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How Bill's N. Korea Trip Came About
It is hard to imagine a stronger signal of Bill Clinton's celebrity status than North Korea's explicit demand that they would release the two jailed American journalists provided he come visit. Back-door dealings for their release began sometime in the spring, when the U.S. started pressing the North Koreans via the Swedish ambassador. Eventually, the prisoners' families were allowed to regularly speak with them on the phone. During a conversation in mid-July, the North Koreans conveyed their surprising desire for Clinton to come to Pyongyang. Then, through a collaborative effort involving both the State Department and Al Gore, officials sought to confirm that the high-profile visit would actually result in the prisoners being released. They also made it clear that the trip would not involve issues such as North Korea's nuclear saber-rattling. (Though most observers fully expect that these issues were discussed.) As it turns out, before Clinton's unmarked plane had touched down in Pyongyang, the North Koreans had already committed to handing over the two journalists.
Plantagenet
Bill Clinton used his celebrity status to rescue the two US reporters from the socialist hell of North Korea.
Good on ya, Bill!
WhipsmartMcCoy
"BEFORE Clinton's unmarked plane had touched down in Pyongyang, the North Koreans had ALREADY committed to handing over the two journalists."
Downriver
way to slip in a talking point! Let's hope Bill didn't sell 'em any Nuclear Reactors.
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case1234
North Korea's was a non-nuclear under Clinton... low and behold it became Nuclear under Bush...
Ohh, whats your rebutal... It must have gained capacity under Clinton then made it so under Bush so you say..... Will you repeat that same logic if Iran goes Nuclear? and say they gained capasity under Bush then made it so under Obama...I didn't think so.
squiggy
case, your wrong, they were building nuclear facilities under Clinton's nose, when he was giving the speech saying he had gotten them off the kick they were building them, it's not on any president however, might try pointing the finger at Dear leader for hitting us where it hurts and China for not stopping the proliferation!
jus1drun
agree
Puma-J
Well, thank goodness somebody was able to get those two women out of North Korea.
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dem4life
clinton is a hero tankgoodness mclame is not the president.
dem4life
thank goodness JOHN MCSHAME is not the president of the united states.
we can just see this outcome being disasterous
BasPos
Another low for the neocon slugs. Limbaugh has just "just asked" if President Clinto "hit on the two journalists." Bolton, Krauthammer, and Morris are stupid, but Limbaugh is disgusting. He has always been a bit of political pornographer, but this is brand new.
Plantagenet
That joke has already been made a thousand times. if jokes about Clinton hitting on women offend you, then you've got a pretty thin skin.
Jokes about Clinton hitting on women are just part of the Clinton Legacy. For instance, when Clinton toured Peru he saw a frozen 400 year old female mummy and he said" Hey.....thats a pretty good looking mummy!" (True story).
BasPos
It's not my skin. It's more a measure of Limbaugh's mouth.
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Downriver
Yep, that Limbaugh once again shows the world what an idiot he is. The Big Dawg didn't need to hit on anyone on that flight to score!
dem4life
the right wing porn stars are bill o'reilly and rush limbo.
thank goodness lame mccain is not the president. (not bright at all)
mcmchugh99
Someone needs to remind these goofballs hiking around Iran and North Korea that it against US law for anyone to visit those countries without special permission from the State Department--and rightfully so. It says right in your passport that the punishment is ten years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. That's the way it should be, to avoid incidents like these that cause a major headache for the government.
If anything, this law should be strengthened even further, so people finally get the message that normal trade, travel and tourism with Iran and North Korea is off-limits.
It can stay that way forever as far as I'm concerned.
hardrain
And while we're at it, borders should look like they do on maps. Big red lines running through endless miles of the same looking desert, or forest or water. (Damn I wish there was a sarcasm font.)
rpmcmurphy
Genius.
mcmchugh99
I wish there was such a font, too, because you sound like someone who knows more about the world you see on TV than the real one "out there".
Maybe you think it's okay to go around hiking near the borders of Iran and North Korea without making very sure exactly where you are.
In the case of North Korea, the border is the Yalu River, which is very hard to miss. China is on one side, Korea is on the other, as General MacArthur found out to his detriment in 1950. Even I know that much, having lived in South Korea for five years. It's all but impossible to cross into North Korea in any way without trying very hard, and you are guaranteed to be arrested almost immediately, even if you look Korean. No sane person would even go near the DMZ unless they had a death wish and wanted to be shot or blown up by a land mine.
The three American backpackers who crossed into Iran were warned about the dangers, yet they chose to go ahead. Maybe they were fools or just irresponsible, but that is that any excuse for putting the US government to so much trouble. Three Americans would stick out like a sore thumb if they got near Iran, which I know all too well from living about six years in that part of the world.
All right, so let's say these people were just dumb and careless--maybe. No matter, it should still be against the law to go to these countries even as tourists.
robertm73
Just goes to show if Bill wants to take two women home no one can stop him :)
labman57
So let's see. We had 3 options:
1) Cut our losses and let the two young women rot in a North Korean prison.
2) Nuke the whole freakin' nation. The women would die, but the opportunity to take out an adversary would be worth the collateral damage.
3) Let Bill Clinton provide a pre-negotiated photo op for that whack-job Kim Jong Il, the women are released, and tensions between the two nations are reduced such that diplomacy and talks involving nuclear threats possibly can be resumed.
Gee. I don't know. Tough call.
Of course, if you subscribe to the conventional right wing philosophy, it's choice #1. If you are a far right extremist, obviously #2 is the way to go. By no means choose #3, because that would create the impression that the Obama Administration did something right, and we certainly cannot allow that to happen.
Plantagenet
Hi Labman:
Why do you keep posting your fantasies about nuking North Korea? Wouldn't it be better to build on Clinton's bold move to try to open up the hermit Kingdom, and see if the entire country can be liberated from the socialist camp the way east Germany and all of eastern Europe was liberated 20 years ago?
mcmchugh99
There are a few other options, such as continuing the containment and embargo policy that has been in place since 1953.
Even if a war starts, the US doesn't need nuclear weapons to defeat North Korea. They would lose badly and they know it, which is why I never thought they intended to start one.
No one even believes me when I say that both Korea's really would be interested in talks moving in the direction of reunification.
hawaiianchica423
The Borgen Project has some good information on the cost of addressing global poverty (borgenproject dot org).
It only takes $30 billion annually to end world hunger!
Yet... we are spending $550 billion annually on the defense budget.
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AlBore
Actually, Kim Jong Il just wanted to thank Clinton personally for starting North Korea down the road to nuclear weapons. Releasing the reporters was the least he could do. Supposedly, Kim wanted to show Slick Willy the Bill Clinton Tae po dong-2 missile, painted a fleshy pink with a noticeable curve to it. In big Korean letters it read "Bubba." The North Korean Ministry of Information is saying that Kim told Bill, "Someday we hope to turn Seoul into a radiated golf course with this baby." Bill is reported to reply, "That's impressive, Kimmy. But, uh, where are those so-so Asian babes? I need to roll." After a celebratory "Our First Nuke" dinner with Clinton as the guest of honor, the party ended with backslapping, high-fives, and a few belly laughs about Bill's "pensioner" wife. A good time was had by all.
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RodzillaMcCloud
First and foremost, thank God for their safe return.
Based on Bill Clinton's past with the North Koreans there is no telling what he gave the nefarious Kim Jong Il for the two reporters to be freed. he once gave him an entire nuclear power plant at the U.S. tax payer's expense for nothing in return. it would be extremely naive for anyone to believe that all North Korea gained was a photo op with Bill (I like to take advantage of my young interns) Clinton based on the simple fact that he has shown absolute and total mastery over our current and past presidents republican and democrat alike. the truth, what ever they really gave them, we're not likely to know anytime soon, if ever.
I guess its lucky for the two reporters that they just happened to work for Al Gore, what are the chances of Bill ( I did not have sex with "that" woman. ) Clinton showing up to pick you or me up, if we had been taken prisoner for the same thing in N. Korea?
It has been widely report Al Gore currently has over $100 million now. supposedly earned from investing in green technology companies. no wonder he's been pushing the global warming theory. $100 million is a far cry from the $2 million he had when he was vice president. it makes one ponder how many of his constituents have profited nearly as much as he has since Al Gore, Bill Clinton and the democratic majority, claim to be the champions for the poor, socially and economically disadvantaged citizens of the United States. I would be willing to bet none.
JDK-JDK
Wow... using a story not about politics to rant and proclaim idiocies about politics.
Kudos, douche.
marinersarenumber1
Based on talks with then-president Kim Il Sung (1994), former US President Carter set the stage for bilateral discussions with the North Koreans. The intent was for N. Korea to rejoin the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty, and in exchange, one light-water reactor was to be constructed to assist in N. Korea's energy development. Despite the fact that N. Korea had weapons-grade plutonium at the time, they neither had the advanced firing mechanisms nor the flight delivery capability to make their WMD's fully operational.
Only months before this event in time, President Clinton had warned N. Korea that using nuclear weapons against South Korea "will be the end of their country as they know it." With additional heat from the Chinese, and implied sanctions from the international community, the N. Koreans backed off. The N. Korean nuclear arms development diminished to a slow grind with the newly-founded Korean Energy Development Organization. The US was the principle architect in getting N. Korea, S. Korea and Japan on board. Without this key intervention, it would seem likely that N. Korea would have openly tested nuclear arms years ago.
The notion that any exchange of US nuclear information for the purpose of war-grade materials is absolute nonsense. History has shown US surveillance and intervention of N. Korea's goal of nuclear arms capability since the late 1960's. It wasn't until Bush's brilliant reference "Axis of Evil" that N. Korea's nuclear push was held relatively in check.
Downriver
what a pile of manure.
MariosRight
Clinton is no longer the Prez.
What would he have that he could give to give to N. Korea.
You wouldn't know simple diplomacy if it smacked you in the face.
matthewbenzor
The Neo-Con Bolton would rather have those women still in prison.Unbelievable this goes to show you america who is for you and who is against you.The Neo-Con fourth riech would have let those women die in N.Korea thats real christian of them is'nt.When are the Evangelics going to stop being fools.These tyrants are not what they say they are.Mr.Bolton if it was your daughter you would probally let her stay there.I don't think so,tell the familys Mr.Bolton to there faces you would of let there daughters stay there.America Mr.Bolton and the Neo-Con's would let your daughters stay in prison than be rescued.Remember that the next time you "VOTE" and there's a Neo- Con fourth riech candidate running in your district....!
Thank you.
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