2018-08-08
46 分钟Welcome to LSEIQ,
a podcast from the London School of Economics and Political Science where we ask leading social scientists and other experts to answer an intelligent question about economics,
politics or society.
The poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Julia in Salisbury shocked the world.
It was the first use of a military grade nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War.
Britain was convinced from the start that Russia was behind the attack but the Kremlin repeatedly denied any involvement.
It even suggested that British intelligence was responsible.
Russia was already under punitive sanctions imposed by the US and EU
for annexing Crimea and backing separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.
The attack on the Skripals led to the biggest ever Western expulsion of Russian diplomats.
Then Dawn Sturgis, a Salisbury mother of three,
died after spraying herself with a discarded perfume bottle found by her partner.
It contained Novichok, the same type of nerve agent used in the Skripal attack.
Shortly after, detectives announced they had identified several Russian suspects using CCTV and airline passenger lists.
In this episode of LSEIQ, Joanna Bale asks, are we entering a new Cold War?
Julia Skripal looked remarkably healthy in her first TV interview following her recovery from an attack with a deadly nerve agent.
The only visible sign of her ordeal was what appeared to be a tracheostomy scar across the front of her neck.
Here's an ITV news report of what she said.
Looking surprisingly well considering her close brush with death,
Julia Skripal said she was interrupting her rehabilitation because there were things she wanted to say.