Kim Jong-nam case: Mystery of mysterious husband

“We are speculating on speculating” to explain what happened, a disarmament expert said of the killing of a North Korean citizen at Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia.

According to StraitsTimes, more than a month since the North Korean citizen carrying the passport of Kim Chol, but believed to be Kim Jong-nam, the brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was killed in Malaysia, experts are still trying to find a reasonable explanation for the discovery made by Malaysia.

A North Korean citizen carrying a Kim Chol passport, but believed to be Kim Jong-nam, the elder brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was killed in Malaysia.

That is, the nerve agent VX was used to kill Kim Jong-nam. But how could this poison, which is classified by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction, be used without harming anyone, from the attacker to medical staff or other passengers?

So far, Malaysian police have provided almost no forensic evidence related to the murder.

“We make speculations based on speculations” to explain what happened, said Jean-Pascal Zanders, a disarmament expert with expertise in chemical and biological weapons.

Security cameras at Kuala Lumpur airport on February 13 captured two women approaching the 45-year-old victim and apparently pressing a towel against his face. The man believed to be Kim Jong-nam died minutes later, Malaysian police said, adding that traces of VX were found on the victim's face.

The two women, Siti Aisyah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong, 28, have been charged with murder. However, both say they were tricked into taking part in a TV prank. Malaysian police have dismissed the claims but have not provided any evidence to explain why the two women were unharmed after being given the most deadly poison.

Experts remain skeptical about a number of issues surrounding the attack:

Was VX nerve agent really used?

VX is an organic compound containing a phosphate group, capable of attacking the nervous system, causing seizures, heart attacks and respiratory failure. Because it evaporates slowly, this poison can cause poisoning over a long period of time.

Now, experts are skeptical of Malaysia's findings. Simon Cotton, a UK-based scientist and expert in molecular chemistry at the University of Birmingham, said: "I don't understand how the female suspects could have used the deadly VX nerve agent on their victims without suffering life-threatening injuries themselves.

There were also no reports of traces of VX on the cloth or container at the crime scene.".

Not VX poison?

Some experts now theorize that a combination version of VX, VX2, was used in the attack on the North Koreans. In this case, the attacker would have applied two chemicals to the victim’s face. The attacker initially used the less toxic chemical on himself, but it becomes deadly when combined with sulphur. This theory would also explain the use of two women.

"Combining toxins is the easiest explanation," Matthew Meselson,Harvard University professor and advisory board member of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation said.

When the two chemicals combine on Kim's face to create VX, the attacker is left unharmed. Additionally, transporting VX across borders is easy because it is split into two seemingly non-toxic parts.

Does "Kim Jong-nam" have any chance of survival?

While just a drop of VX can kill a person if inhaled, the nerve agent takes longer to penetrate the skin, meaning Kim could still survive if someone injected him with the antidote atropine within minutes.

More simply, Mr. Kim could have washed his face to remove the poison, as the two suspected attackers did - washing their hands immediately after the attack.

"If the victim washes his face or wipes it with paper, the possibility of poisoning will be reduced. He will only get sick, not die," said Harvard University professor Meselson.

According to Vietnamnet.vn