Death of a Dissident: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB

385 Pages·2007·1.88 MB·English

by  Alex Goldfarb

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Copyright © 2007 by Alexander Goldfarb and Marina Litvinenko All rights
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Goldfarb, Alexander.
Death of a dissident: the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the return of the
KBG / Alex Goldfarb; with Marina Litvinenko.
p. cm.
1. Litvinenko, Alexander, 1962-2006. 2. Dissenters—Russia (Federation)—
Biography. 3. Federal’naia sluzhba bezopasnosti Rossii. 4. Political crimes and
offenses—Russia (Federation) 5. Russia (Federation)—Politics and government
—1991-I. Litvinenko, Marina, 1962-II. Title.
DK510. 766.L58G65 2007
327.12470092—dc22
[B] 2007012510
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-5165-2
ISBN-10: 1-4165-5165-4
eISBN-13: 978-1-416-56076-0
To Sasha
CONTENTS
Cast of Characters
Author’s Note
PART I:
THE MAKING OF A DISSIDENT
1. Asylum
2. The Strange Major
PART II:
THE STRUGGLE FOR THE KREMLIN
3. The Robber Baron
4. The Davos Pact
PART III:
THE DRUMBEATS OF WAR
5. The Rebels
6. The Plotters
7. The Whistle-blowers
PART IV:
THE MAKING OF A PRESIDENT
(Russian-Style)
8. The Loyalist
9. The Victors
10. The Fugitives
PART V:
THE RETURN OF THE KGB
11. The Exiles
12. The Sleuths
13. The Quarry
14. The “Tiny Nuclear Bomb”
15. The Hall of Mirrors
Acknowledgments
Index
CAST OF CHARACTERS
THE SPIES
Barsukov, Mikhail Ivanovich, director of the FSB (1995-1996) Khokholkov,
Evgeny Grigorievich, head of the FSB’s Division of Operations against
Criminal Organizations (URPO) Kovalev, Nikolai Dmitrievich, director of the
FSB (1996-1998) Trofimov, Anatoly Vasilievich, Moscow FSB chief (1994-
1997), assassinated in 2005
Volokh, Vyacheslav Ivanovich, head of the FSB’s antiterrorism unit (ATC)
(1993-1998) THE WHISTLE-BLOWERS
Gusak, Alexander Ivanovich, Sasha’s supervisor in URPO
Litvinenko, Alexander Valterovich (Sasha), poisoned in 2006
Ponkin, Andrei Valerievich, Sasha’s second in command
Shebalin, Viktor Vasilievich, member of Sasha’s URPO unit (possibly a mole)
THE OLIGARCHS
Abramovich, Roman Arkadievich (Roma), former partner of Berezovsky, co-
owner of Sibneft Berezovsky, Boris Abramovich, former controlling partner in
ORT television, owner of LogoVAZ and co-owner of Sibneft, deputy secretary
of National Security Council (1996-1997) Gusinsky, Vladimir Alexandrovich
(Goose, Volodya), former owner of NTV television and Most-Bank Potanin,
Vladimir Olegovich, head of Unexim Bank, first deputy prime minister (1996)
THE REFORMERS
Chernomyrdin, Viktor Stepanovich, prime minister (1992-1998) Chubais,
Anatoly Borisovich, first deputy prime minister (1994-1996) Gaidar, Yegor
Timurovich, prime minister (1991-1992)
Malashenko, Igor Evgenievich, founder and former president of NTV
Nemtsov, Boris Yefimovich, first deputy prime minister (1997-1998) Rybkin,
Ivan Petrovich, speaker of the Duma (1994-1996), secretary of National
Security Council (1996-1998), presidential candidate (2004) Soros, George,
American philanthropist
Yeltsin, Boris Nikolaevich, president of the Russian Federation (1991-1999)
Yeltsin, Tatyana Borisovna (Tanya), daughter of Boris
Yumashev, Valentin Borisovich (Valya), journalist, Yeltsin’s chief of staff,
married Tatyana Yeltsin THE AUTOCRATS
Korzhakov, Alexander Ivanovich, head of Yeltsin’s security (FSO) (1991-
1996) Kulikov, Anatoly Sergeevich, minister of the interior (1995-1999)
Lebed, Alexander Ivanovich, chief of Yeltsin’s National Security Council
Primakov, Evgeny Maksimovich (Primus), foreign minister (1996-1998);
prime minister (1998-1999) Skuratov, Yuri Ilyich, prosecutor general (1995-
1999)
Voloshin, Alexander Stalievich, Putin’s chief of staff (1999-2003)
THE REBELS
Dudayev, Dzhokhar, first president of Chechnya (1991-1996), assassinated
Maskhadov, Aslan, third president of Chechnya (1997-2005), killed in a raid
Udugov, Movladi, Islamist leader, member of Dudayev and Maskhadov
governments, in exile since 1999
Yandarbiyev, Zelimkhan, second president of Chechnya (1996-1997),
assassinated Zakayev, Akhmed, minister of culture, foreign minister, in exile
since 2002
THE TERRORISTS
Barayev, Arbi, warlord, killed in 2001
Barayev, Movsar, leader of Moscow theater siege, killed in 2002
Basayev, Shamil, warlord, killed in 2006
Gochiyayev, Achemez, suspect in Moscow apartment bombings, denies