So it was stupid of Clinton to go help get the release of those journalists? Who would you rather have gone to negotiate for their release? Clinton or Obama? Sometimes it takes more than just an ambassador to accomplish things.
I didn't say it was stupid of Clinton to intercede. I implied it was over and above what the gov't should be expected to do. I think the women should feel extraordinarily lucky.
But isn't that their job? To protect it's citizens from foreign malice? (guess malice will work...Not the word I was looking for I but I guess it will work...)
The women were fool hearty and Clinton, as a former POTUS, has no obligation to help them. Think of the other silly Yanks who are being held in foreign jails. No one is helping them.
The women were fool hearty and Clinton, as a former POTUS, has no obligation to help them.
bhkad said:Think of the other silly Yanks who are being held in foreign jails. No one is helping them.
Those gals did nothing wrong. Others more than likely have. You break a law then you deserve no help. You don't then you deserve help.
Didn't they trespass into NorKo territory?
Besides, what kind of illegal entry charge warrants 12 years of hard labor?
If I remember correctly (and DON'T quote me on this) it had something to do with them being "spies".
What about them?
Only reason that hostilities have not resumed is N.Korea has not attacked us directly.
Can they? Sure, why not. If it helps somebody I don't see why not. Is it a bit strange? Yes. Should the Sec of State go instead? Probably. But if the current secretary of state is not very good at the job, I suppose sending someone else to avoid disaster would be fine.
It isn't clear if they actually did or not.
Besides, what kind of illegal entry charge warrants 12 years of hard labor?
If it has the chance to be productive and gain the release of our citizens, absolutely.
At least one of them admitted to US officals that she did in fact cross over illegally.
Baralis said:I agree the punishment was overly harsh but its not our place to judge what another country decides their laws and punishments should be.
A nation that holds our citizens hostage are engaging in an act of war, and what should be sent there is the United States Marine Corps, the Army, the Navy, and even the girls in the Air Force.
At any rate, it was Kim Jong-il's decision to release the prisoners, so I don't see how we infringed upon his so-called sovereignty anyway.
If the man is someone as high-profile as Bill Clinton, absolutely.
And just exactly would that have accomplished?
Actually, if they'd grabbed Billy the Rapist, I'd have sent them a copy of O'Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief".