Tuesday, August 4, 2009

North Korean Hostages Freed

by Eyck Freymann

I penned an editorial for the Huffington Post a couple of months ago when journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were captured and detained by the rogue state. Today, it appears that they have been pardoned by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il following a visit from former president Bill Clinton. Though this was clearly organized beforehand, it marks the first real voluntary concession from Kim in recent memory - and a major diplomatic achievement by the Obama administration. Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee can now return to their families, a beautiful and intensely symbolic event.

In fact, the BBC reports that they are returning home tonight. I hope for their sakes that it's not all alone on the plane with Bill.

Hillary hopes so too.

Posted by Eyck Freymann

1 comment:

Unknown said...

It's curious that hostage holding is no more terrorism, but international affairs.

All rogues states are now taking hostages to obtain advantages.
North Korea, Libya, Myanmar, Iran...They all used western citizen detention as a medium to change the focus of medias (Clotilde Reiss case in Iran) or obtain new possibilities (Bulgarian nurses in Libya.)

Should we accept this evolution as normal, or continue to send uncertain parralel diplomacy to keep it pseudo-exceptionnal?
Anyway, can someone explain me why spouses of diplomatic leaders are in charge? (Sarkozy's ex wife, or Clinton ex future ex husband...)


[P.S: Apologies for my english.]

August 19, 2009 at 8:47 AM

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