By Still no word on the fate of the two American reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee. The silence out of North Korea has brought Hillary Clinton to comment on the two reporters’ status:
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Friday urged North Korea to free two American journalists held for alleged illegal entry while on a reporting tour.
“We call again on the North Korean government to release them and enable them to come home as soon as possible,” Clinton told reporters in a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
It was the second time in as many days that she has called on the reclusive North to release Euna Lee and Laura Ling, reporters for Current TV, a San Francisco-based Internet news outlet, who were taken into custody along the Chinese border with North Korea on March 17 while working on a story about North Korean refugees.
The top U.S. diplomat also told a Fox News program late Thursday that “We are clear in our position that the charges against these two young women should have never been brought. They should be released.” [Yonhap]
By saying no charges should have been brought against the reporters is Clinton hinting that they did not in fact walk into North Korea? In other news in this case the Global Security Report believes they were captured in Chinese territory and that they forced to confess to intruding into North Korea:
For Americans, it is a personal tragedy for two U.S. citizens, American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Like so many others we have maintained a
vigil for the American journalists since their unlawful capture by North Korean soldiers in what we believe to be Chinese territory.4 We
were outraged at their interrogation by DPRK military intelligence and their undoubtedly forced confessions of still unspecified “hostile
acts.”5 Their show trial began Thursday. Korean analysts believe their conviction is a certainty, as the kangaroo court is just the next link
in a daisy chain of purely political decisions that have already been made. [Global Security Report]
Finally I agree with Liberate Laura that this soccer match in Pyongyang is quite surreal:
It seems almost impossible to reconcile, but on Saturday, June 6th at 5 p.m. local time, in the same city where Laura Ling and Euna Lee were previously scheduled to be brought up on internationally objectionable charges, two countries will square off in a World Cup of Soccer qualifying match. The contest is jarring not just because of its timing but also because of the two jerseyed participants.
One upon a time, Iran and North Korea were – along with Iraq – part of the infamous “Axis of Evil.” Now, in the city of Pyongyang, these two teams represent countries that have, respectively, detained-released American journalist Roxana Saberi and detained-and-hopefully-will-soon release American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee.
One Free Korea wonders what the threat of financial sanctions will have on the results of the reporters’ trial.
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4:08 am on June 6th, 2009 1
“We are clear in our position that the charges against these two young women should have never been brought. They should be released.”
This is an interesting statement by Hillary. I do wonder if it means something.
I am no diplomat (obviously) but it sure does seem to be an over-diplomatic way of saying, "You rat-bastards kidnapped two of our citizens from China and now you want to try them for illegal entry?"… if that were the case.
"Like so many others we have maintained a vigil for the American journalists since their unlawful capture by North Korean soldiers in what we believe to be Chinese territory."
This is also an interesting statement… mostly because no reason for this belief is cited.
12:18 pm on June 6th, 2009 2
Please update me on what 'Al Gore' is doing for his employees?
10:14 pm on June 6th, 2009 3
The State Department should release a warning to U.S. Citizens not to travel to Northeast China over fears of kidnappings.
10:53 pm on June 6th, 2009 4
The white woman who was a hostage of Iran had far more American media publicity than these two Asians.
1:04 am on June 7th, 2009 5
Tom, Tom, Tom…
She was white if you consider half Iranian and half Japanese to be white.
2:38 am on June 7th, 2009 6
Tom, the race baiter. Along with your "facts", try getting a life.
4:47 am on June 7th, 2009 7
State Department is probobly keeping that option open if things get really bad. Kind of a "see NK we can play tough too."
7:55 am on June 7th, 2009 8
What ever happened to the camera man that was with them up to when the North Korean guards got the 2 women? It was reported that he escaped. Nothing reported on what he said really happened.
10:07 am on June 7th, 2009 9
Bruce he has refused to be interviewed likely at the request of the State Dept. If he comes out and says that the two were grabbed on the Chinese side of the border that could effect their trial. The real question is where happened to their Chinese guide who has mysteriously disappeared.
2:44 pm on June 7th, 2009 10
DPRK Studies is saying,
"The two reporters were arrested on the Chinese side of the North Korea-Chinese border on 17 March after briefing (sic) crossing into North Korea to conduct interviews. Some analysts believe the two, acting as pawns in the current struggle between North Korea and the U.S., will receive long sentences in labor camps."
There is no source for this belief… but it pretty much covers all the bases.
Based on my understanding of the boarder situation, I believe these reporters entered North Korea. My observation is that everyone in a position to know what happened knows it and is talking around it.
Once this is all done, I believe hindsight will be 20/20.