Bill Clinton secures release of American journalists held in North Korea
August 4, 2009 by LD Jackson · 6 Comments
I have been watching this story develop all day while I was at work and was unable to post my thoughts. It turns out that former President Bill Clinton made a surprise private visit to North Korea today, in an effort to secure the release of Euna Lee and Laura Ling, the two American journalists who had been convicted of spying and were sentenced to 12 years of prison time in the communist country. I have to say I was very surprised that Kim Jong Il even agreed to meet with the former President and was even more surprised to learn that he pardoned the two women and allowed them to leave the country with Clinton.
As One Mom put it this afternoon, we do not know the full political ramifications of this diplomatic effort, but at this point in time, it really doesn’t matter. I will be the first to admit I am no fan of Bill Clinton and I am suspect of the motives of the North Korean leader, but I am sure Euna Lee and Laura Ling are not looking a gift horse in the mouth. They were looking at 12 years of prison time in a hostile country, so I am sure they are glad to be able to fly back to the United States. What do you want to bet that they do not care one whit if Bill Clinton is a Democrat or Republican. They are probably just glad he cared enough to come and win their release. Kudos to him for doing so.
If I were in the situation facing Laura and Muna, I would hug Nancy Pelosi if she secured my freedom. I am just pleased for the women and their families. It is impossible for us to know the fear they have been living.
OneMom´s last blog ..Thank You, President Clinton
I am thrilled to see these two women released and all Americans will rejoice in their return home. But we never hear much about the cost of such rescues — not financial but diplomatic costs, costs of international prestige, costs to our negtiating position with North Korea, the cost of tacitly acknowledging our willingness to negotiate with state terrorists. Much as I commented on the three hikers grabbed by Iran, these women strayed too close to a dangerous border and they were grabbed and framed with creative “evidence”. In their eagerness to get a good story they may have threatened our national security — same for the three hikers. I wonder what the impact will be on international relations. In this one case there may actually be long term benefits to opening dialogue with North Korea — one hopes so but that is beside the point.
I know that in some states when hikers and climbers are lost or injured and require rescuing they receive a bill for the cost of that rescue effort. I think that is perfectly reasonable and appropriate. I wonder if there isn’t some corollary that should apply in cases like the two we’ve been discussing. They’re Al Gore’s employees — doesn’t he owe, at minimum, an apology to this country?
If I am not mistaken, I thought Euna Lee and Laura Ling entered the country intentionally, in an attempt to get a story. Maybe I am wrong. At any rate, they had to know they were playing with fire. I realize free press is very important, but it makes me wonder if it is worth taking the chance of being caught and doing 12 years of hard prison labor. That would pretty much wipe your life out, if you ask me.
Larry – as far as I know, that is only a rumor. They confessed in hopes of being able to broker a deal. There are other stories that their guide actually set them up in order to receive a payment from N. Korea (taking these two prisoner and getting all this attention from President Clinton has been a very powerful tactical move for Kim Jong ll).
OneMom´s last blog ..Thank You, President Clinton
You are most likely correct, Kerry. Especially with countries like North Korea, it is hard to tell what is the truth and what is spin.
I am glad that these two journalists have been freed. I can’t imagine the horror that they went through, not knowing if they’d see their families again or what sort of conditions they would have to endure long term.
There are at least 1200 more political prisoners in North Korea, along with 23 million people who live under a regime that is closed, brutal and starved hundreds of thousands, if not millions of their people in the 1990s even as they pursued a nuclear course.
NK is at the top of most repressive regimes; dealing with this government takes a lot of tact and patient diplomacy, but they’re also sneaky as a fox.
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