|
In 1980, a French photographer who traveled to the Soviet Union ended up taking a picture of Communist Party General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev leading a meeting. His skin was coarse, his eyelids and cheeks sagging and his eyes seemed barely open, showing the signs of an ailing old man. The ITAR-TASS photos of Brezhnev concurrently featured in Russian publications, however, showed him with glowing skin and bright eyes, as if he was a man in his 50s. Western experts said the Russian photos were the result of retouched photos taken 20 to 30 years ago. In order to make the photo look up to date, Brezhnev¡¯s jacket was doctored to show him wearing a literary award he received a year before.
The 18 years Brezhnev ruled the Soviet Union, starting in 1964, was a particularly serious period of the Cold War. He was so rarely spotted in public that each time a photo of Brezhnev became available, the U.S.¡¯ Central Intelligence Agency would analyze it closely. During his final years, endless rumors that Brezhnev suffered from heart disease, leukemia and even cancer circulated. Whenever he stayed at a hotel in the West, CIA agents would rent a room downstairs and intercept his waste to examine his health. In 1982, he was reportedly drinking champagne with KGB officials to celebrate the New Year. He died two months later.
In Socialist countries, the physical condition of a dictator is treated as a state secret. In 2004, Cuban leader Fidel Castro hurt his left knee and was incapacitated. The following year, the CIA said Castro had been stricken by Parkinson¡¯s disease. Castro immediately led the world know he was alive and well by running a picture in a newspaper of him meeting with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. But it turned out that his health deteriorated forcing him to hand over leadership to his brother. As for Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, even until a month before he died Chinese media reported there were no problems with his health.
North Korea¡¯s state-run media on Sunday featured photos of their leader Kim Jong-il watching a soccer match. Earlier on Oct. 11 the North also released photos of Kim reportedly taken while touring a women¡¯s military brigade. Those photos had lush, green trees in the background, raising suspicions it had been taken in the summer -- before rumors of Kim¡¯s poor health had emerged. It was widely believed to be a dubious effort to quell suspicions that something was wrong with Kim¡¯s health.
The time and location of the latest photos of the North Korean leader was not revealed, but medical and photographic experts say the pictures are most likely recent shots. One hand is drooping as if weak, leading to speculation that his left arm may have been paralyzed in a stroke. Revealing a series of awkward photos of Kim, a figure shrouded in mystery due to his rare public appearances, is raising suspicions that something may be amiss.
|
