (lipmp what ?), darl, small, thin , fat, black eye patch, parrot no doubt ... and surprise, quelle surprise Plod is jetting off to Italy to speka to him. A Policeman's lot is not a nappy one - especially the one off to Moscow to interview the SRV SVR, whatever, the Russian killers.