Hey Obama, please don't forget about Laura Ling and Euna Lee. You know, the two American Journalists that were kidnapped by North Korea back on March 17th.I know you don't want to deal with their situation because it might force you to actually have to make a decision. That's always a problem with you because you don't want to make your position know. You are the one that votes 'present.'
Obama says he is the man, and if he is, he needs to give some direction to Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice, Stephen Bosworth and whoever else may be associated with his North Korean foreign policy and get things moving.
And one more thing, where is Al Gore in all of this? Ling and Lee worked for former Vice President Al Gore's media venture 'Current TV'. I haven't heard one peep from him about this. Way to use your global influence, Al.
Rees
Laura Ling, Euna Lee To Be Put On Trial June 4: North Korea
by JAE-SOON CHANG
May 13, 2009
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Thursday that two U.S. journalists arrested nearly two months ago near the nation's border with China will stand trial on June 4.
Laura Ling and Euna Lee, reporters for former Vice President Al Gore's San Francisco-based Current TV media venture, were detained March 17 while reporting on North Korean refugees living across the border in China.
The brief dispatch in Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency did not say what charges they face and gave no other details. State media previously said Ling and Lee stand accused of illegal entry and unspecified "hostile" acts _ charges that could carry up to 10 years in prison.
North Korea's detention of the two Americans comes at a time of mounting tensions between Pyongyang and Washington, and there are concerns Pyongyang could use the women as bargaining chips as it seeks to position itself for talks with the Obama administration.
The announcement of the June trial date for Ling and Lee also comes on the heels of the release in Iran this week of an American journalist originally sentenced to eight years for spying. Roxana Saberi's sentence was reduced to a two-year suspended term. She was freed Monday after four months in jail and international calls for the release of all three U.S. journalists.
Pyongyang, which conducted a nuclear test and test-fired a long-range missile in 2006, had agreed as part of a 2007 pact signed with five other nations to begin dismantling its atomic program in exchange for fuel aid and other concessions.
That process came to a halt last year amid a dispute with Washington, and talks in December in Beijing failed to resolve the matter.
North Korea's move to launch a rocket early last month further heightened tensions. Pyongyang claims it put a satellite into orbit, but the U.S. and other nations believe it was a long-range missile test banned under a U.N. resolution adopted after the 2006 atomic test.
The U.N. Security Council's condemnation of the April 5 launch angered North Korea, which quit the international nuclear talks, expelled inspectors and threatened to conduct nuclear and long-range missile tests.
The regime also said it has began reprocessing spent nuclear fuel roads _ a move aimed at harvesting weapons-grade plutonium used to make atomic bombs.
Washington has expressed its willingness to hold talks with the North in order to get the nuclear negotiations back on track. But the North dismissed talks with the U.S. as useless, accusing President Barack Obama's government of maintaining what it called a "hostile policy" toward the nation.
The U.S. does not have diplomatic ties with the North and has relied on the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang to negotiate on its behalf.
A Swedish envoy met with each journalist on March 30, but the North since has refused access to them, U.S. officials said.
"I'm not aware of any kind of reasons that have been given to us as to why they're denying the consular access, which, of course, is contrary to the Vienna Convention," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters Monday.
Under North Korea's criminal code, conviction for illegal entry could mean up to three years in a labor camp. Espionage or "hostility toward North Koreans" _ possible crimes that could be considered "hostile acts" _ could draw five to 10 years in prison, South Korean legal experts say.
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FYI, Al Gore made fairly extensive comments about the situation, his ongoing involvement, on the Friday May 15th edition of CNN's American Morning.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update. I'm glad to hear that he's involved. I'm very nervous that they are going to be held captive for an extended period of time. I just hope people don't forget about them.
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