Lets hope for the best as the two American journalists held hostage in North Korea go on trial today:

Two American journalists were expected to go on trial in North Korea today facing charges of committing “hostile acts” for which they could spend up to 10 years in one of the country’s notorious labour camps.

Euna Lee and Laura Ling were arrested on 17 March after allegedly crossing the border from China into North Korea while filming a report about refugees.

The women, described by their families as “very, very scared,” find themselves caught up in a potentially volatile power struggle as the UN and Washington decide how to respond to North Korea’s nuclear weapons test last week.

Observers believe the increasingly provocative regime is using the women to secure the best possible terms ahead of possible negotiations over its nuclear weapons programme.  [The Guardian via Twitter]

I think without a doubt they are being used as bargaining chips and I woldn’t be surprised if there wasn’t some covert negotiations already going on between the US government and North Korea in regards to the release of these two in return for something from the US.  Could the North Koreans possibly use these two to prevent the US from implementing Stuart Levey’s financial sanctions?  Your guess is as good as mine.

I will provide updates once news of the results of the “trial” are released.