On Tuesday, North Korea pardoned two American journalists – Laura Ling and Euna Lee – after former President Bill Clinton made an unannounced visit to the country and held a series of high-level talks. The two were arrested in March while reporting along the border of China and North Korea.
Charles Armstrong, a professor of Korean studies and director of the Center for Korean Research at Columbia University, joins Martin Savidge to discuss North Korea’s motives in releasing the two Americans.
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08/06/2009 :: 02:35:08 AM
Harrison Says:
It was a shallow, and successful, bid to get attention from Washington. Obama, who said he wouldn’t appease N. Korea, did just that when he allowed Bill Clinton to go there and give them a photo op with their brutal, corrupt dictator. It only rewards their bad behavior. Now that Iran has three Americans maybe Bill will fly to Tehran and, in between protesters getting shot, win their release.
Of course, Bill was the right guy for the job as he sent Carter to N. Korea when he was president. Look where that got us.