An American Tragedy

Seven years have passed since the 11 September 2001 terrorist strikes on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon building in Washington, monstrous crimes that were a shock not only to Americans, but, to all of mankind. Has the world changed since then and what lessons have been drawn from that tragedy? The two mega-high-rise twin-towers of the World Trade Center in New York’s Wall Street business district and the Statue of Liberty nearby were the main symbols of America’s largest city 7 years ago. Nearly all Hollywood films set in New York began or ended with a panoramic view of Manhattan and the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Now, watching some film or another, one can easily guess when it was released, before or after the 11 September tragedy, judging by the presence or absence of the twin towers in the panorama of New York. The giant megapolis looks like it has been orphaned.

The daunting picture of the giant twin towers tumbling down, burying hundreds of lives, is a sight one can never forget. The tears and sorrow of tens of thousands of people who lost their loved ones in that terrible disaster are still breaking our hearts. Who perpetrated that inhumane crime and why? The official version is al Qaeda terrorists and suicide hijackers. There are other versions that have yet to be proven. Besides, we know how the 11 September events influenced the foreign policy of the United States. It marked the beginning of a crusade against international terrorism. Washington began forging a global coalition for the noble goal of ridding the world of the terrorists threatening to put it on the brink of chaos.

Pannikhida for the 9/11 victims in a Russian Orthodox parish in Moscow

But, the methods it chose to achieve it were far from noble. For one, it usurped the right to determine who was a terrorist and who wasn’t, who should be executed and who should be pardoned. Examples come to mind readily, the most illustrative of them being the US military intervention in Iraq, a war that has dragged on for years and has already taken a much heavier toll on America than the 11 September strikes, whilst casualties among the Iraqi population number in the thousands. Washington’s arch-foe and a man it called the world’s number-one terrorist, the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, was hung, yet, up to now, no traces of the nuclear weapons that he allegedly possessed have been found. Recall that this was the official pretext for invading Iraq.

Later, Washington came up with similar allegations against North Korea and Iran. Another example is Afghanistan, where more than 500 civilians have been killed in US-led security operations since the beginning of the year. Finally, there is Georgia and its brazen military invasion of South Ossetia, carried out with blessings from the White House. Apparently trying to save its reputation, Washington stubbornly refuses to admit what is obvious to everyone else, namely, that Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili sent tanks to storm Tskhinvali, tanks he had received from the United States.

Now, the only remaining symbol of New York and all of America is the Statue of Liberty. A mute witness of the 11 September attacks, it would have cried had it been able to cry, and it’s probably ashamed to see what’s happening in America now.

10 September 2008

Andrei Ptashnikov

Voice of Russia World Service

http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=32318&cid=56&p=10.09.2008

The 13th Paralympics Opened In Beijing

The 13th Paralympics opened in Beijing today, with 558 awards up for grabs by more than 4,000 athletes from 148 countries. Russian athletes stand a good chance of winning many of the awards. Team Russia is made up of 145 athletes, almost twice as strong as our team during the previous Games in Athens. The Russian athletes that will compete in Beijing are track-and-fielders, swimmers, wrestlers, and fencers. Some of them are novices to the Games, whilst others have already performed in glory at the Paralympics under the Russian colours.

Marat Yusupov once went in for sports acrobatics and gained the title of Master of Sports, but, found himself in a wheelchair following a major injury. Yet, he chose not to give up sports. The only change that followed was that he switched over to fencing. “It’s the first time that I’ve competed at the Paralympics, but, it will be not only my personal debut, but, that of our Russian fencing team at the Paralympics. Russia never competed in fencing at the Paralympics before, unlike other national teams, which are quite experienced in the sport. But, we will fight hard to win, no matter what”.

Russian fans rooting on the home team. “Go for the gold!” Rossiya vpered! Russia forward!

The youngest and most experienced Russian team is the swimming squad. Igor Plotnikov set two world records at the previous Paralympics in Athens. This time, too, he came to Beijing to win the gold. “I’d like to defend my title of world champion, although I realise this will prove no easy matter, with competition proving really tough, which makes one get quite nervous. One is prone to collywobbles at any championship, even an ordinary Russian national one. But, if an athlete can pull oneself together, like I did in Athens, then, it’s not that difficult to win. But, then, this may happen just once in a lifetime. Besides, in Beijing there’s such frenzy around the Chinese athletes, although they are just ordinary people like any others and can be beaten just as well. Simply put, they will win only if we give in to them”.

The torch of the 13th Paralympics is due to be lit today, 6 September, to burn throughout the Games. The torch relay has been on throughout many of China’s cities and provinces for the previous two weeks, and Russian torch-bearers, 10 of them to be exact, were part of the relay that bore the torch near and in Beijing. The Games fire is now lit, which means that the Paralympics has kicked off and the athletes dream of just one thing, just how they could make it to the top step of the pedestal.

6 September 2008

Svetlana Andreyeva

Voice of Russia World Service

http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=rus&q=82681&cid=25&p=06.09.2008

Editor’s Note:

This is somewhat personal for me. I was married for 18 years to a lovely person who happened to be blind. It always bothered me to see how people treat someone with a physical disability. There is nothing more to be said…

SuGui Kriss (1987- ), US Paralympic athlete in volleyball

As a matter of note, one of the US Paralympians is from my town, Albany NY. My greetings to SuGui Kriss, and I send on my personal good wishes and regards. Bog blagoslovit.

BMD

Russian Paralympians Determined to Conquer Beijing

Almost two weeks after the Olympic Games ended in Beijing, the Chinese capital is welcoming 4,000 sportsmen from 148 countries for the Paralympics. They will compete from 6 to 17 September. They are of different ages and races, but, they share the common experience of physical disability. For these people, sport is something that can change the world. “Like our coaches say, we’re not training only sportsmen, not only sports skills, but, we’re first of all training personalities. Fencing helps us grow a stronger character and make us very determined. It makes us want to win over any hardships”, Sergei Frolov, of the Russian Paralympic sabre and foil fencing team, said.

When Vladimir Poleshuk was young, he liked fencing and seriously thought about a sports career. He even won several regional competitions before an illness changed his life and meant he had to use a wheelchair. But, after 27 years of life with his disability, he learned that there was a para-fencing sport in Russia. “It’s like a taste of childhood. This is something I’ve missed very much. Of course, I worked hard and did some training in these 27 years, but, now, I’m back to where I belong”, he said.

The Russian Paralympics team unites 140 athletes from across Russia in different sports from weightlifting to football. Almost 44 billion dollars (1.128 trillion roubles. 31.205 billion euros. 25.049 billion UK pounds) was spent on the events in China and the organisational committee says that the Paralympics is a chance for disabled people to integrate into society. “The world has very many people with [physical] disabilities. There are 87 million in China alone. We in Beijing have done our best to ensure that the Paralympics will be held at the highest level, and what’s most important, after the Games finish, I’m sure more disabled people will go into the streets and feel themselves a part of society”, said Tang Xiaoquan from the Beijing organisational committee.

The Russian Paralympians haven’t been seen as frontrunners for the last decade, partly because sport for the disabled is only gathering pace in the country. But, rather unexpectedly, the Russian Winter Paralympics team won the games in Torino, thus setting an example for their summer colleagues. “We know that our team isn’t big, only 140 athletes. But, we’ll do everything so that at the next Games Russia would have a representation in all Paralympics sports”, said Vitaly Mutko, the Sports Minister. The Russian athletes have set a whole string of European and world records in different sports during the last couple of years and they will certainly want to show themselves as a serious force in Beijing.

6 September 2008

Russia Today

http://www.russiatoday.com/sports/news/30029