(CNN) — North Korean President Kim Jong Il has pardoned and ordered the release of two U.S. journalists, state-run news agency KCNA said Wednesday.
The announcement came after former U.S. President Bill Clinton met with top North Korean officials in Pyongyang to appeal for the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who had been arrested while reporting from the border between North Korea and China.
“Clinton expressed words of sincere apology to Kim Jong Il for the hostile acts committed by the two American journalists against the DPRK after illegally intruding into it,” the news agency reported. “Clinton courteously conveyed to Kim Jong Il an earnest request of the U.S. government to leniently pardon them and send them back home from a humanitarian point of view. “The meetings had candid and in-depth discussions on the pending issues between the DPRK and the U.S. in a sincere atmosphere and reached a consensus of views on seeking a negotiated settlement of them.”
The report said Clinton then conveyed a message from President Obama “expressing profound thanks for this and reflecting views on ways of improving the relations between the two countries.” But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters in Washington before the announced agreement that Clinton was not carrying any message — written or oral — from Obama. Gibbs added that the former president last spoke with Obama during a White House visit in March. He described Clinton’s trip as a “solely private mission to secure the release of two Americans.”
The report from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the nation’s official name, described the agreement to release the journalists as “a manifestation of the DPRK’s humanitarian and peace-loving policy”.
You gotta love the comedian who wrote that. But seriously, if Bush was president, they would have been left to rot.
Mr. Fusion,
Thank you for giving me a clue as to what the hell is wrong with Pedro, it’s hard to believe someone can be so dim-witted. It looks like web is in the same camp with him.
I will go as far as to say when you look at the picture of Clinton and Kim Jong Il, the dictator looks happy as a pig in shit to be standing there with him. All the guy probably wants is to be given a little bit of consideration and attention from the rest of the world and a chance to prove he’s not out to blow up the United States like Rumsfeld and Cheaney led everyone to believe. In order to keep the Military-Industrial complex going they NEED to create enemies and when you are labled as an enemy like North Korea was when they were included in the “Axis of Evil” you have no recourse. The war mongers don’t want you to find out the North Korean aren’t the new Nazis cause then they won’t have a reason to bomb them to hell. Whats incredible is that even after all the lies and manipulations that took us to Iraq have been exposed, people still believe this crap.
#60 you are referring to The Attempted Hostage rescue operation in Iran, yes it went bad, and their are reasons for it, and Jimmy Carter will be remmebered for this portion of history, but the man has done so much more. I mentioned his name earlier with Bill Clinton, becasue of who he is and what things he had done, not what went wrong on a dark night in the desert of Iran 30 years ago.
Jimmy Crater did allot of good for the world after his presidency as well. I dont believe we will see the previous admin out building houses for the needy, or being asked to participate in any foriegn relations operations/talks/summits, JC is a Humanitarian, sort of the opposite of what was previously in power. I do not need to say anything else in defending this position, because it has been clarified by several other thoughtful individuals over the past 30 posts.
#61, Watcher,
Whats incredible is that even after all the lies and manipulations that took us to Iraq have been exposed, people still believe this crap.
It gives them a reason to get up every morning.
I slightly disagree about Kim’s potential. He could be very dangerous and as has been said, is paranoid and mentally unstable. Turning the country into a glass landscape might be the best thing that ever happened to the peasants and their miserable, starving, fearful lives. But I don’t advocate it.
#35, I think that you will find the British Government attentpted to make peace with the german Government prior to the Invasion of Poland, and it was only after this did they declare war. Before this Hitler was doing as he pleased and the British Governement was makeing agreements with Hitler. Even after the annexation of Austria in 1938, so Diplomacy was tried first. Churchill was agreat man, and is accomplishments should not be clouded.
Sept 1938… treaty…
Czechoslovakia was informed by Britain and France that it could either resist Germany alone or submit to the prescribed annexations.
I will also add that as an american that has lived overseas (as a civilian and not conected to the military) I know how most countries view the US and its foreign policy(s) and during the Bush Administartion, it was difficult on many levels to speak to foriegn colleagues after the then whithouse actions on a daily basis, so I dont get my opinions from sitting on my couch in kansas. I will say that Clinton and Carter are much more revered for thier actions, than Dubbya…
#61 Man, you must be a writter for Captain Planet. How moronic can someone be by stating that Il was like a kiddie next to Clinton? The answer is you.
#62 Carter is just the cleaner for left wing dictators. Where the hell is the good on that.
Well, I must admit, he’s not always lefty leaned, he sometimes favors a right wingnut from time to time, like he did with Saddam. Look at this quote from USA presidents .info:
“Not all Carter’s efforts have gained him favor in Washington; President Clinton… were said to have been less than pleased with Carter’s “free-lance” diplomacy in Iraq and elsewhere.”
Don’t even get me started on that “Carter Center” shingle
#63 said: “I slightly disagree about Kim’s potential.”
So you’re saying watcher is slightly wrong. Stop taking your meds, you’re having a bit of reality on your daily delusion.
#65, ‘dro,
RE: #61,
Disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing is not an admirable trait.
RE: #62,
Posting a comment out of context and not linking to the comment is bullshit. It is a demonstrable indication to the weakness of the argument or point you don’t have.
RE: #63,
Please learn the difference between a fact and an opinion. Pretending they are the same, especially the way you do it, is a true character flaw.
*
So how do you like the idea that America might follow the Cuban model on health care. Wow, can you picture it? The US might just get the same great care, longevity, and birth survival to be found in Cuba. Hell, we could even import some of those Cuban physicians like so many other countries have done.
#66 Good to see you find not admirable to disagree just for the sake of it. Good to see that you got to see it in me whilst ignoring it whe you do it. Typical lefty.
The source of the comment is right in that post. I’m not at fault if you’re too lazy to go there.
The fact is, you have no idea what you talk about most of the time.
And I’ve always said that you deserve anything the cuban government offers. I’ve advised you to move there many a time. You’ll be happier there.
Alt headline #4 in a series..
“Kim Jong II releases hostages in exchange
for Clinton’s little black book and intern pick up tips, -Film at 11″
in other thoughts..
-me thinks its safe to say clinton earned himself a BIG FAT IOU from the obama administration. it will be interesting to watch how the payback evolves.
who knows, maybe he’ll ask him to let hillary piss inside the tent for a change.. (yeah right)
-s
#67, ‘dro,
The source of the comment is right in that post. I’m not at fault if you’re too lazy to go there.
Once again you demonstrate your ignorance. You did NOT cite a source of any quote.
The only things in Venezuela are steers and queers. I read that on the internet. Look it up. Since hooves make it impossible to type on a keyboard, that leaves you the other.
# 15 chris said, in part:
“The way the media, and specifically Al Gore, ignored this is huge flaming demerit.”
You don’t think Gore burned up the phone lines to his old friends and allies the Clintons over this? I think he called in every favor he could think of to get this done. I think he purposely avoided any public comment because the North Koreans are known to be _very_ sensitive to that kind of thing and he didn’t want to bollix things up any worse than they were until something could be done.
– - – - -
# 41 Glenn E. said, in part:
“I can’t help but suspect that all these captured tourists and journalists are really CIA paid plants or pawns.”
Do you really think Al Gore is in bed with the CIA? Naw, you’re just kidding around.
– - – - -
# 44 derspankster said:
“Most republican’s are now neurotic conspiracy theorists that cannot deal with the fact that there’s a black man sitting in the oval office. Everything they say, do, or think is jaded by this (to them) unthinkable reality.”
BINGO!
– - – - -
#53 pedro, yes, I would rather “live in a peaceful world than bend over to terrorist threats.”
– - – - -
Many and various posters, re Carter: Regardless of the successes and failures of his administration, Former President Carter is the best ex-president we’ve had in my lifetime, possibly ever. Former President Bill Clinton has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to equal or exceed that record.
#70 Closing your eyes and thinking the bad man is gone will not save you from them. That’s waaaay too naive.
And I’ll take Clinton any day of the year over slimey Carter as best US president.
#71, ‘dro,
A Cuban passing judgment on an American President over people who lived through his Administration. Ya, right. Cuban are better than that.