Bill Clinton Travels To North Korea To Negotiate Release of U.S. Reporters

Magus · 08-03-2009, 11:19 PM

Story

From BBC News:

Quote:

Former US President Bill Clinton has arrived in Pyongyang, North Korea's state news agency KCNA reports.

He travelled there to discuss the fate of two jailed US reporters, South Korea's Yonhap news agency says.

It says Mr Clinton will try to negotiate the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were sentenced to 12 years hard labour in June.

They were found guilty of of entering North Korea across the Chinese border in March.

The journalists were arrested while working on the China-N Korea border
The two reporters admitted entering the country illegally, according to North Korea's state news agency KCNA.

The women's families have always claimed that Lee, 36, and Ling, 32, had no intention of crossing into North Korea.

They fear the two reporters may become political pawns in negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang, amid growing tensions over North Korea's nuclear programme and recent missile tests.

Wow. This certainly seems unprecedented? Will it work? Will this somehow bring about some sort of dialogue between our two countries heretofore unknown? Or will it lead to nothing?

bluestarultor · 08-04-2009, 12:06 AM

I'd worry more for Clinton's safety, entering a totalitarian regime which is, to put it succinctly, batshit insane. I mean, shit, Jong-Il can say anything the feck he wants and it instantly becomes true. I have a feeling those two reporters were grabbed as soon as they got near the border and sentenced without a trial. Now, with Bill having lifetime CIA protection specifically so nobody gets all our juicy government secrets, it strikes me as tempting fate for him to go to a place that makes no secret out of hating the shit out of us during a time when a couple reporters are honestly a much less important loss should a hostage crisis arise.

Forgive me, but it makes more tactical sense to have a gun to the head of a former world leader that a couple nobody reporters if shit goes down if you want leverage.

Magus · 08-04-2009, 12:54 AM

Except I believe Kim Jong Il is more about bluffing than actually doing anything, and I'm pretty sure holding Bill Clinton hostage is pretty much the absolute stupidest thing he could do, ever, even over trying to create nuclear weapons, because holding him hostage when he is on an official state visit in an ambassador-type position would be a 100% act of war.

Also, Clinton undoubtedly has some bodyguards or something, although I don't know any of the details. I didn't even know he was going, and I watched the news today, you'd figure it would be on there. I guess this was a surprise?

Mirai Gen · 08-04-2009, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Forgive me, but it makes more tactical sense to have a gun to the head of a former world leader that a couple nobody reporters if shit goes down if you want leverage.

It makes less tactical sense because holding the gun to Clinton's head is, like Magus said, "HEY WE'RE AT WAR NOW BTW" directly from Jong-Il to the US.

Jong-Il's act of holding reporters hostage seems more like he's just trying to scare the US into whispering horror stories about him again like they used to. The dude's insane; he gets off to the idea that everyone thinks that way.

Professor Smarmiarty · 08-04-2009, 06:46 AM

Yeah there is no way he would do anything to Clinton becuase the US would pretty much go to war straight away in that circumstance.
Jong-Il lives on threats and bluffing, but kidnapping Clinton would start a full on war which is the last thing he would want.
China are already not happy with them but kidnapping a negotiator and a highprofile on eat that, would lose them any friends they had as well.

Also generally visiting westerners are treated like kings in NKorea so they take good stories back outside. My friend who went to North Korea for a holiday was given sumptious banquets every night and lived very very well and he's hardly an influential person who can convince the world NKorea is a pardise.

Tev · 08-04-2009, 03:04 PM

Well from the news I'm hearing on the radio right now, he's done his job. The two journalists are getting freed.

I'm glad all it took was our buddy Bill going over there, saying some nice words, maybe playing his sax, and then making even the worst of the world love us again. Why the hell didn't we vote him for King of the USA for life?

EDIT: Now if he could just stop on by Iran on the way home to free those journalists as well as bring peace to the Middle East and end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan then that would be just awesome of him.

Kepor · 08-04-2009, 07:33 PM

Weighing in now that I'm done with work --

If Kim Jong-Il had tried anything with Bill Clinton, that would be it. Done, over, go fuck yourself, you're through here. Clinton is very possibly the second most popular American in the world, and taking him hostage would have been... I don't want to say risky, because that understates the boneheadedness of such a move. Perhaps closer to lighting a bear cub on fire, and then wondering why you get mauled.

I'm glad he got the reporters released, at any rate.

Jagos · 08-04-2009, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tev

Well from the news I'm hearing on the radio right now, he's done his job. The two journalists are getting freed.

I'm glad all it took was our buddy Bill going over there, saying some nice words, maybe playing his sax, and then making even the worst of the world love us again. Why the hell didn't we vote him for King of the USA for life?

EDIT: Now if he could just stop on by Iran on the way home to free those journalists as well as bring peace to the Middle East and end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan then that would be just awesome of him.

Hey let's not get hasty... They may remember in Kosovo where we had people die from a misplaced bomb or something.

Still I'm glad this was resolved peacefully.

Wigmund · 08-04-2009, 09:49 PM

From the news, it sounds like Bill Clinton wasn't even there to negotiate - that had already been taken care of. He was there to meet with Kim Jong Il (part of the terms) and pick up the released reporters.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagos

Hey let's not get hasty... They may remember in Kosovo where we had people die from a misplaced bomb or something.

Still I'm glad this was resolved peacefully.

That was the Chinese embassy during Kosovo.

Bob The Mercenary · 08-04-2009, 11:32 PM

I'm wondering what exactly we gave to get these reporters back. Wouldn't this be some form of negotiating with terrorists? Or do we not consider them that?

08-04-2009, 12:54 AM	#3
Magus Archer and Armstrong vs. the World Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 7,164	Except I believe Kim Jong Il is more about bluffing than actually doing anything, and I'm pretty sure holding Bill Clinton hostage is pretty much the absolute stupidest thing he could do, ever, even over trying to create nuclear weapons, because holding him hostage when he is on an official state visit in an ambassador-type position would be a 100% act of war. Also, Clinton undoubtedly has some bodyguards or something, although I don't know any of the details. I didn't even know he was going, and I watched the news today, you'd figure it would be on there. I guess this was a surprise? __________________ The Valiant Review

08-04-2009, 11:32 PM	#10
Bob The Mercenary Bob Dole Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Bob Dole Posts: 5,606	I'm wondering what exactly we gave to get these reporters back. Wouldn't this be some form of negotiating with terrorists? Or do we not consider them that? __________________ Bob Dole

08-04-2009, 06:46 AM	#5
Professor Smarmiarty Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: K-space Posts: 9,758	Yeah there is no way he would do anything to Clinton becuase the US would pretty much go to war straight away in that circumstance. Jong-Il lives on threats and bluffing, but kidnapping Clinton would start a full on war which is the last thing he would want. China are already not happy with them but kidnapping a negotiator and a highprofile on eat that, would lose them any friends they had as well. Also generally visiting westerners are treated like kings in NKorea so they take good stories back outside. My friend who went to North Korea for a holiday was given sumptious banquets every night and lived very very well and he's hardly an influential person who can convince the world NKorea is a pardise.

08-04-2009, 07:33 PM	#7
Kepor pretty cool guy Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 814	Weighing in now that I'm done with work -- If Kim Jong-Il had tried anything with Bill Clinton, that would be it. Done, over, go fuck yourself, you're through here. Clinton is very possibly the second most popular American in the world, and taking him hostage would have been... I don't want to say risky, because that understates the boneheadedness of such a move. Perhaps closer to lighting a bear cub on fire, and then wondering why you get mauled. I'm glad he got the reporters released, at any rate.