Ceausescu and Wife Exhumed at Family's Request

Seen on: NPR


Ex-Romanian Dictator Ceausescu, Wife Are Exhumed

by The Associated Press

Taking the country by surprise, forensic scientists on Wednesday exhumed what are believed to be the bodies of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena at the request of their children.

Ceausescu ruled Romania for 25 years with an iron fist before being ousted and executed during the 1989 anti-communist revolt in which more than 1,000 people were killed.

Some Romanians doubt that the Ceausescus were really buried in the Ghencea military cemetery in west Bucharest. There is also some nostalgia for the communist period and regrets that the couple was executed on Christmas Day, 1989.

The news of the exhumation, the latest development in a five-year court case, broke as most Romanians were asleep. Officials rapidly closed the cemetery as dozens of journalists began arriving at the gates. A few elderly people wandered around the sprawling cemetery but were kept away from the exhumations by guards.

Ceausescu was toppled Dec. 22, 1989, as Romanians fed up with years of draconian rationing and communist rule revolted. He tried to flee Bucharest by helicopter but his pilot switched sides. After a summary trial, Ceausescu and his wife were executed by a firing squad three days later.

A team of pathologists and cemetery officials hoisted the wooden caskets of Ceausescu and his wife out of their graves Wednesday. They took samples from the corpses and put them into plastic bags — a process lasting more than two hours — before reburying the coffins.

"We are closer to knowing the truth," the couple's son Valentin Ceausescu told The Associated Press by phone.

Officials say it will take up to six months to determine the identity of the remains.

Ceausescu's alleged remains were better preserved than those of his wife, said Mircea Oprean, the couple's son-in-law who was present at the exhumation.

Oprean's wife, Zoia Ceausescu, had sued the defense ministry in 2005, saying she had doubts that her parents were buried in the cemetery. She died of cancer in 2006 and her brother Valentin took up the case.

Cemetery worker Cornel Muntean told the AP that Ceasescu was dressed in a thick gray overcoat. An AP reporter saw a dirty cloth being removed from Ceausescu's remains and what looked like a thick gray fur hat at the end of the coffin.

Romanians rose up in 1989 as other Communist regimes collapsed in Eastern Europe, angered and exhausted by years of rationing as the dictator tried to pay off the country's foreign debt. Meat, cooking oil and butter were severely limited and blackouts were common.

Ceausescu stifled dissent with his Securitate secret police, which were believed to have 700,000 informers in the nation of 22 million.

NYT article: "The Web Means the End of Forgetting"

From: The New York Times
 
The Web Means the End of Forgetting

By JEFFREY ROSEN

Four years ago, Stacy Snyder, then a 25-year-old teacher in training at Conestoga Valley High School in Lancaster, Pa., posted a photo on her MySpace page that showed her at a party wearing a pirate hat and drinking from a plastic cup, with the caption “Drunken Pirate.” After discovering the page, her supervisor at the high school told her the photo was “unprofessional,” and the dean of Millersville University School of Education, where Snyder was enrolled, said she was promoting drinking in virtual view of her under-age students. As a result, days before Snyder’s scheduled graduation, the university denied her a teaching degree. Snyder sued, arguing that the university had violated her First Amendment rights by penalizing her for her (perfectly legal) after-hours behavior. But in 2008, a federal district judge rejected the claim, saying that because Snyder was a public employee whose photo didn’t relate to matters of public concern, her “Drunken Pirate” post was not protected speech.

When historians of the future look back on the perils of the early digital age, Stacy Snyder may well be an icon. The problem she faced is only one example of a challenge that, in big and small ways, is confronting millions of people around the globe: how best to live our lives in a world where the Internet records everything and forgets nothing — where every online photo, status update, Twitter post and blog entry by and about us can be stored forever.

Hugo Chávez Has Bolívar's Remains Exhumed

Caption:
"Venezuela. President Hugo Chávez gets quite a surprise when exhuming the remains of Simón Bolívar."

Artist: Erlich
Appeared in El País (July 18, 2010)

Hugo Chávez has always exalted certain figures -- Che, Castro, Simón Bolívar -- in political speeches. In fact, he is the self-proclaimed leader of the "Bolivarian Revolution." But the news that he has exhumed the remains of Simón Bolívar is a bit over the top. Public exhumations and burials of former national heroes during one's time in office always seem to augur an increase in state control; often, they are an attempt not to remember, but conveniently forget, certain aspects of the past for one's own political gain. The question "who owns the bones?" comes to mind. In this case, the particular "father-son" drama being played out is quite intriguing. If Chávez can claim that Bolívar was murdered, it will no doubt help him justify his "revolution" even further and provide him with more photo opps. for the sort of public, melodramatic weeping he enjoys, even on Twitter!

In the cartoon above, it would appear that we are looking at the skeletonized hand of Bolívar, giving Chávez the middle digit. This is because although Chávez has exalted Bolívar's image throughout his time as "President," many say that Bolívar would not have shared the former's policies.

From: BBC News

17 July 2010
Venezuela's Chavez exhumes hero Simon Bolivar's bones

The remains of South American independence hero Simon Bolivar have been exhumed in Venezuela to determine the cause of his death nearly 200 years ago. 

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered Bolivar's tomb be opened because he suspects he was murdered.

Most accounts maintain Bolivar died from tuberculosis in Colombia in 1830.

Mr Chavez announced the exhumation of his hero on Twitter, saying he "wept with emotion".

"What impressive moments we have lived tonight. We have seen the bones of the Great Bolivar!" he tweeted from the national pantheon in Caracas.

"That glorious skeleton must be Bolivar, because his flame can be felt. Bolivar lives!" he added.

'Important discoveries'

 More than 50 experts including criminal investigators and forensic pathologists have been examining the remains to see if Bolivar was the victim of a conspiracy rather than disease, according to Venezuela's attorney-general, Luisa Ortega Diaz.

"We have important discoveries that will be announced to the nation at the appropriate moment," she said.

The exhumation comes as Colombia has accused Venezuela of tolerating the presence on its territory of the main Colombian leftist groups, the Farc and the ELN.

Relations between Mr Chavez, an outspoken socialist, and the conservative government of Colombia have deteriorated in the last two years.

Mr Chavez has rejected Colombia's accusations.

Known as "the Liberator", Simon Bolivar led the 19th Century revolutionary war against Spain, winning independence for Venezuela and several other South American nations.

The Venezuelan president claims him as the inspiration for his "Bolivarian" revolution, though some historians say Bolivar would not agree with Mr Chavez's socialist policies.

18th-Century Ship Uncovered at Ground Zero

This story certainly speaks to the "archaeology of memory" (Benjamin). An 18th-century ship has been uncovered at the Ground Zero site. Strangely, I read about this in the Spanish paper El País, but have yet to see any coverage in the NYT. The article below comes from The Guardian:


Ground Zero diggers uncover hull of 18th century ship

Archaeologists examine timbers found at site of World Trade Centre bombings

Workers excavating the World Trade Centre site have unearthed the 10-metre hull of a ship believed to have been buried in the 18th century.

The vessel was probably used along with other debris to fill in land to extend lower Manhattan into the Hudson river, archaeologists have said.

It was hoped the artefact could be retrieved by the end of today, said archaeologist Molly McDonald. A boat specialist was going to the Ground Zero site to examine the find.

McDonald said she wanted to at least salvage some timbers; it was unclear if any large portions could be lifted intact.

"We're mostly clearing it by hand because it's fragile," she said. Construction equipment may be used later in the process.

McDonald and Michael Pappalardo, an archaeologist, were at the site of the 11 September 2001 attacks when the hull was discovered on Tuesday morning.

"We noticed curved timbers that a back hoe brought up," McDonald said. "We quickly found the rib of a vessel and continued to clear it away and expose the hull.

"We're going to send timber samples to a laboratory to do dendrochronology to help us get a sense of when the boat was constructed." Dendrochronology is the science that uses tree rings to determine dates and chronological order.

A 45kg (100lb) anchor was found a few yards from the hull on Wednesday but the experts are not sure if it belongs to the ship. The anchor was about a metre across, McDonald said.

The archaeologists are racing to record and analyse the vessel before exposure to air makes the delicate wood deteriorate.

"I kept thinking of how closely it came to being destroyed," Pappalardo said.

7/7 Memorial

It is interesting that yesterday, Queen Elizabeth II was at Ground Zero, just one day prior to the anniversary of the terrorist bombings in London (July 7, 2005). Here are a few images of the memorial for victims of the 7/7 attacks, which opened in 2009.

photo here

As a point of comparison, this is Madrid's March 11 memorial, located outside Atocha train station.

Interior:

Exterior:

It will be interesting to see what develops as a memorial at Ground Zero. For various reasons, my personal opinion is that a new skyscraper - which will be the same height as one of the previous towers of the World Trade Center - should not go up. However, I do like the idea of the memorial (called "Reflecting Absence") thus far -- two empty spaces where the original towers once stood. According to Wikipedia, "pools of water fill the footprints, underneath which sits a memorial space whose walls bear the names of the victims."

Photo here

"We Are Not Here to Reminisce" - Queen Visits Ground Zero Site

Via: NYT

Queen Addresses UN, Places Wreath at Ground Zero
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 7, 2010

Filed at 12:07 a.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- Queen Elizabeth II challenged the United Nations to fight global dangers by ''waging'' peace, then entered ground zero on Tuesday for the first time to honor the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Back in New York after more than three decades, the 84-year-old British monarch turned her eyes toward the future of the World Trade Center: new skyscrapers rising over what was once smoldering debris that had buried loved ones forever.

''We are not here to reminisce,'' she told the world body earlier Tuesday. ''In tomorrow's world, we must all work together as hard as ever if we are truly to be United Nations.''

Not even a record high temperature of 102 degrees, accompanied by a heat advisory, kept the monarch from New York's hallowed ground.

She arrived at the 16-acre site in lower Manhattan late Tuesday afternoon with her husband, Prince Philip. They walked slowly across a wooden walkway that reaches deep over the construction site. Huge cranes hovering overhead were stopped and workers took a break during the queen's visit.

In silence, Elizabeth laid a wreath of flowers on an iron pedestal near the footprint of the trade center's south tower. Bowing her head, she gently brushed her gloved hand against the locally grown red peonies, roses, lilies, black-eyed Susans and other summer blossoms.

Then the queen met dozens of family members and first responders who had lost loved ones as the twin towers collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001.

''The queen just was asking me about that day, and how awful it must've been,'' said Debbie Palmer, whose husband, battalion Fire Chief Orio Palmer, was killed. ''She said, `I don't think I've ever seen anything in my life as bad as that. And I said, `Let's hope we never do again.'''

Palmer said of the monarch: ''She's beautiful. She looks like she could be anybody's grandmother.''

The queen wore a two-piece white, blue and beige print dress with long sleeves and a matching brimmed champagne-colored silk hat with flowers.

While there were ''waterfalls coming down my body, there was not a drop of sweat on her face; I don't think royalty sweats,'' joked Nile Berry, 17, son of securities analyst David S. Berry, who died in the south tower, leaving behind three children.

''I think she understood'' the significance of meeting victims' relatives, Nile told The Associated Press, adding that it would take him a while to ''digest'' that he had met the queen.

Elizabeth left the site in a motorcade to tour the British Garden of Remembrance, built to honor the 67 Britons killed in the attack. She met their families there, joining them for a ceremony.

Tim Rosen, who called himself a ''fan of the queen,'' was angling for a glimpse of her at the corner of ground zero. ''She's been through a lot,'' said the 30-year-old attorney. ''She has a certain sense of duty that I like. A very elegant woman.''

''There she is!'' Patricia Farmer, a real estate project manager, shouted when she spotted her near the garden. ''The one in the blue!''

Farmer, who said she was born in Northern Ireland, called Elizabeth ''my queen.''

But not everyone was so enthused. Roman Shusterman held a sign near ground zero that read, ''Queen of British Petroleum,'' the British company whose rig explosion in Louisiana created the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

''The queen hasn't said anything about it because she thinks she's too good for us,'' said Shusterman, 28.

Earlier Tuesday, Elizabeth's familiar formality graced the lectern at the United Nations, where she urged the world body to spearhead an international response to global dangers, while promoting prosperity and dignity for the world's inhabitants.

''It has perhaps always been the case that the waging of peace is the hardest form of leadership of all,'' she said, while praising the U.N. for promoting peace and justice.

Speaking as queen of 16 U.N. member states and head of a commonwealth of 54 countries with a population of nearly 2 billion people, Elizabeth recalled the dramatic changes in the world since she last visited the United Nations in 1957, especially in science, technology and social attitudes.

''In my lifetime, the United Nations has moved from being a high-minded aspiration to being a real force for common good,'' Elizabeth told diplomats from the 192 U.N. member states. ''That of itself has been a signal achievement.''

But she also praised the U.N.'s aims and values -- promoting peace, security and justice; fighting hunger, poverty and disease; and protecting the rights and liberties of every citizen -- which have endured.

''For over six decades the United Nations has helped to shape the international response to global dangers,'' the queen said. ''The challenge now is to continue to show this clear ... leadership while not losing sight of your ongoing work to secure the security, prosperity and dignity of our fellow human beings.''

Elizabeth and Prince Philip flew to New York from Canada for the five-hour visit and departed for London from John F. Kennedy International Airport at around 7 p.m. Tuesday.

------

Associated Press writers Edith M. Lederer and John Heilprin at the United Nations and Marc Beja in New York City contributed to this report.

Documentary: "Mi vida con Carlos" ("My Life with Carlos")

First viewed on the Spanish blog, El blog del cine español.

'My Life with Carlos' is the journey of a son (director German Berger-Hertz) trying to learn the truth about his father, who was killed in 1973 in Pinochet's Chile. Deeply-personal, poetic, and suspenseful, the film chronicles the heroic actions that led to Carlos Berger's death and the devastating effect it had on his family. In this powerful cinematic document, Berger-Hertz confronts not only the horrors of his country's past but also his own.

Winner, Best Documentary at the San Diego Latino Film Festival
Voted Top Ten Audience favorite at Hot Docs
Winner, Best Film and Audience Award at the Biarritz FF, Winner, Best Film, Young Jury Award, Audience Award at the Rencontres du Cinema Marseille
Winner, Best Film at the Lleida Film Festival
Winner, Critics' Award at the Malaga Film Festival
Official Selection, Rotterdam International Film Festival
Official Selection, Goteborg Film Festival
Official Selection, Latinbeat - Film Society of Lincoln Center

My Life With Carlos TRAILER from German Berger on Vimeo.