N. Korea Sentences Two US Journalists To 12 Years Hard Labor
Laura Ling (r) and Euna Lee (l) are being used as pawns in what former UN Ambassador and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson calls “a high stakes poker game,” as North Korea ramps up hostilities with the United States. Ling and Lee report for Al Gore’s Current TV, and President Obama says he will use “all possible channels” to gain their release. The women are accused of “hostility toward the Korean people.”
There are fears Pyongyang is using the women as bargaining chips as the U.N. debates a new resolution to punish the country for its defiant May 25 atomic test and as North Korea seeks to draw Washington into direct negotiations.
Lee is Korean-American and lives in California with her husband and 4-year-old daughter. Ling is Chinese-American and also from California; her sister is National Geographic Explorer TV journalist Lisa Ling.
Kim Yong-hyun, a professor at Seoul’s Dongguk University, said the 12-year sentence – the maximum allowed under North Korean law – may have been a reaction to recent “hard-line” threats by the U.S., including possible sanctions and putting North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism.
But he predicted the journalists’ eventual release following diplomatic negotiations.
“The sentence doesn’t mean much because the issue will be resolved diplomatically in the end,” Kim said.
North Korea is angry that the UN censured Pyongyang for launching missile tests in defying international will. It’s likely they’ll use Ling and Lee and bargaining chips to obtain aid and other concessions from the US.
I say negotiate for their release…give whatever concessions are necessary.
Then, after we have them, nuke Pyongyang and retract everything we said. Hard to have a poker game when all your cards have been vaporized!
Nah, not really, but it would send a signal.
EricG Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
I’d like to send a signal. I would like to knock a few teeth out of Sean Hannity’s mouth next time he lies about my president.
A couple of bloody little white teeth laid out on the desk … next time that man insults this nation I would like to see a real American step up and put his fat mouth back in trash can where it belongs.
‘Sending signals’ seems all that some people want to do. Really just an excuse to kill someone most the time.
Kregg Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 12:11 am
The Eric said: I’d like to send a signal. I would like to knock a few teeth out of Sean Hannity’s mouth next time he lies about my president. A couple of bloody little white teeth laid out on the desk …
K: TE, are you advocating violence?
goliath43 Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 1:29 am
What happened to all that non violence and toleration of other people and they’re opinions Eric I see you talk out of both sides of your mouth
June 8th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Maybe Obama can make another one of his “change” speeches and “hope” that the two gets out of prision. Besides that, there is nothing that he can do.
average james Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Roxana Sabieri comes to mind.
Maybe diplomacy works, maybe it doesn’t.
We will never know if we do not give it a shot.
I say give it a shot.
Daddio Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
How many times have we used diplomacy with North Korea? And how many times has it NOT worked? There are just some people out there you cannot talk to. They just will not listen to reason. Kim Jong Il is one of those people.
We gave it more than one shot James. I don’t believe there is anyone that can talk any common sense into that guy. Sorry to say.
Diplomacy first then move on to more drastic measures if need be.
TDro319 Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I agree with AJ. I say we give diplomacy a shot. But then again, I’m just a bleeding-heart pacifist liberal (and proud of it!) who doesn’t believe in “kill first, ask questions later”.
Daddio Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
How many “shots” do we give the madman from North Korea TDro? He breaks every agreement he has EVER had with America. How many times do you have to step in a cow pie before you realize the cows just don’t care where they drop their business? Get out of the cow pasture TDro!!!
Daddio Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Be back shortly.
flap Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
I think they will be gotten back via diplomacy. We will make concessions, etc., and we’ll get them back.
I dunno…I think maybe we should ban all American travel to North Korea. Isn’t there already some sort of ban? Exception for journalists, maybe?
Daddio Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Did the North Koreans give these two journalist a “shot”? I would probably be correct in answering NO. Would they give any American a “shot”? NO! Have we given them plenty of “shots”? YES!! Have they EVER held up their end of the “shots”? NO!!!
TDro319 Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
“How many “shots” do we give the madman from North Korea TDro?”
From Matthew 6:12 and Matthew 6:14-15
“Then Peter came to Jesus. ‘Lord, if my brother keeps on hurting me, how many times should I forgive him?’ he asked. ‘Should I forgive him seven times?’
‘No, not just seven times, but forgive him seventy times seven times’, Jesus said.
flap Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
TDro, why are you quoting the Bible? Don’t try to foist your religious views on us! ;)
TDro319 Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Flap:
As soon as I find my Bible, I’m gonna use it to beat the 10 commandments into you. =)
average james Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Hahahahaha
Gotta run out to my monday night AA.
Later gang.
EricG Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
So … you voted for McCain I take.
The guy who would have kept the war going forever and would have beat his chest and screamed at world leaders instead of talking to them.
I seem to get a better idea of what Republicans want to see everyday.
Basically nuclear holocaust for all Americans if what the Republican Party has set as a goal.
Thanks guys!
goliath43 Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 1:32 am
I guess kissing their rear ends is much better.
GuidoVanHorn Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 2:53 am
Eric…Obama has conceded that troops will be in Iraq past his 2 possible terms, he’s given early acknowledgement that he’s going to shuffle this onto the next president.
GuidoVanHorn Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 2:54 am
the difference is that McCain was up front about it, and Obama lied about it (to be fair, I’ll say Obama was rosily optimistic about it)
average james Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Didn’t Obama say in Cairo that all of our troops would be out by 2011. All .
GuidoVanHorn Reply:
June 10th, 2009 at 3:06 am
which conflicts with other things that he and his administration has said…I’ll believe it when I see it.
June 8th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Thank you Gitmo.
No bargaining with a stain like Gitmo.
This is why Dubya n Dick were so idiotic.
placefield Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Gitmo is just a location. I think it is silly that we are shutting it down and relocating everybody. I have an issue with water boarding and other “enhanced interrogation” techniques. I have a big issue with the fact that the prisoners have not been tried in a court of law yet. But I have no issue with Gitmo itself.
Daddio Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
If Gitmo is a stain as you say Furyrus, then closing it will not lift that stain and with someone like Kim Jong Il it would make no difference.
Why so furious Furyrus?
Kregg Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 12:18 am
Place said: I have a big issue with the fact that the prisoners have not been tried in a court of law yet. But I have no issue with Gitmo itself.
K: Place, why are you interested in trying prisoners of war instead of simply holding them until this conflict is over like all nations have done for decades – if not centuries?
June 8th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Im a lil bit curious about this story. Im not gonna call them spies yet, was this a vacation? and they could of just been visiting. Wonder what was found on their person? And spying could include any number of activities, not necessarily for a govt. could of been for a story. The fact that Miss Lings sister does documentary work probably made them even more suspicious. With the known tension not a wise decision to become a poker chip, imo.
Also isnt hope a Christian virtue?
If I say I have faith in a postitive outcome, is it not the same as, I have hope for a positive outcome? just curious as to why some use the word hope in a flippant manner.
EricG Reply:
June 8th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
‘Hope’ is a human virtue. Not exclusive to Christianity by any means.
—-
I don’t think they are ’spies’ but I could never prove it one way or the other.
I think they are both journalists who are courageous to try to bring the truth about NK to the world.
Kregg Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 12:23 am
Craig said: If I say I have faith in a postitive outcome, is it not the same as, I have hope for a positive outcome? just curious as to why some use the word hope in a flippant manner.
K: I’d say ‘no’. One can have a hope in something he has no faith in. “I hope the old rope bridge over the river is safe” is not the same thing as “I have faith that the old rope bridge over the river is safe…”. I “have a hope that I can teach the world to sing in perfect harmony – but have no faith that this is possible. Faith involves a trust that hope does not. Watch out, you’re going to get theological on this pretty soon… ;-)
June 8th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
[...] Tala Dowlatshahi of Reporters Without Borders shares her thoughts on the imprisonment of two American journalists in North [...]
June 8th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Place, why are you interested in trying prisoners of war instead of simply holding them until this conflict is over like all nations have done for decades – if not centuries?
Gotta break with ya on this one friend. We can not detain these guys indefinite. There is no indication that this conflict will ever be over.
goliath43 Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 1:35 am
Explain to me why not… Some of the ones that were released have turned up back on the battlefield. They are POW’s period
June 9th, 2009 at 12:27 am