Gary Aitkenhead, the chief executive of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down, Wiltshire, said it had not proved it was created in Russia.
Aitkenhead confirmed the substance required “extremely sophisticated methods to create something probably only in the capabilities of a state actor”.
The comments are bound to be seized on by Russia, which insists it was not behind the attack and claims the British government’s accusations that it is behind it are a provocation.
„probably only in the capabilities of a state actor”? So what is known for certain is that the toxin was probably created by a state? Will this be the story that Americans will be talking about for the next couple weeks?
„The comments are bound to be seized on by Russia“? Why wouldn’t the comments „be seized on“ by everybody on earth who’s been reading about the expulsion of Russian diplomats?
Aitkenhead would not comment on whether the laboratory had developed or kept stocks of novichok, but dismissed the suggestion from Russia that the agent used to poison the Skripals could have come from Porton Down.
“There is no way anything like that could have come from us or left the four walls of our facility,” said Aitkenhead.
Would that be like suggesting anthrax from Fort Detrick, Maryland killed five people after 9/11?
