Breaking: Bill Clinton Secures Journalists’ Release In North Korea
A very successful outcome to this surprise diplomatic mission.
Bill Clinton is understood to have landed in Pyongyang earlier today for a surprise visit to North Korea as relations between the United States and the regime continue to sour and mystery surrounds the health of its enigmatic leader, Kim Jong Il.
The Korean Central News Agency said in a bulletin this afternoon that the former US President had been greeted at Pyongyang airport by two senior government figures — the vice-president of the presidium of North Korea’s parliament and the Deputy Foreign Minister.
It’s now just being announced that North Korea has pardoned the journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee and they are to be freed. Good work by Bill Clinton! I’ll put up the link when it is available.
Update: Story link.
The journalists could be leaving North Korea as soon as today.
Tags: Bill Clinton, North Korea
Nice to see a democrat with balls actually use them!
Repub David is going to be upset that these two lawbreaking journalists are getting away with this
wait, I thought it was US policy to label people we don’t like “terrorist” and then bomb the shit out of them?
I hope others will concur that moments like this reenforce that we put the right man in office in the last election…shame it took 8 years of disaster to get us there.
I would like to take a moment and rejoice for the families who must have been suffering.
I will hold my congratulations until I find out what the deal cost us. It is generally a bad deal to pay ransom. You end up with more victims not fewer. If this is based upon good will between the nations, then I am fine with it.
Nice of Bill to go pick up Al’s toys.
David…. it cost us a visit to North Korea by the former President. This deal was done before Clinton hopped a plane. You better believe that Clinton was not going to go unless he could have been assured their release beforehand.
All the North Koreans wanted was a visit by a high Western dignitary. Now, under Bush, that would have been a price too steep, due to some false concern about appearances. But if all it cost us is a visit to allow them to save face, and perhaps reopen dialogue between us, then it is a small price to pay.
Farsider… referring to human beings and journalists as toys is disgusting. If Bush were President, you would no doubt be using these “toys” to agitate for war. Indeed, those two journalists are toys to you.
Agreed, it was nice of Bill to go though. Hard labor is a bit much for trespassing.
Well, at least Bill wasn’t sent with a bible, a cake and an arms deal — Ronald Reagan style.
I am glad that you all have such knowledge of our inside diplomacy. I prefer to wait and see. Amb. Bolton is not so optimistic.
Bolton was and will be a joke. A sabre-rattling, neocon schmuck.
“You better believe that Clinton was not going to go unless he could have been assured their release beforehand. ”
Maybe. But maybe he would have went even if there was only a CHANCE. I am glad he went. He still got that charisma after all – to me he does anyway.
Bottom line. Bill went. He secured the release of two Americans. It’s a major foreign policy victory. I am certain it bothers many republicans that diplomacy can and does work and a dem administration got it done. So be it.
It must be very threatening to conservatives that the Obama diplomacy policy – talk first, is working. Of course, we’ve already seen the effects the of do nothing but talk mean and hope for the best diplomacy of the Bush administration.
Props to Clinton. Whatever it takes…
MJ….Bolton’s sabre rattling is the only thing stopping you from getting jolly-rogered by a bunch of Asian communists and Islam fundamentalists.
Oh wait…now I understand why you don’t like him doing that….
Bill Clinton was the dressing on a deal which was done before he arrived.
I commend him for going after the N Koreans called his wife a schoolgirl and said he looked like a pensioner.
Best wishes to the released women.
Mike Protack