North Korea Pardons US Reporters

TheLastMohican

TheLastMohican

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Laura Ling and Euna Lee had been found guilty of entering illegally in March.
The news comes hours after former US President Bill Clinton made an unannounced visit to Pyongyang on what was described as a private mission.
North Korean state media say Mr Clinton has now left the country but it is not known if the journalists are with him.
Mr Clinton is the highest-profile American to visit since ex-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in 2000.
The BBC's Kim Ghattas, in Washington, says it is expected that the two journalists will fly back to the US with Mr Clinton, although that has not been confirmed.
"Kim Jong-il issued an order... granting a special pardon to the two American journalists who had been sentenced to hard labour," the official North Korean News Agency (KCNA) said in a statement.
The women's pardon and release was a sign of North Korea's "humanitarian and peace-loving policy", KCNA said.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8184583.stm



How does Bill Clinton pull off this stuff?
 
By being a brilliant diplomat. Hell, his constant diplomatic efforts really highlight the fact that the US fucked up when they impeached him.
 
Shai Gar said:
By being a brilliant diplomat. Hell, his constant diplomatic efforts really highlight the fact that the US fucked up when they impeached him.
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I'm not so sure his impeachment matters that much: he couldn't have served any more presidential terms anyway, and he probably is content to stay out of Obama's cabinet. As this incident demonstrates, he still has plenty of access to government affairs, even though he currently holds no office.
 
Hee. Bill Clinton is like covert secret ops. He can get into places others can't. "We can't officially sanction you, Bill, but if you can get it done, do it." (I could hear Obama saying that).
 
Shai Gar said:
By being a brilliant diplomat. Hell, his constant diplomatic efforts really highlight the fact that the US fucked up when they impeached him.
Click to expand...

Hehe; the fact you like him says a lot.

What Arby said...
 
just me said:
Hehe; the fact you like him says a lot.

What Arby said...
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I don't. I just think he was impeached on the wrong reasons.

Most of the republicans who impeached him had sex scandals.

I like Disraeli.
 
Shai Gar said:
I don't. I just think he was impeached on the wrong reasons.

Most of the republicans who impeached him had sex scandals.

I like Disraeli.
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Thanks for the voucher. Couldn't resist. "Most Republicans" is a grand generalization, though....
 
Ah well I suppose that's slightly better, if your gonna start, start small.
 
Shai, he didn't get impeached for a sex scandal. He was impeached for lying to a grand jury. Most people serve time in America for doing that so he got off lucky.
The affair or whatever it was just made him look stupid but it's not an impeachable offence.
 
Bill Clinton is one of those rare personalities that only comes around every so often. He is the master glad hander of all the politicians.

Not to take anything away form what was accomplished in getting them released, but I think stroking Kim Jong Il's ego by being visited by a former President was partly why things went so well.
Kim Jong Il seems like the little kid on the world stage throwing tantrums to get attention.
 
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