Clinton Meets Detained Journalists, Hope That Pair will Return to U.S. Tomorrow

[cal04]

Source: ABC News

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton met with detained journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee in North Korea today in what was a very emotional meeting, a government source told ABC News.

The former president travels to N. Korea to try to get amnesty for reporters.

The source, who has knowledge of the Clinton team's mission, was hopeful that the two will be back home in the United States tomorrow, and that Clinton will depart tonight from North Korea.

Earlier Clinton met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il in a surprise trip to the country,aimed at negotiating the release of the two journalists, who were arrested after straying into the country while they were reporting on the Chinese-North Korean border and later sentenced to 12 years hard labor.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/International/story?id=8...

[onehandle]

1. Go Big Dog! nt

[Lochloosa]

2. K/R

[liberal N proud]

3. Great

[peoli]

4. Obama called Clinton and said, "How would you like to be a superhero, Bill?"

[WriteDown]

5. Or maybe Clinton called Obama and said...

"You need me on this one."

[SkyDaddy7]

6. How about Al Gore called...

Both Obama & Clinton and said I need help on this one because I can't go considering my direct connection to the two journalist?

[miyazaki]

7. Or Gore said i'm too busy brokering carbon credits.

well, anyway, great news.

[ronnykmarshall]

12. or MAYBE Tipper called Hillary .....

Hillary called Barack .... but Michelle picked up the phone first .... SHE got Barack on the phone ... Bo was playing catch with the girls ..... the girls threw a ball at Bo and missed .... Barack dropped the phone to catch the ball meant for Bo ..... Bo grabbed the phone and took off with it ..... Michelle, Barack and the kids were chasing Bo around the yard all the while Hillary was on hold ....

THAT's what I think happend!

[Beacool]

16. Makes sense................

[SkyDaddy7]

38. I was right with my guess!!!

It was Al Gore who called Clinton!!!

I am glad they got the girls out of NK!

[gaspee]

8. Most likely scenario

Since he's the one most closely invested in the situation - they aren't just a story to him - they're people he knows.

[SkyDaddy7]

10. VERY TRUE!

I know he has many sleepless nights since they were captured!

[cal04]

13. sources told ABC it was Gore that called Clinton, Podesta also involved

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/International/story?id=8...

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.

[WriteDown]

18. Very interesting...

Especially since Gore has been awfully quiet.

[yodermon]

20. AWSOME AL. Remember *this* Al Gore from Katrina?

No Way is this guy gonna let 2 of his own languish in a communist gulag.

[closeupready]

24. Al is just my absolute favorite person. You're right.

He wouldn't let them do that to two of his own. He so rocks.

[WriteDown]

31. He's super cereal...

Al is a poser cornering the carbon credit market. I always wondered why more people don't turn to Ed Begley Jr.

[Uncle Joe]

36. Thanks for that photo reminder, yodermon.

[SkyDaddy7]

37. So my guess was right on!

I knew Al Gore had to have played a big role in this...I could only imagine the stress he has been under this entire time. Next to the families of these two girls Al Gore had to have felt horrible!

He is a wonderful man who should have been President! Imagine what the world would be like today had he been President during 9/11...The world was behind us and the Cheney/Bush disaster turned the world against us! Sorry, it makes me mad to think of what could have been...Now Obama has to try and clean up the mess.

[David__77]

17. I'm sure that N. Korea would be as responsive to Obama, but...

...the US is still messing around, afraid of formal diplomacy, so it is using pseudo-"private" proxies like Clinton.

[laureloak]

23. Wha?????

[Beacool]

15. According to ABC News, the N. Koreans requested Bill.

I heard it on the radio a little while ago.

[Poll_Blind]

40. I could see it going down like that. n/t

PB

[Control-Z]

9. This is good to hear.

And it sounds very hopeful:

'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. '

[closeupready]

11. Oh, good. I sure hope so.

They must be so scared over there. I hate Kim Jong-Il and what he has done to North Korea.

[yodermon]

21. Can you imagine how those two ladies felt when frikkin BILL CLINTON walks in to see them?

"emotional", no doubt. Goosebump-inducing actually.

[JayMusgrove]

25. I hope Bill wins their release, Bill needs a good victory

for America, Bill can be another George Mitchell, another Jimmy Carter, fine statesmen representing the USA, and doing it well.

My opinion

[hamsterjill]

14. Continued Service to the Country

I am proud to be a Democrat. Clinton and Carter both understand that their service to their country didn't end when they left the white house. They are valuable assets!

I wish Big Dawg complete success on this mission.

[4lbs]

19. Could you imagine if McCain won and tried sending Dubya on this one?

It'd be belly-aching laughable if it weren't also nightmarish.

[laureloak]

22. Go about it with quiet strength and courage. That's the way

to handle a crisis.

[jkirch]

26. CNN is reporting that the journalists are being pardoned! nt

[cal04]

27. North Korea says 2 American journalists have been pardoned, AP reports

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32277010/ns/world_news-asia... /

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has pardoned two jailed American journalists following an unannounced meeting with former President Bill Clinton, media reports said Tuesday.

Clinton met earlier Tuesday with Kim after arriving in Pyongyang on a surprise visit, holding "exhaustive" talks that covered a wide range of topics, state-run media said.

Clinton traveled to communist North Korea on a mission to try to secure the release of Americans Euna Lee, 36, and Laura Ling, 32, reporters for former Vice President Al Gore's Current TV media venture who were arrested along the Chinese-North Korean border in March and sentenced in June to 12 years of hard labor for illegal entry and engaging in "hostile acts."


North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has issued a "special pardon" to two American journalists convicted of sneaking into the country illegally, and he ordered them released during a visit by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, North Korean media reported Tuesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090804/ap_on_re_as/as_nkor...

The release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee was a sign of North Korea's "humanitarian and peaceloving policy," the Korean Central News Agency reported.

Clinton, who arrived in North Korea earlier in the day on an unannounced visit, met with the reclusive and ailing Kim — his first meeting with a prominent Western figure since his reported stroke nearly a year ago.


Thank You President Clinton!!

[anonymous171]

30. Fuck yeah! He's still got it. nt

[JayMusgrove]

28. Flying home with Bill Clinton.... what a great way to travel.

I hope there's medical staff on board the plane of our former President, (imagine there is)...

These women need a bit of attention, and then can sit back and have a beer, (or maybe just fruit juice and a burger) with Bill.

[WriteDown]

32. I got you pardoned now you can do something for me...

It was just too tempting.

[kirby]

33. Are you making a tasteless sexual harassment joke?

If so, shame.

[WriteDown]

34. Bingo...

I feel terrible.

[kirby]

41. You are the worst person in the world...

Apparently Rush said exactly what you did today and it earned him top honors. You need to email Keith so you can share the notoriety!

[marshall]

35. I'm sure they'll have chaperones

Probably a huge party onboard the special plane.

[florida08]

29. just heard it

Great News..Way to go President Obama and Clinton

oops..and President Gore too

[Toucano]

39. Good job, Bill! n-t