Charger Bulletin
the
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Volume 91, Issue 1 | January 26, 2011
The official student newspaper of the University of New Haven since 1938.
www.ChargerBulletin.com
Russia: Suicide Bomber Attacked the Moscow Airport
By NATALIYA VASILYEVA & IVAN SEKRETAREV associated press
–––––––––––––––––––––––––– MOSCOW (AP) — An explosion ripped through the international arrivals hall at Moscow’s busiest airport on Monday, killing at least 31 people and wounding up to 145 as it coated the terminal in blood. The Russian president called it a terror attack. The mid-afternoon explosion at Domodedovo Airport may have been caused by a suicide bomber, the state RIA Novosti news agency reported. Other Russian media reports said the bomb was packed with shrapnel, screws and ball bearings. The terminal at Domodedovo Airport was engulfed by smoke and splattered with body parts. Amateur video posted on YouTube showed a pile of bodies on the floor, and other bodies scattered around. Luggage lay strewn across the ground and several small fires burned. A dazed man in a suit pushed a baggage cart through the carnage. “From the preliminary information we have, it was a terror attack,” President Dmitry Medvedev told officials in a televised briefing, saying it was clear that security had been breached.
He immediately ordered authorities to beef up security at Moscow’s two other commercial airports and other key transport facilities. Medvedev also postponed his own planned departure Tuesday for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he was to give the open-
AN AP PHOTO
ing address on Wednesday. In Washington, President Barack Obama condemned the `outrageous act of terrorism’ in Moscow. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion. Chechen militants have claimed responsibility for previous terror attacks in Moscow, including a double suicide bombing on the subway in March 2010 that killed 40 people and wounded more than 100. Large-scale battles in Chechnya ended years ago, following two devastating wars between Russia and the region’s separatists, but Islamic militants have
Representative Gabrielle Giffords’ Condition Improves rosurgery and Trauma and also the neurosurgeon working with –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Representative Giffords, is confident in her recovery. He stated It is rare to find hope and opti- that her eyes are opening more mism amidst a national tragedy. frequently and she is now more Representative Gabrielle Gif- able to carry out complex activifords suffered a traumatic shot to ties on her own and under comthe head only two weeks ago, and doctors were not optimistic. However, very recently, her condition has been upgraded from critical to serious. Representative Giffords, a popular Democratic congresswomAN AP PHOTO an from Arizona, was shot in the head in a shooting spree outside mand. Doctors have also reportof a Safeway supermarket that ed that Giffords has been sitting killed six and wounded thirteen. up, moving her limbs, yawning, The shooter, 22-year-old Jared and even rubbing her eyes. Lee Loughner, is in police cusRepresentative Giffords has tody and is being held pending been breathing on her own for a preliminary hearing on five several days after doctors reseparate federal charges, includ- moved the breathing tube that ing the attempted assassination linked her to a ventilator over of Representative Giffords. a week ago. With the breathing Dr. Michael Lemole, head of tube now removed, doctors may UMC’s Departments of NeuSee GIFFORDS page 5 By ELIZABETH FIELD STAFF WRITER
continued to carry out suicide bombings and other attacks. Most of the attacks have been in Chechnya and other predominantly Muslim provinces in the southern Caucasus region, but some have targeted Moscow, including its subways, buses and trains.
Car rental agent Alexei Spiridonov, 25, was at his desk when the blast struck about 100 yards (meters) away. “The explosion was so strong that it threw me against the wall,” he told The Associated Press outside the airport. “People were panicking, rushing out of the hall or looking for their relatives. There were people just lying in blood.” Yelena Zatserkovnaya, a Lufthansa official, said she was a similar distance away. “There was lots of blood, severed legs flying around.” See MOSCOW page 5
UNH Remembers Christopher Harris
that “he had a big heart, always smiled, and had a wide circle –––––––––––––––––––––––––– of friends.” Harris also had one younger sister, Emily Harris, The university community who was among those who comwas recently stricken with trag- mented on his Facebook page. edy over the loss of one of its A wake was held on Friday, own during winter break. On January 14 at Leo P. Gallagher Saturday, January 8, Christo- & Sons in Greenwich, CT, folpher Harris was found unconscious and unresponsive in his home around 9 a.m. Police and paramedics arrived, rendered emergency aid, and transported Harris to Stamford Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police are currently investigating the death of the Riverside, CT resident, pending the results of an autopsy. Born on March 2, 1992, Christopher Harris, 18, lowed by a funeral service on graduated from Greenwich High Saturday January 15 at the School in 2010 and was a fresh- First Congressional Church of man Music and Sound Record- Greenwich. Dr. Kaloyanides, the ing major at the University of chairman of UNH’s Music DeNew Haven. Christopher Harris partment, attended the wake and Sr., his father, noted that “Chris spoke to Harris’ family, who exwas an avid music lover” and had pressed how comforting it was been “thrilled to go to UNH” to to see all the support and conlearn about music engineering. dolences from the UNH comHarris had a studio at home and munity. A memorial scholarship both wrote and performed mu- in Harris’ name is in the process sic. He had also played football of being established and plans and rugby in High School. for a candle-light vigil are being Mere hours after his pass- made. ing, Harris’ Facebook page filled From his friends in High with hundreds of posts from School to the university commufriends expressing their sadness, nity, it is clear that Christopher saying their goodbyes, and of- Harris will be remembered and fering their condolences. The missed by everyone who knew number continues to grow every him. day. Mother, Karen Harris, noted By ISAAK KIFLE STAFF WRITER
Haiti’s “Baby Doc” Surprise Return From Exile presence still sent bad reactions throughout the land. Many were –––––––––––––––––––––––––– and still are afraid that his return will only bring back the division After a tumultuous year of and violence that were evident trying to rebuild Haiti from the during his presidency. ground up following the devasPolitical analyst and former tating January 12 earthquake, an on-going controversial general election, and a shocking cholera outbreak that left the nation scarred, the Caribbean island witnessed yet another unexpected event—the return of former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier. During his reign as President from 1971 to 1986, thousands of countrymen were tortured or killed and hundreds of thousands fled the country in fear. Despite the poverty that ravaged the land, Duvalier maintained an extravagant lifestyle by making millions of dollars in the drug director of the National Coalitrade and selling parts of cadav- tion for Haitian Rights, Jocelyn ers. With pressure coming in McCalla, said this according to from the Reagan Administration the Associated Press: “Part of to renounce his title and give up what he does by getting back his power, Duvalier self-exiled into Haiti is bringing back the himself to France twenty-five old battle lines. People are going years ago. to start talking about being proHowever, on Sunday, Janu- or anti-Duvalier...it intensifies ary 16, Duvalier flew in from the instability.” Paris, France stating that, “I’m Others, however, were taknot here for politics. I’m here ing on a much more positive for the reconstruction of Haiti.” approach to Duvalier’s return. Despite his good intentions, his Henry Robert Sterlin, former By VANESSA ESTIME STAFF WRITER
ambassador spoke on behalf of Duvalier and said that he was merely concerned and wanted to see the effects of the earthquake on his homeland. “He was deeply hurt in his soul after the earthquake,” Sterlin said accord-
AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa
ing to the Associated Press. “He wanted to come back to see the actual Haitian situation of the people and the country.” While current President Rene Preval made no immediate response to the situation, he did mention in 2007, that Duvalier would “face justice for the deaths of thousands of people and the theft of millions of dollars if he returned.” This is exactly what See BABY DOC page 6