Congrats Bill Clinton

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North Korea has released two US journalists sentenced to 12 years hard labour following a surprise visit by Bill Clinton, say reports. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Bill-Clinton-Meets-North-Koreas-Kim-Jong-Il-And-Two-US-Journalists-Laura-Ling-And-Euna-Lee/Article/200908115353424?lpos=World_News_News_Your_Way_Region_2&lid=NewsYourWay_ARTICLE_15353424_Bill_Clinton_Meets_North_Koreas_Kim_Jong-Il_And_Two_US_Journalists_Laura_Ling_And_Euna_Lee

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Type: Discussion • Score: 20 • Views: 6,893 • Replies: 83

@blueflame1,

Why congratulate him? If Bush woulda been here, we could have invaded N K and demonstrated some shock and awwwww. I miss Bush.

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@farmerman,

For sure. "Clinton's Unwise Trip to North Korea"

By John R. Bolton http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/04/AR2009080401486.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

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@farmerman,

Yes, you are not alone. Bush is missed by many. (Especially comics like Leno and Letterman.)

It's just not the same now that we have an intelligent, articulate statesman in the Oval Office.

1 Reply

Good news. BUT. President Clinton would not have been invited to N Korea and he would not have gone unless a deal had been worked out in advance. President Obama's people say Mr Clinton was acting as a "private citizen." Okay, but you can bet a bunch of pundits will ask "What did the U.S. give up in exchange for these two travelers?"

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@realjohnboy,

Right as rain,rjb. Hillary would never have let him go unless it was already a done deal.

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@realjohnboy,

Foxnews suggests that what North Korea got (v what did the U.S. give up) is a visit from a rock star.

Quote:

So ... why Bill?

International affairs analysts say the former president offers something the North Koreans crave -- status and bragging rights. His visit could be considered ransom by itself. Plus Hillary Clinton and Pyongyang aren't exactly simpatico these days, after she and the North Koreans got in a lowbrow war of words during her trip to Asia last month.

"Let's face it. He is a rock star of sorts. And they probably get the most sort of payback, or payoff if you will, from having a visit from him as opposed to the other candidates," said Jim Walsh, a research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies international security.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/04/president-trumps-candidates-north-korean-mission/

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

I wonder what kind of "sweet nothings" BC whispered in Jongs's ear?

You don't get nuttin' for nuttin'.

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Quote:

International affairs analysts say the former president offers something the North Koreans crave -- status and bragging rights. His visit could be considered ransom by itself.

If it was that easy, they would not have sat there for 12 years.
America has many stars, many presidents , many criminals.. you name it, this country could have provided it.

Im with JB.. what did we give them in exchange?

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@shewolfnm,

The only thing I believe is a proposal to bilateral talks.

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@shewolfnm,

In June of this year the journalists were sentenced to 12 years, they haven't been there 12 years.

Bill Clinton has an international political star power that no one else really has right now.

Clinton used Jimmy Carter's star power (probably hard to believe for most Americans) in the same way when Clinton was president.

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I'll just throw out there that dealing with the PRNK is like dealing with an untrained dog, you can't just punish bad behavior...

I'm first and foremost glad those reporters are free. It must be a great relief to their families. Forget politics for a second.

T
K
O

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those women got released. lets just be happy about that.

1 Reply

@Bi-Polar Bear,

works for me.

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But, no sooner than getting these 2 young women out of NK, we have 3 young Americans wander across the Kurdistan/Iraq border into Iran and get arrested. Is this our new plan for opening dialogue with countries we don't get along with? Send directionless Americans to the borders?

1 Reply

@realjohnboy,

Quote:

Okay, but you can bet a bunch of pundits will ask "What did the U.S. give up in exchange for these two travelers?"

in return they got a visit from an American president, they got to feel like they got one over on us, that they could manipulate us. We empowered a rouge regime with this visit,a regime that is responsible for the starvation of over a half million people and that may well be the launcher of the next wave of nuclear weapon destruction. All we got in return was two individuals. We got the short end.

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@hawkeye10,

Hawkeye you are such a pessimist.

1 Reply

@Sglass,

Realist. American leaders are trying to spin this as part of an effort to get N Korea negotiating again......they stop and start so often that we can say with 100% certainty that a start would be one step closer to the next stop. these North Koreans are very good at power games....Clinton and Obama are no match for them. we got two people out of Korea, that is all, for what ever that is worth. I happen to think in the grand scheme of things that ain't much. Tens of millions may be dead tomorrow because of these guys. it is all about scale.

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Clinton was successful in 2000 in uniting Korean families from the North and South who had not seen each other for 50 years. He opened a door to a better future which Bushie slammed shut when he came out swinging and looking for trouble here there and everywhere. Now Clinton has reopened the door to a saner policy and Obama will take advantage I bet.

2 Replies

@blueflame1,

todays report of the background story have it that Clinton was the bait and the collection man, he had no part in negotiations. Nothing Clinton might have said or done was of any consequence.

5 Replies

Congrats Bill Clinton

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