things aren't always as they seem

I find it hard to believe that Putin is bumping off his critics in spectacular, newsworthy ways. In light of all the mainstream news articles convicting Putin of murder without a shred of evidence, here's an article providing some interesting counterpoint. Excerpts:

MOSCOW, Russia- Despite a penned letter accusing Russian president Vladimir Putin of murder from the victim himself, poisoned former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, new theories are being presented.

The pro-government media and key emigres outside of Russia are posing the idea that a bitter domestic power struggle also responsible for the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya last month was the culprit.

The theory is gaining in credibility with opponents of President Vladimir Putin living abroad and some of his supporters inside England and Russia.

Reuters reports that "Litvinenko, an ex-KGB spy, died in London on Thursday night after a three-week agony as his hair fell out, his body wasted away and internal organs failed. Doctors found traces of polonium 210, a deadly radioactive substance, in his body."

"We hate Putin. The man is loathsome. But he is not stupid enough to have ordered the death of Litvinenko in such a slow and public way," an influential anonymous Russian emigre told Reuters.

"The people who carried out this killing planned it extremely well," he added. "They knew that Litvinenko would die slowly and painfully and that this would cause a big outcry. If Putin had wanted to kill Litvinenko, do you really believe he would do it like this?..."

..."These are well-orchestrated plans to discredit the Russian state and its leadership."

Read the rest.