Warmbier's confession also stated that he had plotted to steal the poster at the behest of a Methodist church in his hometown and the Z Society, a secret society at the University of Virginia that he wished to join, both of which he said were allied with the Central Intelligence Agency. These claims, which Time magazine called "fanciful" and "implausible," were disputed by both the church and the Z Society. The New York Times remarked that "the unlikely nature of the details suggested the script had been written by Mr. Warmbier's North Korean interrogators". U.S. negotiator Mickey Bergman later stated that Warmbier's family were advised to maintain silence about his Jewish heritage while he was under arrest, as negotiators believed that publicly repudiating Warmbier's purported affiliation with a Methodist church would antagonize the North Korean regime
That was because the North Korean justification for his imprisonment centered on a dubious claim that Warmbier had stolen a propaganda poster in a Pyongyang hotel lobby on orders from the Friendship United Methodist Church in Wyoming, Ohio, to bring it back “as a trophy” in exchange for a used car worth $10,000.
In one of his most peculiar statements, Otto said he had brought his “quietest boots, the best for sneaking” to commit his crime and repeatedly asserted he had been the “political victim” of the “United States’ hostile policies against the DPR Korea.” Full Press Conference, supra note 6. Otto offered another ostensible explanation for his transgression: he stated that if he was detained and could not return from the DPRK, the Friendship United Methodist Church would pay his mother $200,000 to fund his younger siblings' college expenses. Id.
Sung-Yoon Lee, a professor of Korean studies at Tufts University and an expert on North Korea and its treatment of detainees, testified that in Korean culture, custom demands the eldest child “make great sacrifice[s]” for his younger siblings and subsidize their college tuition. T
当天下午我俩从莫斯科的谢列梅捷沃机场下了飞机，偶遇国内几位来俄罗斯旅游的大哥和大姐，大家都说国语边走边聊天格外亲切。我们在五号地铁站出口一起出了站，他们的旅店在城区的另一侧，不得不分手。我俩几经折腾终于找到了预定的旅店。虽然说已经走过了好几条莫斯科的大街，但北方天黑的很早，黑灯瞎火的并没有看清莫斯科的模样。
第二天一大早，我们按计划到市中心红场。在去地铁站的路上，看见一栋宏伟漂亮的古建筑，像是座宫殿，不知道是个什么景点。我们停住脚步，在漂亮的大门前赶快怕照打卡。仔细一看除了我们俩并没有其他任何游客来这观赏。更有意思的是，宫殿的大门两旁都有装饰漂亮的门房，但里面空无一人。这么大的宫殿居然没人管？正当我们边拍照和边观赏，不知从哪冒出来两三个穿着制服的人，突然出现在门房里，隔着玻璃窗看着我们。这里是个啥地方？感觉奇奇怪怪的。
晚上回到旅店一查网，原来这栋建筑是“佩特罗夫宫”，建于十八世纪。在长达三百年的时间里，这栋皇宫多次改变用途，曾做为军事要塞、博物馆、教育机构和对外开放的酒店。我们非常感叹，如果在别的国家，一栋三百年的建筑，如此的精美，如此的古色古香，肯定是游人如织的热闹旅游景点，可在莫斯科，这栋建筑竟是一座少人问津的酒店，也许是俄罗斯的古迹太多，这样的古迹已经不算什么了。
可在俄罗斯的历史上，这座不起眼的建筑是非常重要的。选修过俄罗斯历史的人都知道，有几个年份非常重要。莫斯科始于1147年，当年只是莫斯科河边的森林深处的一座木头堡垒，整个俄罗斯还在蒙古人的统治之下。1480年，伊凡三世摆脱了蒙古的统治，莫斯科公国宣布独立。他还迎娶了拜占庭的末代公主，自称是"第三罗马"帝国，开始并吞周边小国。1547年，伊凡雷帝加冕为俄罗斯首位沙皇，莫斯科公国成为俄罗斯沙皇国。到了1812年俄罗斯迎来了又一个重大历史转折，在法俄战争中，拿破仑的大军压境，俄罗斯军队节节败退，
拿破仑于9月14日率领法军浩浩荡荡杀入莫斯科。可迎接他的，不是拿破仑期待已久的沙皇降书，而是一座燃烧的死城。俄罗斯人在撤离前焚毁粮仓、军械库和贵族宅邸，留给法国人的只有空荡的街道和蔓延的火势。史书记载，这场大火持续了整整六天，吞噬了九千多栋木制房屋，连克里姆林宫的围墙都被熏黑。在熊熊烈火中，拿破仑只好搬出城区，住在郊外的佩特罗夫宫，正是我俩上午拍照打卡的那座建筑。
据说，拿破仑站在佩特罗夫宫的阳台上，望着城内冲天的火光无计可施。法国军队在莫斯科呆了34天，陷入了前所未有的困境。士兵们搜遍全城各个角落，只找到少量小麦和伏特加酒，根本无法为庞大的军队提供最基本的补给。到了10月19日，拿破仑始终未见沙皇的使者，百般无奈下终于下令撤退。
这支曾经不可一世的十万人的军队，满载着500车从莫斯科掠夺来的珍宝、还拉着大炮等武器，缓缓向巴黎撤去。当大军走到明斯克以东约70公里别列津纳河边，俄罗斯冬天零下30度的极寒，让法军尝到了寒冬的厉害，行军中大量士兵冻伤冻死。更糟糕的是，熟悉当地水文的俄军，居然在别列津纳河冰面上凿洞，并用燃烧弹轰击冰面，造成冰面破裂和浮桥断裂，数千法军坠入冰河身亡，沉重的大炮和珠宝箱也纷纷沉入河底，一片惨不忍睹的景象。当拿破仑带着他的残兵败将回到巴黎时，十万人的法军仅剩两万人。
如今的佩特罗夫宫，已经是一座正常营业的四星级酒店。酒店依然保留着那间"拿破仑套房"，据说套房中的豪华大床上方悬挂着一块牌匾，上书"皇帝曾在此失眠"。LD说，下一次如果有机会，一定去住一次佩特罗夫宫，不仅能仔细观察一下这座著名的古迹，还能亲身体会一下当年拿破仑住在这里的感觉。
更多我的博客文章>>> 俄罗斯游记：拿破仑梦碎佩特罗夫宫 威尼斯游记：水巷似迷宫，谜团埋地底 2025印度游记(10) 夜半苦寻落脚店，正午打卡印度门 【短片】孟买印度门与泰姬酒店 【短片】巴黎街头的玫瑰与铡刀
阿拉斯加吗？
Tmd手上一定还有牌。 捕鲸抛了一个媚眼，说： hi five!
他们的碰头，让我想起了斗兽棋，真是一物降一物，捕鲸吃定了川普， no matter what.
我烤，当初法国不可一世的牛人拿破轮，在俄罗斯被一顿胖揍。后来他被送到一middle of nowhere 的荒岛，几年后了却一生。再往后法国打仗可能就没赢过，随便打一下就投降。然后就剩下什么薰衣草和French fries 啥的。还有，总统娶了个他妈妈的岁数的女人当老婆。What the...
不知啥时候再出一个厉害的角色make France great again
非常欣赏沿途自然风光，强力推荐，如果有机会去的话。
有CIA背景的教会鼓励他去透标语，作为一种加入该组织的表现。 事成之后给$1万+一辆旧汽车。 事败之后给他20万。
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Warmbier
Warmbier's confession also stated that he had plotted to steal the poster at the behest of a Methodist church in his hometown and the Z Society, a secret society at the University of Virginia that he wished to join, both of which he said were allied with the Central Intelligence Agency. These claims, which Time magazine called "fanciful" and "implausible," were disputed by both the church and the Z Society. The New York Times remarked that "the unlikely nature of the details suggested the script had been written by Mr. Warmbier's North Korean interrogators". U.S. negotiator Mickey Bergman later stated that Warmbier's family were advised to maintain silence about his Jewish heritage while he was under arrest, as negotiators believed that publicly repudiating Warmbier's purported affiliation with a Methodist church would antagonize the North Korean regime
That was because the North Korean justification for his imprisonment centered on a dubious claim that Warmbier had stolen a propaganda poster in a Pyongyang hotel lobby on orders from the Friendship United Methodist Church in Wyoming, Ohio, to bring it back “as a trophy” in exchange for a used car worth $10,000.
https://scholarship.law.uc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1512
In one of his most peculiar statements, Otto said he had brought his “quietest boots, the best
for sneaking” to commit his crime and repeatedly asserted he had been the “political victim” of the “United
States’ hostile policies against the DPR Korea.” Full Press Conference, supra note 6. Otto offered another
ostensible explanation for his transgression: he stated that if he was detained and could not return from
the DPRK, the Friendship United Methodist Church would pay his mother $200,000 to fund his younger
siblings' college expenses. Id.
Sung-Yoon Lee, a professor of Korean studies at Tufts University and an expert on North Korea and its treatment of detainees, testified that in Korean culture, custom demands the eldest child “make great sacrifice[s]” for his younger siblings and subsidize their college tuition. T