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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/08/us-russia-sanctions-nerve-agent-attack-salisbury
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| US to impose sanctions against Russia over nerve agent attack | US to impose sanctions against Russia over nerve agent attack |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The United States will impose sanctions on Russia for its use of a nerve agent in an attempt to kill a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain. | The United States will impose sanctions on Russia for its use of a nerve agent in an attempt to kill a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain. |
| The state department says Wednesday the sanctions will be imposed on Russia because it used a chemical weapon in violation of international law. | The state department says Wednesday the sanctions will be imposed on Russia because it used a chemical weapon in violation of international law. |
| Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned by Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent, in the British town of Salisbury in March. | Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned by Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent, in the British town of Salisbury in March. |
| Novichok refers to a group of nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 80s to elude international restrictions on chemical weapons. Like other nerve agents, they are organophosphate compounds, but the chemicals used to make them, and their final structures, are considered classified in the UK, the US and other countries. | Novichok refers to a group of nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 80s to elude international restrictions on chemical weapons. Like other nerve agents, they are organophosphate compounds, but the chemicals used to make them, and their final structures, are considered classified in the UK, the US and other countries. |
| The most potent of the novichok substances are considered to be more lethal than VX, the most deadly of the familiar nerve agents, which include sarin, tabun and soman. | The most potent of the novichok substances are considered to be more lethal than VX, the most deadly of the familiar nerve agents, which include sarin, tabun and soman. |
| While the novichok agents work in a similar way, by massively over-stimulating muscles and glands, one chemical weapons expert said the agents did not degrade fast in the environment and had 'an additional toxicity that was not well understood. Treatment for novichok exposure would be the same as for other nerve agents, namely with atropine, diazepam and potentially drugs called oximes. | While the novichok agents work in a similar way, by massively over-stimulating muscles and glands, one chemical weapons expert said the agents did not degrade fast in the environment and had 'an additional toxicity that was not well understood. Treatment for novichok exposure would be the same as for other nerve agents, namely with atropine, diazepam and potentially drugs called oximes. |
| The chemical structures of novichok agents were made public in 2008 by Vil Mirzayanov, a former Russian scientist living in the US, but the structures have never been publicly confirmed. It is thought they can be made in different forms, including as a dust aerosol. | The chemical structures of novichok agents were made public in 2008 by Vil Mirzayanov, a former Russian scientist living in the US, but the structures have never been publicly confirmed. It is thought they can be made in different forms, including as a dust aerosol. |
| The novichoks are known as binary agents because they only become lethal after mixing two otherwise harmless components. According to Mirzayanov, they are 10 to 100 times more toxic than conventional nerve agents. | The novichoks are known as binary agents because they only become lethal after mixing two otherwise harmless components. According to Mirzayanov, they are 10 to 100 times more toxic than conventional nerve agents. |
| While laboratories that are used to police chemical weapons incidents have databases of nerve agents, few outside Russia are believed to have full details of the novichok compounds and the chemicals needed to make them. | While laboratories that are used to police chemical weapons incidents have databases of nerve agents, few outside Russia are believed to have full details of the novichok compounds and the chemicals needed to make them. |
| Britain has accused Russia of being behind the attack, which the Kremlin vehemently denies. | Britain has accused Russia of being behind the attack, which the Kremlin vehemently denies. |
| Since the March attack, two other British nationals with no ties to Russia have been poisoned by the substance. Dawn Sturgess, 44, died in July after handling an item contaminated with the nerve agent on 30 June. Her partner Charlie Rowley, 45, was also taken ill after being exposed to the nerve agent. | Since the March attack, two other British nationals with no ties to Russia have been poisoned by the substance. Dawn Sturgess, 44, died in July after handling an item contaminated with the nerve agent on 30 June. Her partner Charlie Rowley, 45, was also taken ill after being exposed to the nerve agent. |
| Following a 15-day congressional notification period, the sanctions will take effect on or around 22 August, according to a statement from the state department. | Following a 15-day congressional notification period, the sanctions will take effect on or around 22 August, according to a statement from the state department. |
| “The United States ... determined under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) that the government of the Russian Federation has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law, or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals,” state department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. | “The United States ... determined under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act) that the government of the Russian Federation has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law, or has used lethal chemical or biological weapons against its own nationals,” state department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. |
| The news came as Republican US Senator Rand Paul said he had delivered a letter from Donald Trump to Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, proposing cooperation. | |
| As the Guardian revealed this week, the British government is poised to submit an extradition request to Moscow for two Russians suspected of carrying out the Salisbury nerve agent attack. | |
| More details soon… | More details soon… |
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| Sergei Skripal | Sergei Skripal |
| Europe | Europe |
| Chemical weapons | Chemical weapons |
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