Was Spy Murdered in Russian Power Fight?

Alexander Litvinenko’s death by radioactive polonium 210 was unusual enough. But the long and agonizing death also gave the former KGB spy time to issue a public accusation against Russian President Vladmir Putin for murder. Litvinenko had been investigating the death of a journalist long critical of the Putin administration. The reach from one country into another for investigations as well as gruesome murders created a “who done it” of global proportions, triggering international debate about whether Putin would ruthlessly destroy a critic or Putin’s enemies would use his critics as pawns. Putin’s term as president ends in 2008, and the murders could be the result of factions jockeying for power. Any motive behind the deaths, whether they were intended to silence criticism of Putin or intensify it, remains a mystery that can only contribute to instability in Russia. – YaleGlobal