Disinfo: British lab untrustworthy or complicit

Summary

Porton Down is mired in controversy, among other things growing cannabis and harbouring aliens.

Disproof

No evidence given. Many competing and contradictory stories promulgated by Russian state-controlled media. euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=sergei+skripal&disinfo_issue=&date=, Porton Down, which is Britain's military research base, have not done tests with nerve agents since 1989, but are still able to identify these toxins in order to protect British civilians and troops from attacks www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-43335148/porton-down-britain-s-secret-research-facility, . The lab is an Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) designated laboratory run by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Chemical and Biological Systems. theconversation.com/what-we-know-about-novichok-the-newby-nerve-agents-linked-to-russia-93264, . For information about the lab, and debunks for other conspiracy theories about it, see information from the UK Government www.gov.uk/government/news/the-truth-about-porton-down, . Further debunking by Julia Davis twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/971924556423356416, .

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 101
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 08/03/2018
  • Outlet language(s) English
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: UK
  • Keywords: Sergei Skripal, Russia Today (RT), Chemical weapons/attack
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Disinfo: Skripal poisoning: Provocation by the West before the Russian presidential elections

What happened to Mr Skripal: many people said that it would happen, that there will be a provocation [by the West] before the Russian elections, claiming that Russian secret services killed or poisoned somebody.

Disproof

Conspiracy theory, no evidence given. Many competing and contradictory stories promulgated by Russian state-controlled media. euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=sergei+skripal&disinfo_issue=&date=, The toxin was identified as a nerve agent at Porton Down, which is Britain's military research base. They have not done tests with nerve agents since 1989, but are still able to identify these toxins, in order to protect British civilians and troops from attacks http://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-43335148/porton-down-britain-s-secret-research-facility. The nerve agent has been identified as Novichok (which means newcomer in Russian). It is known to be more powerful than VX and was developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s https://www.voanews.com/a/british-prime-minister-russia-poisoning-spy/4294683.html. It's so unusual, that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with it and no country outside of Russia is known to have developed the substance https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/13/europe/what-is-novichok-nerve-agent-intl/index.html British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday a “military-grade nerve agent” known to have been developed by Russia was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and that her government has concluded it is “highly likely” Moscow was responsible. “Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country or the Russian government lost control of this catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others,” she said.

Disinfo: The reports of Western media on the Skripal poisoning are propaganda to justify sanctions against Russia

These provocations [like linking Sergei Skripal’s death to Russia] are for internal use. They [the West, first of all the UK] should explain to their citizens, why sanctions are being imposed, why the Russians are presented as fools and why this whole bacchanalia continues in all the media.

Disproof

Many competing and contradictory stories promulgated by Russian state-controlled media. euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=sergei+skripal&disinfo_issue=&date=, The sanctions were imposed on Russia because of the annexation of Crimea. Accusations of anti-Russian propaganda aimed at the Western audience are typical for pro-Kremlin disinformation, see euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=russophobia&disinfo_issue=&date=, , euvsdisinfo.eu/russia-as-a-victim-of-western-aggression/, and euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=&disinfo_issue=&disinfo_keywords%5B%5D=77369&date=, As for Sergei Skripal: The toxin was identified as a nerve agent at Porton Down, which is Britain's military research base. They have not done tests with nerve agents since 1989, but are still able to identify these toxins, in order to protect British civilians and troops from attacks http://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-43335148/porton-down-britain-s-secret-research-facility. The nerve agent has been identified as Novichok (which means newcomer in Russian). It is known to be more powerful than VX and was developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s https://www.voanews.com/a/british-prime-minister-russia-poisoning-spy/4294683.html. It's so unusual, that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with it and no country outside of Russia is known to have developed the substance https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/13/europe/what-is-novichok-nerve-agent-intl/index.html British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday a “military-grade nerve agent” known to have been developed by Russia was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and that her government has concluded it is “highly likely” Moscow was responsible. “Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country or the Russian government lost control of this catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others,” she said.

Disinfo: It was Britain that experimented with nerve agent

Porton Down, where the Brits were experimenting with the same types of nerve agents, is located next door to where Skripal and his daughter were found.

Disproof

Conspiracy theory, no evidence given. Many competing and contradictory stories promulgated by Russian state-controlled media. euvsdisinfo.eu/disinformation-cases/?text=sergei+skripal&disinfo_issue=&date=, The toxin was identified as a nerve agent at Porton Down, which is Britain's military research base. They have not done tests with nerve agents since 1989, but are still able to identify these toxins, in order to protect British civilians and troops from attacks www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-43335148/porton-down-britain-s-secret-research-facility, . The nerve agent has been identified as Novichok (which means newcomer in Russian). It is known to be more powerful than VX and was developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s www.voanews.com/a/british-prime-minister-russia-poisoning-spy/4294683.html, . It's so unusual, that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with it and no country outside of Russia is known to have developed the substance edition.cnn.com/2018/03/13/europe/what-is-novichok-nerve-agent-intl/index.html, , theconversation.com/what-we-know-about-novichok-the-newby-nerve-agents-linked-to-russia-93264, . British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday a “military-grade nerve agent” known to have been developed by Russia was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and that her government has concluded it is “highly likely” Moscow was responsible. “Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country or the Russian government lost control of this catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others,” she said. Further debunking by Julia Davis twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/971924556423356416, .