North Korea Pardons 2 American Journalists
In a rare meeting, former President Bill Clinton talked with Kim Jong Il
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has issued a special order that pardons two American journalists who were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for illegal entry and engaging in "hostile acts."
The announcement by North Korea's official news agency comes on the same day former President Bill Clinton made a surprise visit to the country, where he met with Kim to negotiate the release of the jailed journalists, Euna Lee, 36, and Laura Ling, 32.
It was a rare meeting between the North Korean head of state and a high-ranking U.S. official amid heightened tensions over North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Clinton is the first Western leader to go to North Korea since his secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, visited the country in 2000.
Radio Pyongyang and the Korean Central Broadcasting Station reported that Kim hosted a dinner at the state guesthouse for Clinton. There, the two had a "wide-ranging exchange of views on matters of common concern," and Clinton delivered a verbal message from President Barack Obama, the official Korean Central News Agency said in a report from Pyongyang. But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said reports that Clinton handed over a formal message from Obama were "not true."
Earlier, White House officials declined to comment on Clinton's trip.
"While this solely private mission to secure the release of two Americans is on the ground, we will have no comment. We do not want to jeopardize the success of former President Clinton's mission," said Gibbs in a statement this morning.
Americans Lee and Ling were arrested on March 17 while reporting on refugees fleeing the impoverished North. The pair was working for former Vice President Al Gore's Current TV media venture.
Clinton arrived in an unmarked jet today and was greeted by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan.
Reader Comments
Question to my dear friend Jordan
Are you eating mushroom, smoke funny cigarettes, drinking koolaid or something else?
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 Americans 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 American atrocities to the World.
Deborah Solomon regarding successful negotiations
I'm sure the journalists families are very thankful that President Clinton was able to secure their release.
I believe the most obvious and most important issue regarding successful negotiations on any issue, anywhere in the world, is that the parties involved must trust each other. They must believe that what is said and whatever decisions are made in private will be honored and stood by in public.
I have stated repeatedly that I did not agree with all of Ronald Reagan's economic policies, and I never will, however, the reason he was successful with negotiations is that people knew he was trustworthy. He was not trying to set them up for his own selfish or controlling purposes, but he was genuine in what he said. Being able to trust the parties you are dealing with makes all the difference in the world regarding successful negotations! God help each of us to be trustworthy people of integrity!
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