Freed Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee Reunite With Families
BY Michael Saul
DAILY NEWS POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
The two American journalists imprisoned for five months by North Korea came home to a tear-filled airport reunion with their families Wednesday morning following a dramatic rescue mission led by former President Bill Clinton.
Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee, 36, exited a private jet about 6:19 a.m. local time at the Burbank airport near Los Angeles.
Family members wept as Lee's four-year-old daughter hugged her tightly.
"Thirty hours ago, Euna Lee and I were prisoners in North Korea—we feared that at any moment we could be sent to a hard labor camp, and, then, suddenly, were told that we were going to a meeting," Ling said in a statement before reporters at the airport.
"When we walked through the doors, we saw standing before us President Bill Clinton," she said, her voice catching with emotion as she placed her hand on her chest.
"We were shocked but we knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end and now we stand here home and free," she said.
Ling thanked Clinton, President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a slew of others who were pivotal in their release.
The White House emphasized all along that Clinton's mission was a private one—not an official overture to the rogue Communist regime that has raised tensions in recent months with its pursuit of nuclear warhead and missile programs.
Secretary of State Clinton, speaking of her husband's successul journey, said on NBC's "Today" show, "I want to be sure people don't confuse what Bill did, which was a private, humanitarian mission to bring these young women home, with our policy."
She said Clinton called his successful effort to win the women's freedom "a very moving experience."
In June, the North Korean government sentenced the journalists, who work for former Vice President Al Gore's Current TV cable channel, to 12 years of hard labor for illegally entering the country. Ling described their imprisonment as a horror.
"The past 140 days have been the most difficult, heart-wrenching time of our lives," she said. "We are very grateful that we were granted amnesty by the government of North Korea and we are so happy to be home."
Clinton, who received applause as he exited the plane, did not address the media at the airport.
There was also a handshake and hug with Gore. The former vice president thanked his ex-boss and said, "It speaks well of our country that when two American citizens are in harm's way, that so many people will just put things aside and just go to work to make sure that this has had a happy ending."
In a written statement, Clinton said, "I am very happy that after this long ordeal, Laura Ling and Euna Lee are now home and reunited with their loved ones."
"When their families, Vice President Gore and the White House asked that I undertake this humanitarian mission, I agreed," he said, "I share a deep sense of relief with Laura and Euna and their families that they are safely home."
President Obama said this morning "we are obviously extraordinarily relieved." "The reunion that we've all seen on television I think is a source of happiness not only for the families but for the entire country," Obama said.
Ling said she and Lee were very grateful for the good wishes of friends, families and strangers these past months.
"We would feel your love all the way in North Korea," she said. "It is what kept us going in the darkest of hours. It is what sustained our faith that we would come home."
- More coverage from the New York Daily News.
Reader Comments
Odd
...and Santa Claus is bringing me a pony. So much for transparency in the new regime. Anyone who believes this was all a personal Bill Clinton trip with no connection to the current administration should have his/her head examined. Even the photos showing a hale and hearty Jong-Il were fakes, according to touch-up artists. I just fear what the U.S. had to "trade" for the journalists. We'll probably never learn that, either, or whether or not Clinton delivered a message from Obama....
Nobel Peace Prize For Kim Jong-Il Also Deserving For Pardons.
By: Jordan C. Fan, Prophet of Environment.
Kim is one the most highly admirable Environment advocates. He has aggressively developed weapons to defend the Environment instead of manufacturing industries which pollutes the Environment. While the U. S. has gone out of its way to develop oil fields, pipelines, refineries & other industries to pollute frontier wilderness in Alaska to destroy its Environment. Kim has develped nuclear missiles to be within range of Alaska to stop further American migrations there. His pardon for U. S. journist also prove his worthiness. For this, Kim should receive a Nobel Peace Prize of Environment protection. So do Myself also deserve a Nobel.
When the N. Korean nuclear missiles are within range of Alaska it forced Palin to resigned. Who can really blame Palin for resigning in fear of her families of being nuked. This has proven Palin to be an extremely likable & competent government officials & politicians.
Palin is admired by the world over as a devoted & loving mother to protect her offsprings against nuclear threat. On the other hand, Obama must be frowned upon as a leader who has disregarded the safety of his people especially Alaskans in order to remove his political opponent Sarah Palin from her office. Obama should give in to Kim & withdraw all US civilian & military personnel from Korea & Japan.
Japan has betrayed all Asians by becoming a puppet of the U S. People of many Asian nations had allowed Japanese to invade their countries to expel of European & American Colonialists. Many of those Asian people ended up being persecuted or executed by their Japanese invaders. Today, while the Japanese have ample power to drive out American invaders who are currently occupying their land, Japan prefer not to do so in exchange for economic prosperity. While the Chinese were overly generous to forgive those World War II Japanese atrocities to their own people, Japanese is still threaten to invade Chinese land for oil at the Diaoyu Islands. For this reason, all U. S. F-22 warplanes in Okinawa must be destroyed. By allowing the U.S. a strong foothold in Eastern Asia, Japanese have threaten the safety & security of all Asians. For this he Japanese must go so are S. Koreans who have betrayed their own nation. Japan must reverse to wilderness to protect Environment while all Japanese be enslaved in Xinjiang.
This has confirmed that the U. S. especially Democrats & Black are extremely chauvinistic racists who must also be frowned upon by the world. American liberty, freedom & justice will end if Obama & his supporters especially Blacks continue to insists on using illegal conspiracy such as blackmails, harassments, threats of body harm, & corruption against qualified candidates.
In addition, the U. S. must apologized to Kim Jong-il and North Korean for calling them Axis of Evil. By changing U. S. presidents and parties can't erase its atrocities to the world. Kim & Myself deserve Nobel Peace Prize.
Great that they are back...
But what was ther reason that their boss, Al Gore, put them in danger by sending them there in the first place? And what was promised to Kim?
We may never know the answers to these basic questions...
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