Bill Clinton Brings Home Reporters From N. Korea

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Bill Clinton brings home American journalists imprisoned in North Korea

12:00 AM CDT on Wednesday, August 5, 2009

The Associated Press, McClatchy Newspapers

SEOUL, South Korea – His mission accomplished, former President Bill Clinton left Pyongyang early today accompanied by two American journalists after North Korean leader Kim Jong Il pardoned the women from their prison sentences.



greets U.S. journalists Laura Ling (in green) and Euna Lee (in red) as they board a chartered plane at an airport in Pyongyang August 5, 2009 in this photo released by China's official Xinhua News Agency. North Korea said on Wednesday it had pardoned the two jailed American journalists after Clinton met the reclusive state's leader Kim Jong-il, a move some analysts said could pave the way to direct nuclear disarmament talks. REUTERS/Xinhua/Zhang Binyang

Whether the successful trip will provide the impetus for renewed talks on North Korea's nuclear program remains uncertain.

Clinton and Euna Lee and Laura Ling, both of California, were heading back to the U.S., a Clinton spokesman said, less than 24 hours after the former U.S. leader landed in the North Korean capital on a private, humanitarian trip to secure their release.

Their departure was a jubilant conclusion to an ordeal of more than four months for the women arrested near the North Korean-Chinese border in March and sentenced in June to 12 years of hard labor for illegal entry and engaging in "hostile acts."

The women appeared healthy as they shook hands with Clinton before getting into a jet, APTN footage in Pyongyang showed. The flight was bound for Los Angeles, where the journalists were to reunite with their families early today

Clinton's landmark trip to Pyongyang also resulted in rare talks with reclusive Kim Jong Il that state-run media described as "wide-ranging" and "exhaustive." The meeting was Kim's first with a prominent Western figure since reportedly suffering a stroke nearly a year ago.

CONTINUED

[rastaman]

Sometimes when you want to get things done correctly internationally it takes a Democrate to get it done.

[rastaman]

Job well done Mr. President.

[Smiling Assassin27]

Originally Posted by rastaman

Sometimes when you want to get things done correctly internationally it takes a Democrate to get it done.

Obligatory and shameless, Rasta. All it takes is someone who's competent, steadfast, and a bit of a car salesman. Props to Clinton for getting the job done and props to Obama for sending him. We have the wrong Clinton heading up the State Department.

[Spider]

Looks like Clinton wins another one ...... Pretty bad ass

[alkemical]

I think lisa ling is either a spy, or a member of the NWO

[Bronx33]

Any other smucks would have been left to rot but professor global warming snaps his fingers and clinton jumps to the rescue and wtf were these two idiots hiking around there for anyways? and i really wonder what this really cost us.

[TailgateNut]

Originally Posted by Bronx33

Any other smucks would have been left to rot but professor global warming snaps his fingers and clinton jumps to the rescue and wtf were these two idiots hiking around there for anyways? and i really wonder what this really cost us.

So according to you we should just leave them in a N Korean prison to rot. What a jerk.
I'm truly amazed at the compassion of those on the right. Granted it angers you that the left can actually accomplish things without the use of guns and bombs. Diplomacy works if applied properly.

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by TailgateNut

So according to you we should just leave them in a N Korean prison to rot. What a jerk.
I'm truly amazed at the compassion of those on the right. Granted it angers you that the left can actually accomplish things without the use of guns and bombs. Diplomacy works if applied properly.

NK as been using these ladies as a bargaining chip for sometime now. It's good they are out and hopefully on their way back home.

[Meck77]

Good job Bill. I mean that.

It's too bad he wasn't aggressive after the World Trade Center was bombed the first time while Al Qaeda was organizing. He was too busy getting blown though.

[TailgateNut]

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

NK as been using these ladies as a bargaining chip for sometime now. It's good they are out and hopefully on their way back home.

They're back on American Soil!

[Spider]

Originally Posted by Meck77

It's too bad he wasn't aggressive after the World Trade Center was bombed the first time while Al Qaeda was organizing. He was too busy getting blown though.

Clinton did fail getting Osama , but why make **** up ? I just dont get right wingers

[Bronx33]

Originally Posted by Spider

Clinton did fail getting Osama , but why make **** up ? I just dont get right wingers

Goverment stopped our troops one operation short of catching him our goverment wouldn't send the nessesary support to cover that pakistani border to keep osama from escaping. Up to that point were were chasing that POS and killin his cohorts by the hundreds across afganistan and thru the mountains and our goverment failed us letting ahalf asses pakinstani army fail ( WE HAD HIM!) like a rat.

[Bronx33]

Originally Posted by TailgateNut

So according to you we should just leave them in a N Korean prison to rot. What a jerk.
I'm truly amazed at the compassion of those on the right. Granted it angers you that the left can actually accomplish things without the use of guns and bombs. Diplomacy works if applied properly.

No i never said that please show me where i did all i said was any other schmuck we will use you as an example were hiking along the china border and got picked up by N korean troops ( you would rot) why ? because you don't have Mr gore in your corner.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Originally Posted by Bronx33

Goverment stopped our troops one operation short of catching him our goverment wouldn't send the nessesary support to cover that pakistani border to keep osama from escaping. Up to that point were were chasing that POS and killin his cohorts by the hundreds across afganistan and thru the mountains and our goverment failed us letting ahalf asses pakinstani army fail ( WE HAD HIM!) like a rat.

That would be Bush's government.

There are probably plenty of things to try and rail on Clinton about but what he did here isn't one of them.

[ak1971]

Originally Posted by rastaman

Sometimes when you want to get things done correctly internationally it takes a Democrate to get it done.

good, go score me some good Labanese Hash

[Fedaykin]

Originally Posted by Meck77

Good job Bill. I mean that.

It's too bad he wasn't aggressive after the World Trade Center was bombed the first time while Al Qaeda was organizing. He was too busy getting blown though.

He's the only one who has ever even come close -- and when he was being aggressive in perusing him he was accused of "wagging the dog". Granted, it's partially his fault for putting himself in that position, but lets not pretend that he wasn't trying.

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by Fedaykin

He's the only one who has ever even come close -- and when he was being aggressive in perusing him he was accused of "wagging the dog". Granted, it's partially his fault for putting himself in that position, but lets not pretend that he wasn't trying.

Let's also not pretend he tried very hard. It was not a priority for Clinton to use military to find Bin Laden. He may have launched a few cruise missiles here and there but we know from how many drone attacks now that hitting a specific person with a cruise missile not really that easy. Had Al Queda done an attack like 9-11, one that worked so well, make no mistake Clinton would have also invaded Afghanistan, or Sudan, or wherever he though Bin Laden was.

Bush JR would not have done all he did just over the Cole, or a truck bomb that didn't damage the wtc etc. He probably would have just did airstrikes etc, just like Billy Boy.

People spend too much time trying to blame Clinton, trying to blame Bush, all that matter now is what Obama does or doesn't do.


really though it doesn't matter. Someday we will get him, you just know it.

[elsid13]

Originally Posted by Bronx33

Any other smucks would have been left to rot but professor global warming snaps his fingers and clinton jumps to the rescue and wtf were these two idiots hiking around there for anyways? and i really wonder what this really cost us.

They weren't hiking. They were reporting on the human traffic of North Koreans into sex slave trade on China side of the border.

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by elsid13

They weren't hiking. They were reporting on the human traffic of North Koreans into sex slave trade on China side of the border.

National Geographic already did a story on that. It was pretty good and shed light on how the smuggling works, what happens to the women, tons of stuff.

What is the use getting arrested for information and a story that has already been told?

I'm not sure this event really is anything more then a couple girls wanting to make a name for themselves.

[elsid13]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

National Geographic already did a story on that. It was pretty good and shed light on how the smuggling works, what happens to the women, tons of stuff.

What is the use getting arrested for information and a story that has already been told?

I'm not sure this event really is anything more then a couple girls wanting to make a name for themselves.

Maybe they thought they could shed additional information or they had better angle. The story worth telling over and over until the problem is solved.

[frerottenextelway]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

....

I'm not sure this event really is anything more then a couple girls wanting to make a name for themselves.

And people gave Jane Fonda a hard time.

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by elsid13

Maybe they thought they could shed additional information or they had better angle. The story worth telling over and over until the problem is solved.

sorry it just seems like a really stupid way to go about getting a story. I don't support our media getting themselves into these situations. Go ahead and report what you want but don't go sneaking around other countries borders. IMO that just asks for trouble we don't need right now. Last thing you want is to have to send Clinton to N Korea. It makes Kim Jong look powerful in the eyes of his people and helps him gain stature in Asia.

It's a good thing the girls are back home. You don't want to wish that sort of existence on any American or even any citizen of the world.

I just think this was more about them and publicity then it was helping N Korean women and men. I could be wrong, I don't know these girls.

Still though I can't support crossing over into N Korea or even going into an area that makes it easy to snatch you up. It's just stupid and really helps no one.

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by frerottenextelway

And people gave Jane Fonda a hard time.

another stupid comparison. These two incidents bear no resemblance at all.

Whatever though Fonda sat on an anti aircraft gun that was actually being used to shoot are our boys.. There just is no comparison. I don't question these girls loyalty to Korean freedom or America, I only question there motives and there judgement.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by Bronx33

Goverment stopped our troops one operation short of catching him our goverment wouldn't send the nessesary support to cover that pakistani border to keep osama from escaping. Up to that point were were chasing that POS and killin his cohorts by the hundreds across afganistan and thru the mountains and our goverment failed us letting ahalf asses pakinstani army fail ( WE HAD HIM!) like a rat.

had him trapped in Tora Bora .........all we had to do was close the back door ...... then we could have killed Bin Laden ......