If you didn’t know there were two us journalist (Laura Ling and Euna Lee) being held in North Korea, well good ol’ Bill Clinton paid a visit and was triumphant in negotiating the release of the two journalists. SUCCESS
“North Korea state media is reporting that former U.S. president Bill Clinton and his party are on their way home from the country. It is unclear whether that means the recently pardoned journalists are accompanying him back home.
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Former president Bill Clinton to work on detained journalists’ release.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Il today ordered the release of jailed U.S. journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee through “a special pardon,” the country’s state-run news agency reported.
North Korea’s Central News Agency said former President Bill Clinton, who took a surprise trip to the country to negotiate Ling and Lee’s release apologized for the two female journalists “illegally crossing the border and committing a grave crime against our nation.”
Ling and Lee’s families said in a joint statement they are “overjoyed by the news of their pardon.”
“We are so grateful to our government: President Obama, Secretary Clinton and the U.S. State Department for their dedication to and hard work on behalf of American citizens,” the statement said. “We especially want to thank President Bill Clinton for taking on such an arduous mission and Vice President Al Gore for his tireless efforts to bring Laura and Euna home.”
Clinton met with Ling and Lee earlier in what was a very emotional meeting, a government source told ABC News.
The source, who has knowledge of the Clinton team’s mission, was hopeful that the two will leave North Korea tonight for the United States, possibly even on the same plane as Clinton.
Clinton arrived in Pyongyang early Tuesday and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il to talk about the two journalists, who were arrested after straying into the country while they were reporting on the Chinese-North Korean border. Ling and Lee were later convicted and sentenced to 12 years hard labor.
The White House today had little to say about the former president’s visit except to stress that this is a “private mission.”
“It’s a little sensitive,” said Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. “We will have more to say on this hopefully later on.”
Gibbs denied reports by North Korea’s state media that Clinton carried a message from President Obama to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. North Korea’s Central News Agency said that Clinton ‘courteously’ conveyed a verbal message from Obama, and that Kim expressed thanks and engaged in “sincere talks” with Clinton.
“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,” Gibbs said in a statement released earlier today.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, en route to Africa on a state trip, would not comment until her husband’s mission was complete, a senior U.S. official told reporters.
Arriving at Pyongyang in a specially chartered, unmarked jet, Clinton was greeted warmly by a young girl bearing flowers and top North Korean officials, including chief nuclear negotiator Kim Kyegwan. After meeting with North Korea’s leaders, Clinton was treated to a state VIP dinner.
Sources told ABC News that Clinton’s trip, while a surprise to some, was planned weeks ago and that it was former Vice President Al Gore who asked Clinton to go. Clinton was accompanied by his former Chief of Staff, John Podesta, who officials said was also involved in the planning.
Clinton’s trip fulfills one of North Korea’s two demands — a visit from a high-profile emissary. As former president and husband of the current secretary of state, there could be few people of higher profile, and Gore founded Current TV, where the two journalists worked.
North Korea’s second demand — an apology — was fulfilled by Hillary Clinton just a few weeks ago.
“The young women themselves have, apparently, admitted that they probably did trespass, so they are deeply regretful and we are very sorry it’s happened,” the former first lady said in an interview with ABC News last month. “Our most important goal is to make sure they get home safe.”
Hillary Clinton’s words were a clear departure from the administration’s early rhetoric, and she also acknowledged that the State Department changed its approach in trying to free the two journalists. In June, she told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that the charges against Lee and Ling were “absolutely without merit or foundation.”
One thing about Clinton’s trip is clear: He would not have gone to North Korea unless he was certain he would be coming back with the two journalists.
Despite a few tensions in the meeting, both sides got what they wanted. For Kim Jong-Il, it was a chance to boast a visit from a high-profile U.S. leader and an opportunity to pose for pictures with Clinton, and for the U.S., the safe return of the two detained journalists. “- ABC NEWS
