VARIOUS: Radiation found on planes in UK spy probe

Britain is monitoring five planes for radiation in an ever widening probe into the poisoning of a former Russian spy that has heightened tensions with Moscow. British Airways (BA) said three aircraft had been taken out of service as part of the probe. All had flown between Moscow and London, and one is still in Moscow. The airline said "very low traces" of a radioactive substance had been found on the two planes being held in London. Many passengers travelling to Moscow on British Airways from London's Heathrow Airport on Thursday (November 30) said they felt there was no risk in travelling. "They've assured me that that's all fine. So I'm not going to think about that when I am on the flight," said one woman bound for the Russian capital. Another couple said: "We're confident that BA wouldn't let us fly if we, they have already scanned the planes they've found everything that was there and it has been cleaned up and it was such small amount anyway," The Kremlin and Russia's foreign spy service have denied any involvement in the death of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy who became an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Litvinenko, who became a British citizen while living in London, died in London a week ago after being poisoned with radioactive polonium 210. At the opening of Mr Litvinenko's inquest in London on Thursday, his close friend Alex Goldfarb said the discovery of radioactivity on the BA flights further reinforced his suspicion that Moscow was behind the poisoning "This kind of reinforces the theory that the origin of this material that killed Alexander is in Moscow," Goldfarb said as he left the Coroner's Court hearing. The inquest has been has been adjourned pending further scientific research to be carried out by police investigating Litvinenko's death. A post mortem will be carried out on Friday (December 1). British Home Secretary John Reid told parliament on Thursday that radioactive traces had been found at 12 out of 24 locations being checked by police and pledged there would be no political barriers to the probe. He also said investigators would be likely to search more locations. "Police continue to trace possible witnesses and to examine Mr Litvinenko's movements at relevant times. It is probable of the investigation will continue to bring additional locations to attention for screening," Reid told parliament. Reid said scientists were monitoring a fourth aircraft for possible contamination. The plane, a Boeing 737 leased by the Russian carrier Transaero, arrived at London's Heathrow airport on Thursday morning, he said. Transaero spokesman Sergei Bykhal said the plane was being held in Britain for checks and that the company would cooperate fully with any official body. Reid said Britain was also interested in a fifth plane -- a Russian aircraft -- and there could be more involved. The announcement about the planes and their destinations could rekindle suspicions of a Moscow link to the death of Litvinenko, who himself accused Putin of ordering his murder. Reid told parliament that Moscow had promised cooperation to the "highest level" and that British police would use all the powers they needed to search planes. "There certainly will be no political prohibition on the police following where the evidence leads them," he said. In Britain, thousands of BA passengers sought health reassurances from the airline after the announcement. BA says the risk to health is low. But it faces a huge task tracing the 33,000 passengers who used the planes over a five-week period. It has set up helplines to give guidance to them. Reid said Britain would contact the governments of every country where the planes may have landed.

ITN Source | November 30, 2006

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