What a dramatic ending to a dangerous and risky situation with the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee from North Korea today. Although Bill Clinton went to North Korea as a private citizen, no one in this country or especially in North Korea saw him that way. The coverage shows that North Korea acted as though this was an official state visit with the greeting at the airport by high officials, the dinner with Kim Jong-Il and the photo ops. No doubt, North Korea will use this event to try to re-instate their standing within the community of nations. From all reports, it was North Korea which demanded a visit from someone with the stature of a former president before it would consider releasing the two women. In other words, blackmail. Tonight, there can be nothing but euphoria by the families of the two journalists that they are safely on their way home. And I am sure most of us share that euphoria and great admiration for Bill Clinton for his willingness to participate in this staged negotiation in order to bring the women home.
Unfortunately, there may be serious consequences from this release. Has it set a precedent? Will Iran try to replicate this scenario before we can gain the release of the three hikers captured on the Iran-Iraqi border this week? Both North Korea and Iran are suffering from international censure because of their nuclear programs. The U.S. has been in the forefront of this international pressure and isolation of the two nations in order to pressure them to alter their programs and nuclear agenda. Will the U.S. have to ease up on this pressure on North Korea as part of the deal to gain the release of Ling and Lee? And will the U.S. have to also back down on its criticism of Iran in order to gain freedom for the three students currently held in Iran? Did North Korea and will Iran use captured Americans as bargaining chips?
Is the price of freedom for Laura Ling and Euna Lee and (hopefully) the future release of the three students too high? What do you think?
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I can't believe we have to lower ourselves to negotiate with Kim Jong Il. All ended well with the path of least resistance, but North Korea is getting annoying.
ReplyDeleteNorth Korea craves the attention and to promote itself as a legitamite world power. Everybody in the world (other than the NK people) knows the meeting was a charade. Was it too much to pay? Clinton didn't give them any nuclear reactors this time, did he? As long as we didn't concede anything in the on going negotiations, it was just a Bill Clinton rode trip to pick-up a couple girls.
ReplyDeleteAs for Iran, their motives are completely different. They strive to humiliate the West, to prove themselves superior. A photo op with an ex-president won't gain the hikers release. Hiliary Clinton wearing a burka bowing to the Alyatollah would be more what they would want.
I'm glad the journalist are home without jeopardizing our negotiations with NK. Hopefully the hiker will be released soon. But as I have said before naive people doing stupid things should jeopardize the safety and interests of the United States. Sorry guys, next time hike the Appalachian Trail.
North Korea and Iran are a bit different. North Korea craves the kind of Bill Clinton-visiting attention to fulfill their sense of self worth in the community of nations. I don't think Iran shares that feeling. In fact, if for no other reason, a Bill Clinton like visit won't happen because I doubt Iran would even allow it.
ReplyDeleteI doubt Clinton had to give up anything; just the visit.
Was Bill Clinton's visit for the international audience or for domestic consumption? With North Koreans being so isolated and information so controlled by the state, wasn't this mainly to make the "Dear Leader" look powerful and respected at a time when his health has thrown political power and his ability to pick his successor in turmoil?
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