Former Counter-Terrorism Chief Considered Skripal Poisoning an ‘Act of War’

A past head of counter-terrorism operations has recounted his initial consideration that the poisoning of a former intelligence agent and his child might constitute “an act of war.” Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy, along with his daughter Yulia, encountered the lethal nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury during March 2018. Neil Basu, who was in charge of the counter-terrorism inquiry, stated that the “true horror” of the “colourless and odourless” toxin stemmed from the inability to inform the public or identify its presence. During an exclusive interview featured on the BBC’s Salisbury Poisonings podcast, he remarked: “To leave that lying around anywhere on foreign soil is the most unbelievably reckless disregard for human life I’ve ever witnessed.” Only four months subsequent to this event, Dawn Sturgess, 44, passed away following accidental exposure to Novichok eight miles distant in Amesbury, Wiltshire. The substance was hidden within a perfume bottle that had been presented to her as a gift and held sufficient poison to kill thousands of individuals. Evidence of the chemical weapon was additionally found on the doorknob of Mr Skripal’s residence, a location where law enforcement suspects it was placed during a “targeted” assault. In September 2018, two individuals, thought to be members of Russia’s military intelligence service, were identified as suspects in the attempted murders, and a third suspect was included in 2021. Both the Russian government and the accused individuals have consistently disavowed any participation in the assault. Mr Basu stated that after the Skripals became unwell, the full counter-terrorism unit was placed on heightened alert. He recollects concerns that half of the patrons at Zizzi – the establishment where the two had dined merely two hours prior to their collapse – might abruptly require hospitalization. “One of the things I was thinking was, is this war? You know, is this an act of war?” “You think of a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ as being an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear tipped warhead.” “You don’t think of it being in a perfume tester bottle. We didn’t know what we were looking for.” Upon the announcement of Ms Sturgess’ demise, Mr Basu remembered that the situation “became infinitely more serious because it was now the murder of a British citizen.” He conveyed that the burden of responsibility was “incredibly hard to bear.” “I had to go to the community meeting and explain to Amesbury citizens whether they could feel confident that they wouldn’t be the next victim, and there was no way of giving them 100% reassurance.” “I could tell from the look on their faces that they were utterly terrified.” “One of my responsibilities in charge of counter-terrorism was trying to reduce the fear of it, not just the effect of it. “But how do we give reassurance without causing mass panic?” Public Health England (PHE) issued cautionary guidance after Ms Sturgess’ death, advising that “if you didn’t drop it, then don’t pick it up.” Mr Basu expressed a desire for the advice to have been provided earlier to avert the death of an innocent individual. “The reality of spending any time in national security at any level is that people will die on your watch,” he stated. “What you’ve got to do is try and get justice for the people who died, and to stop it from ever happening again.” “By the time I retired, 42 innocent people were killed on my watch. I’d rather it hadn’t been a single one.” “If you asked me to rate my performance, I would say zero, which I’ve spent a long time trying to come to terms with.” While no one has ever faced charges for the murder of Dawn Sturgess, an arrest warrant was issued in September 2021 for the individuals suspected in the Skripals’ poisonings. Nevertheless, since the Russian constitution prohibits the extradition of its own citizens, formal charges cannot be brought against them unless they attempt to depart the nation. “If you ask for my professional hunch, I think we have the murder weapon and we have the murderers,” Mr Basu further remarked. “If they need anyone to arrest them as they take one foot off the aircraft, I’ll be there to do it.” He also mentioned that a significant concern for him is the possibility of additional Novichok remaining undiscovered. During the initial week of the Novichok investigation, Ms Sturgess’ partner, Charlie Rowley, stated that he needed to cut into packaging with a knife to extract the perfume bottle he subsequently presented to her as a gift. Mr Basu commented: “But the reality is, is because we didn’t know what it was contained in originally, we didn’t know whether it was the only one. “We didn’t know how they got it into the country. And we don’t know how they disposed of it because we don’t know how Charlie Rowley picked it up. And he doesn’t. And, you know, poor man. I mean, I don’t think he ever will.” BBC Sounds: Salisbury Poisonings – Access the complete interview with Neil Basu and stay informed on the most recent developments from the inquiry via our podcast. The episode is available for listening on BBC Sounds. Connect with BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Submit your story concepts to us via email or through WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. 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