NORTH KOREA - Otto Warmbier, 22, UV student, released from North Korea, June 2017, Deceased

[BetteDavisEyes]

Jun 22 2017, 10:05 am ET

Funeral Held for Otto Warmbier, Former North Korean Prisoner, at Ohio Alma Mater

by Erik Ortiz

Four years ago, Otto Warmbier stood in front his graduating class at Ohio's Wyoming High School as the salutatorian, smiling and chipper even as he lamented leaving the tight-knit community where he grew up.

"Many of us will move far away and not come back for a long time. ... Tomorrow morning we will all belong to another class, another job or another city. No matter where we go or what we do though, we will always have this group here," the then-18-year-old said...

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-k...ormer-north-korean-prisoner-ohio-alma-n775421

 

[dotr]

Many good photos at link from Otto's funeral, but thought this one was intriguing and somewhat unusual.imo

Among the items, which were returned to him after he was released from detainment last week, were a graphic calculator, several items of clothing, his passport, a wallet and a University of Virginia notebook

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ther-funeral-Otto-Warmbier.html#ixzz4kkvZaqUd
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[bluesneakers]

I've tried so hard not to cry ... but that display. It's too much.

 

[animlzrule]

Excellent analysis of the intricacies involved when talking about possibly "dealing" with North Korea.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/07/the-worst-problem-on-earth/528717/

 

[LietKynes]

Does anyone have an idea as to how he became comatose right after the trial ?
Waterboarding ?
Experiments ?
Electroshock 'therapy' ?
Brainwashing ?
Chemical Injections ?

Just curious what would disable a young , seemingly healthy man -- so swiftly.
Is the family certain the coma happened following the trial ? Or did it happen later ?

 

[Meryl12]

The above pic thank to DOTR #135 (thanks DOTR)

Another think to be considered as to "why Otto Warmbier", you just have to look at him. Clearly the young man has been very well nourished and has reached his full potential. Look at him compared to the North Koreans, they are under-nourished and their height is stunted. The pics of OW when he was in handcuffs, the NK men did not reach his shoulders either. There had to be an element of resentment to the "giant sized" American from the starving stunted NKs. The American has enough money to grow to that giant size and to fly to NK and visit and fly back home.....and they are starving and stunted and could never dream of having enough money to visit America. (They cannot even leave NK).

I agonized over whether to make these comments, when I visited Asia a few years ago some people I made friends with said these things to me (that this was how the NKs felt). This is true - that this is how they feel, if OW was the tallest man there then that is probably why they picked on him.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Jun 23 2017, 7:33 am ET

North Korea Says Otto Warmbier’s Death Is a ‘Mystery to Us as Well’

by Erik Ortiz

North Korea claimed Friday that it doesn't know why American college student Otto Warmbier's health was so poor that after months of imprisonment he ended up dying — and said it even revived him after his "heart was nearly stopped."

"The fact that Warmbier died suddenly in less than a week just after his return to the U.S. in his normal state of health indicators is a mystery to us as well," a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, according to a Reuters translation...

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-k...otto-warmbier-s-death-mystery-us-well-n775901

 

[gregjrichards]

"Retired basketball legend Dennis Rodman is claiming credit Friday for the release of American college student Otto Warmbier from a North Korean prison last week.

Rodman told ABC’s Good Morning America that he did not know Warmbier, who died this past Monday, was sick when authorities in Pyongyang freed him from custody.

The NBA Hall of Famer's agent, Chris Volo, says he personally lobbied the Pyongyang government on Rodman's behalf for Warmbier's return home.
‘I asked on behalf of Dennis for his release three times,’ Volo tells ABC News.

'I know being there had something to do with it,' Volo said. ‘Because when I was organizing the trip... and I meet with the delegates here, you know, I addressed... Otto Warmbier. And I said to them, “we... would need his... you know, a release, some type of good faith, if we're ever going to do some type of future sports relations”.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...it-Otto-Warmbier-s-release.html#ixzz4kpzcARy3

I knew this was coming.

 

[KaaBoom]

Seriously. This kid was murdered. gitmo prisoners were there for crimes they committed. (modsnip)

FYI, Guantanamo Bay was a detention camp. At least 173 detainees were released from Guantanamo Bay without ever being charged with any crime. So like it or not, the comparison is more than fair. As a matter of fact, this kid was convicted of violating North Korean law. Hundreds of the Guantanamo Bay detainees were never even charged, and yes some of them died there. You have to learn the laws of the countries you plan on traveling to. Unfortunately it doesn't sound like Otto Warmbier did that.

FACES OF GUANTÁNAMO - GUANTÁNAMO’S MANY WRONGLY IMPRISONED

 

[popsicle]

FYI, Guantanamo Bay was a detention camp. At least 173 detainees were released from Guantanamo Bay without ever being charged with any crime. So like it or not, the comparison is more than fair. As a matter of fact, this kid was convicted of violating North Korean law. Hundreds of the Guantanamo Bay detainees were never even charged, and yes some of them died there. You have to learn the laws of the countries you plan on traveling to. Unfortunately it doesn't sound like Otto Warmbier did that.

FACES OF GUANTÁNAMO - GUANTÁNAMO’S MANY WRONGLY IMPRISONED

LMAO you cannot be serious.

 

[KaaBoom]

There are places we should not enter. Pay attention to travel warnings and alerts.

RIP Otto, we recognize what happened.

Here is the current travel warning. I don't believe it has changed significantly since Otto traveled to North Korea.

North Korea Travel Warning
LAST UPDATED: MAY 9, 2017

The Department of State strongly warns U.S. citizens not to travel to North Korea/the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The Department of State strongly warns U.S. citizens not to travel to North Korea/the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). U.S. citizens in the DPRK are at serious risk of arrest and long-term detention under North Korea’s system of law enforcement. This system imposes unduly harsh sentences for actions that would not be considered crimes in the United States and threatens U.S. citizen detainees with being treated in accordance with “wartime law of the DPRK.” Since the United States does not maintain diplomatic or consular relations with North Korea, the U.S. government has no means to provide normal consular services to U.S. citizens in North Korea. This notice updates the number of U.S. citizens who have been detained in North Korea and replaces the Travel Warning dated February 7, 2017.

At least 16 U.S. citizens have been detained in North Korea in the past ten years. North Korean authorities have detained those who traveled independently and those who were part of organized tours. Being a member of a group tour or using a tour guide will not prevent North Korean authorities from detaining or arresting you. Efforts by private tour operators to prevent or resolve past detentions of U.S. citizens in the DPRK have not been successful.

North Korea Travel Warning

 

[KaaBoom]

LMAO you cannot be serious.

Yes, I am serious. Every country has a right to make their own laws. If you don't agree with the laws of that country, then you shouldn't travel there.

 

[bluesneakers]

Yes, I am serious. Every country has a right to make their own laws. If you don't agree with the laws of that country, then you shouldn't travel there.

I think a lot of Americans, especially young Americans, believe we're special and nothing bad will happen to us. Like their American passports are some magical protection when they visit foreign countries.

I'm so sorry for what happened to Otto. I hope people are paying attention.

 

[KaaBoom]

Jun 23 2017, 7:33 am ET

North Korea Says Otto Warmbier’s Death Is a ‘Mystery to Us as Well’

by Erik Ortiz

North Korea claimed Friday that it doesn't know why American college student Otto Warmbier's health was so poor that after months of imprisonment he ended up dying — and said it even revived him after his "heart was nearly stopped."

"The fact that Warmbier died suddenly in less than a week just after his return to the U.S. in his normal state of health indicators is a mystery to us as well," a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, according to a Reuters translation...

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-k...otto-warmbier-s-death-mystery-us-well-n775901

I don't find the North Korean statement hard to believe. I'm sure they had no idea what his health problem was. That country is so technologically backward, that their health care system must be a total joke. The life expectancy is 69 years in North Korea compared to 80 years in South Korea. I think they gave him the best health care the country had to offer, which was basically nothing.

 

[dotr]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/north-...st-victim-in-death-of-otto-warmbier-1.4174565

[h=1]North Korea says it is the 'biggest victim' in death of Otto Warmbier[/h]

Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency denied that North Korea cruelly treated or tortured Otto Warmbier, and accused the United States and South Korea of a smear campaign that insulted what it called its "humanitarian" treatment of him.

[h=2]Torture allegations 'groundless'[/h] "Although we had no reason at all to show mercy to such a criminal of the enemy state, we provided him with medical treatments and care with all sincerity on humanitarian basis until his return to the U.S. ... considering that his health got worse," the agency quoted an unnamed spokesman of Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry as saying.

To make it clear, we are the biggest victim of this incident and there would be no more foolish judgment than to think we do not know how to calculate gains and losses," the spokesman said. "The smear campaign against DPRK staged in the U.S. compels us to make firm determination that humanitarianism and benevolence for the enemy are a taboo and we should further sharpen the blade of law," the spokesman added, referring to North Korea by its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

 

[dotr]

Just to play devil's advocate...
If Otto's condition was not in fact a " natural ' one, what if, maybe, just a small maybe, some type of 3rd party espionage was involved with the purpose of escalating tension between NK and US?
complete speculation.

 

[dotr]

North Korean guides looking after Otto Warmbier's tour group freaked out when a British tourist went missing after getting separated on New Year's Eve - and everyone else was too drunk to realize the seriousness of the situation.

The claims were made by an American traveling with the group who spoke out about the ordeal in an interview with Politico following the shocking death of 22-year-old Otto earlier this week.

The person, who hasn't been identified, said the group was celebrating New Year's Eve in Kim Il-sung Square when British tourist Danny Gratton got separated from the rest of them.

Gratton was waving a balloon around in the square when a 'bunch of North Koreans start following him'. The American tourist said he joined Gratton as they walked around the area for 30 minutes engaging with the locals.

'The North Korean guides were panicked. They were so scared, asking us, "Have you seen him, have you seen him?" and we, including the Western guides, were too drunk to realize the seriousness of the situation,' one tour group member told Politico.

The tour group waited in the square for several hours before being allowed to return to their hotel. Gratton eventually made it back in the early hours after taking a number of taxis and the American says he saw him walk back in.

The British man's brief disappearance occurred around the same time Otto supposedly stole the propaganda poster from the hotel where they were staying

Young Pioneer Tours was founded by British expatriate Gareth Johnson
In one post, posted eight days after Warmbier was arrested, Johnson is seen smiling with a North Korean guard. A day later, he is seen cradling a clear bottle of liquor in another post.

He says he also took issue with Johnson's behavior when it came to interacting with the local North Korean guides.

Pitt says Johnson failed to intervene when one of the tourists began making sexually provocative remarks to their local guide, asking 'about her sexual habits and about North Korean women being a conquest'.

'If anything, [Johnson] encouraged these kinds of conversations,' Pitt said. 'Had our tour guide taken exception to this, almost anyone in our group could have found themselves in serious trouble.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ssing-Otto-Warmbier-s-tour.html#ixzz4ktR0LJpD
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rbbm.




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[Jennifer17]

The above pic thank to DOTR #135 (thanks DOTR)

Another think to be considered as to "why Otto Warmbier", you just have to look at him. Clearly the young man has been very well nourished and has reached his full potential. Look at him compared to the North Koreans, they are under-nourished and their height is stunted. The pics of OW when he was in handcuffs, the NK men did not reach his shoulders either. There had to be an element of resentment to the "giant sized" American from the starving stunted NKs. The American has enough money to grow to that giant size and to fly to NK and visit and fly back home.....and they are starving and stunted and could never dream of having enough money to visit America. (They cannot even leave NK).

I agonized over whether to make these comments, when I visited Asia a few years ago some people I made friends with said these things to me (that this was how the NKs felt). This is true - that this is how they feel, if OW was the tallest man there then that is probably why they picked on him.

They are all women in that photo. For goodness sake are Americans the only tall people in the world? The Dutch are pretty tall. You are clutching at straws there.

 

[dotr]

Published on Jun 23, 2017

Basketball legend and Kim Jong Un whisperer, Dennis Rodman sat for his first interview since returning from his latest trip to North Korea.

The star came in for tremendous criticism after visiting the rogue nation for a second time and palling around with the leadership of their country as Otto Warmbier lay braindead and dying in U.S. hospital.

It became emotional at the end, as Rodman, sitting with his agent Chris Volo, wept behind dark glasses.

“I didn’t know he was sick,” said Rodman. “I didn’t know I was the one supposed to go over there and get him out.”

Rodman’s GMA inquisitor was another former spots star, Michael Strahan. In a polished performance, Strahan pressed Rodman about his real goal for the trip.

“Is that part of your motivation? he asked. “To be on T.V.”

“I am too damn famous for this,” said an indignant Rodman. “I’m not trying to sound cocky, but my God. What am I getting out of this? I’m going over there out of the kindness of my heart trying to help. And next thing you know, you come back. Wow. What did I do that’s so bad”

Rodman then trailed off and broke down.

The roughly six minute exchange also revealed a number of bombshells, including a contention from Volo that the North Koreans released Otto Warmbier as a result of their direct intervention.

In addition, Rodman again went out of his way to praise the regime, doubling down on his “friendship” with dictator Kim Jong Un and marveling at how happy everyone in North Korea seemed to be.

“We always talk. We sing karaoke. It’s so fun. Ride horses. Everything,” said Rodman

[video=youtube;Ru1wQGCoCtc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru1wQGCoCtc[/video]

 

[Elley Mae]

“Height and weight differences between North and South Korea” by Daniel Schwekendiek

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9f2f/738960264a0b5374ba6f6b5737196d578779.pdf

View attachment 118757

The above pic thank to DOTR #135 (thanks DOTR)

Another think to be considered as to "why Otto Warmbier", you just have to look at him. Clearly the young man has been very well nourished and has reached his full potential. Look at him compared to the North Koreans, they are under-nourished and their height is stunted. The pics of OW when he was in handcuffs, the NK men did not reach his shoulders either. There had to be an element of resentment to the "giant sized" American from the starving stunted NKs. The American has enough money to grow to that giant size and to fly to NK and visit and fly back home.....and they are starving and stunted and could never dream of having enough money to visit America. (They cannot even leave NK).

I agonized over whether to make these comments, when I visited Asia a few years ago some people I made friends with said these things to me (that this was how the NKs felt). This is true - that this is how they feel, if OW was the tallest man there then that is probably why they picked on him.