| You are Unregistered, please register to gain Full access. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
| Supplement Store | Forums | Main Site | News Blog | Photos | eBooks |
|
|||||||
| Photo Gallery | Register | Members List | Search | Today's Posts | Mark Forums Read |
| Open Chat General adult talk about life, relationships or whatever you want to discuss.
Sponsored by: MassNutrition.com |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread | Display Modes |
|
|
#1 |
|
Senior Member
Elite Member
|
By Richard Sisk
Daily News Washington Bureau Updated Tuesday, August 4th 2009, 4:07 PM WASHINGTON -- North Korea dictator Kim Jong-Il has pardoned two American journalists and ordered their release during the visit of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, say North Korean media. 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 according to the Associated Press. The White House said Clinton's mission was strictly limited to gaining the release of two U.S. women journalists jailed by the regime as spies, but North Korea played up the visit as a full-blown summit on a range of issues. "Bill Clinton courteously conveyed a verbal message of U.S. President Barack Obama to Kim Jong-Il," the official Korean Central News Agency reported. "Kim Jong-Il expressed thanks for this. He welcomed Clinton's visit to the DPRK (North Korea) and had an exhaustive conversation with him," the official agency said. "There was a wide-ranging exchange of views on the matters of common concern." White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs quickly shot that down. "That's not true," he said. Gibbs said there was no message from Obama and Clinton's only role was to win freedom for Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee, 36, both reporters for former Vice President Al Gore's Current TV cable channel. Ling's sister, Lisa Ling, is a former co-host of ABC's "The View." "While this solely private mission to secure the release of two Americans is on the ground, we will have no comment," Gibbs said in a statment. "We do not want to jeopardize the success of former President Clinton's mission." ABC News reported Clinton met with the two women today -- an encounter described by a government source as highly emotional -- and hoped to leave Pyongyang with them on his chartered plane. Secretary of State Clinton was on her way to Kenya at the start of a 10-day Africa swing, and the aides with her fended off queries on what she knew about her husband's mission. Back at the State Department, a stone-faced spokesman Robert Wood had no comment. When asked "did the Secretary know that her husband was traveling," Wood responded "As I said, no comment on this issue." On his suprise visit to Pyongyang, Clinton was accompanied by his former chief of staff at the White House, John Podesta, and an aide from his Clinton Foundation humanitarian group, Doug Band. While the White House claimed that Clinton was on a short leash, Republicans were happy to speculate on what might be an expanded agenda involving breaking the stalemate on six-party talks aimed at North Korean nuclear disarmament. "Maybe we can build on this to do something better with nuclear weapons," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on NBC's "Today" show. Graham said he assumed Clinton had President Obama's authority to act on matters beyond the release of the two women. "I do not believe in cowboy diplomacy," Graham said, but "maybe this is a breakthrough, I would hope." |
|
|
|
|
|
#2 |
|
YOU ME WE
Elite Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: In my skin
Posts: 2,801
|
It seems Bill Clinton still carries a whole bunch of weight.
The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#3 |
|
Who Me?
Administrator
|
Nice, Bill is the man!
BOARD SPONSORS: ![]()
|
|
|
|
|
|
#4 |
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Death Valley
Posts: 101
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#5 |
|
YOU ME WE
Elite Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: In my skin
Posts: 2,801
|
Why? It was with Obama's approval that Mrs. Clinton sent Mr.
The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#6 |
|
Who Me?
Administrator
|
I don't think so, Obama is the one that appointed Mrs. Clinton, that was a pretty smart move IMO.
BOARD SPONSORS: ![]()
|
|
|
|
|
|
#7 |
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Death Valley
Posts: 101
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#8 | |
|
YOU ME WE
Elite Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: In my skin
Posts: 2,801
|
Quote:
A typical response from the other side would be that this is a proper delegation of authority.
The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
Last edited by IronAddict : 08-04-2009 at 04:00 PM. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
#9 | |
|
Who Me?
Administrator
|
Quote:
![]() BOARD SPONSORS: ![]()
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#10 | |
|
Senior Member
Elite Member
|
Quote:
I don't think the end result would have been the same if Bush went instead. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
#11 |
|
YOU ME WE
Elite Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: In my skin
Posts: 2,801
|
Prince, you and I must be very close in age, cause we're both very pragmatic.
The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#12 |
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Death Valley
Posts: 101
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#13 | |
|
YOU ME WE
Elite Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: In my skin
Posts: 2,801
|
Quote:
![]()
The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#14 | |
|
Senior Member
Elite Member
|
Quote:
Although Obama tends to stick his nose into everything he does have other people in his Cabinet to handle situations like this. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
#15 |
|
Registered User
|
it seems like S.O.P. type politics. Obama can't go because North Korea wants face to face unilateral talks with the US. The US will only talk with Korea as part of the 6 party talks. So we send a past president, who is able to make both sides happy. Something tells me this was an outcome that had already been worked out. North Korea wanted face to face relations and was willing to give these two ladies in exchange.
I don't give credit to or discredit to obama. |
|
|
|
|
|
#16 |
|
Senior Member
Elite Member
|
Do you credit Clinton?
|
|
|
|
|
|
#17 |
|
Senior Member
Elite Member
|
![]() "Boy, you are good. You are really good." |
|
|
|
|
|
#18 |
|
YOU ME WE
Elite Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: In my skin
Posts: 2,801
|
Haha..., balls on chin.
The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#19 |
|
Registered User
|
I give credit to the guys behind the scene that did the real work of negotiating. Bill Clinton doesn't travel to North Korea without advance notice. The heavy lifting was done previously. this is just my opinion and is not based on anything other than my limited understanding of world politics
|
|
|
|
|
|
#20 |
|
Native Chicagoan
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Orange County, CA.
Posts: 450
|
![]() |
|
|
|
|
|
#21 |
|
Senior Member
Elite Member
|
I give him credit for having the balls to go there.
I don't know if they were to send anyone else would they have succeeded, so that in itself I would give him the credit. |
|
|
|
|
|
#22 |
|
Registered User
|
I really don't think it took balls for Clinton to get on a plane to north korea. worst case scenario he comes home empty handed and korea looks even worse on the national stage. I think thats part of why korea said yes to this. i think they wanted a boost to the image as well about how accommodating they can be. Colin Powell recently said that the North Koreans are the hardest negotiators he has ever had to deal with. North Korea got something out of this that they wanted. I have no doubt.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#23 |
|
Senior Member
Elite Member
|
There's always a deal going on.
I still think he did a good job regardless of his party or his cigar usage. |
|
|
|
|
|
#24 | |
|
YOU ME WE
Elite Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: In my skin
Posts: 2,801
|
Quote:
Let me say, as a person who broke a sweat in that so called war, fuck him!
The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#25 |
|
Who Me?
Administrator
|
BOARD SPONSORS: ![]()
|
|
|
|
|
|
#26 | |
|
Senior Member
Elite Member
|
Quote:
![]() |
|
|
|
|
|
|
#27 | |
|
Senior Member
Elite Member
|
Fox.news
Quote:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#28 |
|
Who Me?
Administrator
|
I will be curious to see what GWB gets used for in regards to future foreign affairs.
![]() BOARD SPONSORS: ![]()
|
|
|
|
|
|
#29 |
|
Registered User
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#30 | |
|
Senior Member
Elite Member
|
Quote:
![]() |
|
|
|
|