BREAKING - Two American journalists convicted and get 12 years in N. Korea labor camp!

KFI - John Batchelor show ^ | 6-7-09 | dfu

[doug from upland]

Headline tells the story

[AFPhys]

You and TLR made excellent observations about this many days ago. So far you are dead right. I hope for the sake of the world that you are wrong about future developments.

[MozarkDawg]

Granted the girls MAY have crossed into NK, but they are still Americans. guess some people have become like leftists in heart.

It doesn't make me a leftist to recognize that there are regimes in this world which do not operate with the same principle as does the U.S. and if I should happen to find myself near them, I do whatever I can to keep myself from being nabbed, allowing them to make up false charges and imprison me.

They may have crossed into NK -- it seems more likely that they did. And I'm supposed to be upset because actions have consequences. I didn't/don't like it when American soldiers get caught behind enemy lines and are tortured or worse in prison camps, but at least soldiers don't go with the arrogant idea of Hey, I'm an American, you can't do this to me! That's how it's coming across, anyway, same as the earlier Iran situation, the arrogant-American tone to it.

[La Enchiladita]

Didn't see these things happening under the last administration. They are emboldened.

A la Carter administration... a la Iranian hostage "crisis."

[AFPhys]

Again, this “I smell a rat” post appears VERY possible as to outcome here. These gals being held in a high class hotel rather than jail certainly raises that likelihood even higher.

[AFPhys]

Great rant about the Earps vs the Clantons

[Polynikes]

“Lisa Ling even had the guys to go into prison in El Salvador that is run by, owned and 90% MS-13. Guts must run in that family.”

I saw that as well. From what I remember she rode around with a senior officer going from one “shots fired “ call to another. The senior officer lamented how violent MS13 is and how violence always follows MS13.

When they got to the scene there was usually a MS13 gangbanger on the ground filled with lead. There also always was a Salvadoran cop present at the scene carrying a SMG. She was always appropriately shocked but I bet if she put her hand on the cops SMG it would still be warm and the rounds in the MS13 guy would match it. She struck me as brave albeit somewhat naive. The Salvadoran cops just had better way of handling MS13 :>

[AFPhys]

The lib MSM will play it to death.

But silence on North Korea concentration camps for North Koreans. Silence on Police State tactics. Silence on missile launches. Silence on Japanese/South Koreans kidnapped and held for years on end. None of that will matter.
-—<>-—<>-—<>-—<>-—<>-—

THIS is the single most likely thing that will come about.
Complete SILENCE about NKs psychopathic behavior.

[AFPhys]

Jim, agree with you and myself.

I don’t mourn at all for these lefty “journalists”. They either are going to suffer for this stupidity, or they will make the rest of the country and the world suffer as a result of the “negotiations” that will come about to obtain their release.

I’m very cold hearted about this, and frankly, I don’t care what the outcome for them is. I’m more concerned about the US and the world as a result of this liberal stupidity.

[gandalftb]

Honestly, they think they are protected by the cult of celebrity and beauty.

In Laura Ling's case, she was trying to one-up the expose' her sister Lisa Ling did on National Geographic on N Korea.

[AFPhys]

Jack, your post here about the journalism excellence this gal has displayed in the past is the closest thing in this story to “touching me” with compassion. Thank you for that. However, as “lawless” as that part of Mexico is, it is part of a somewhat “democratic” and law abiding country, and I’m hard pressed to have anything more than “touched” by compassion. I’m far more concerned about the price that will now be exacted by NK whether or not these women are returned, than I am concerned about their safety.

[AFPhys]

Hmmm... If the Dems don’t go for that, I’ll even throw in the Republicans in both houses of Congress, too. I’m willing to start over with a brand new Congress, though there are certainly some great conservatives who would be lost in the process.

[proudpapa]

I would be heart-broken if all American presstitutes got off this easy...

[SendShaqtoIraq]

I have no sympathy for anybody who goes to these nutcase countries and somehting happens to them. None whatsoever.

[pleikumud]

The only thing North Korea (or Iran) will understand is military force. Bomb them both, Now.

[b4its2late]

Good idea.

[AFPhys]

As I’ve stated in various posts, I am FAR more concerned about the damage this “capture” will do to the US and the world in dealing with NK than I am for these “reporters”. Whether they are released “safely” or not, the price the NK regime will exact on the US and consequently the world is the real tragedy here, not the fate of these gals.

You must NEVER negotiate for hostages, but the SNOBama administration has no inclination to realize that truth.

“If you want to encourage a behavior, reward it.”

These gals made themselves hostages. We pay the price, or they pay the price of their behavior. It is not smart to reward NK’s behavior. It must instead be punished. That, SNOBama will not do, unfortunately for the US and the world.

[fight_truth_decay]

They may have crossed into NK -- it seems more likely that they did

They are Reporters Without Borders. They DID not they MAY have crossed into NK.. with a guide who escaped but held by the Chinese when trying to reenter. Is what these investigative journalists do. Others have been in NK before. They state so in the bio. Only need to read Mitch Koss and others on Current tv Vanguard to see where these people go undercover for the news.

Yes it will cost some shiny new trinkets to Kim probably for Current to get them out..they are like prisoners of war (undeclared) in a way. But then they came into NK illegally like those that come into our country.1 2 Years was overly harsh given the history of like offenses punished in the past.

They were to or were in fact interviewing "the people" for a documentary on drug trafficking, human trafficking, child slave labor.. oppressions from that society, etc. As I said the camera man Mitch Koss escaped. (4 went in-the girls were caught). You only need to read their bios. They are revolutionaries in the journalist field, as Koss states.

Gore and Current (Vanguard) seems to support this illegal entrance into countries where the real news (not government)is uncovered. The bios of all those journalists and related are right out there to read..so Gore knows what is going on. Their bios say as much.

Also, I will say they are some pretty gutsy young people doing what they are doing to get the story..risk of life, imprisonment, torture is a definite understood "if things go wrong".

lauraling
Is the media broken?
I’m rarely inspired by what I see in the media. Television is supposed to be the most powerful medium—but TV news seems to be anything but powerful. Vanguard is trying to change that. We’re trying to provide knowledge and context about what’s happening in our world as opposed to just covering random news events. We hope our work generates dialogue about the important issues affecting our lives. I’d love to hear your feedback about what we’re doing and how we can be doing things better. Is the media broken? I’m rarely inspired by what I see in the media. Television is supposed to be the most powerful medium—but TV news seems to be anything but powerful. Vanguard is trying to change that. We’re trying to provide knowledge and context about what’s happening in our world as opposed to just covering random news events. We hope our work generates dialogue about the important issues affecting our lives. I’d love to hear your feedback about... more

The hidden North Korean gulag

[fight_truth_decay]

Remember the journalist in Mexico was beheaded..by the drug smugglers.

[Fee]

I am not a fan of Kim Jong Il, but if you are crazy to cross the border into North Korea just to get a better camera shot, you are asking for trouble. Even approaching it froma remote location into no man land is asking for trouble. Countries like North Korea are badlands where civilization ends, and screwing around with it is like kicking a lion in a cage. You are simply asking for trouble.

[fight_truth_decay]

I have no sympathy for anybody who goes to these nutcase countries and somehting happens to them. None whatsoever.

Yes til better to be protected from the "ugliness of life"..out of sight, out of mind? Human rights..who cares. I think you all care..that's how you stay informed of the atrocities in this world.

Like these kids in NK.

I think what these true journalists (example) MarianaVanZeller who went undercover to report on Syrian mujahideen crossing into Iraq to fight against the US invasion, covering the conflict between Brazil's Indians and miners over South America's largest diamond mine, rode the “Death Train” to report on the desperate risks Central American migrants take to reach the US and snuck into the swamps of Nigeria to meet with militants fighting for control of the country's oil wealth. Her work has appeared on PBS's Frontline/World, Channel 4 (UK) and now exclusively on Current TV. She speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and French. http://twitter.com/.

All of what they do is dangerous but shows human compassion by putting their lives on the line, are not innocents and are a close band of reporters and camera support. They are not going to settle for being a Hannity or an O'Reilly, a MSM alphabet soup reporter with poorly educated interns feeding them info while sitting in their "safe" Ivory towers, talking about driving their Esclades and making gossip news more important than stories like the above that the main stream media does not "spend" the time to report.

I hope only for their safe and speedy release.