[politicalmerc]

Can we send them a couple more?

[lara]

I thought gore was going over there to help them. After all, they work for him. Wonder if North Korea would think about a trade.

[hosepipe]

[ Two American journalists convicted and get 12 years in N. Korea prison camp! ]

-OR- our "dear leader" is more dear than your dear leader(Harry Half-White)..

[doug from upland]

Perhaps Gore will offer himself in trade. He would lose weight and lessen his carbon footprint considerably.

[LowOiL]

[bergmeid]

Heck, I don’t care for the guy, but send Jesse Jackson. Didn’t he get some people out of the Balkan?

[Republic of Texas]

Surely they will win on appeal?

[TigerLikesRooster]

I guess N. Korea didn't get what it wanted. For now. Things are subject to changes. Whatever the initial response from this admin., it won't certainly not the last word on the matter.

On the other hand, this time around it is Chia Head who is racing against time(he is dying.) That works to Zero's advantage.

[rvoitier]

No surprise. Whenever, in my lifetime, there’s been a weak president in office Americans get held prisoner. See also Jimmy Carter.

[windsorknot]

President DingleBarry will dialog with the NK.

[gandalftb]

They went to an area of N Korea that is a broad river valley and the main channel changes course frequently. So the border is not well defined, no fences or markers. The valley is really a broad plain with lots of little streams.

There are many Korean migrants that live in the area and travel back and forth to work in China and Manchuria and then back home. So it is kind of a neutral zone. Most of the streams were frozen over and covered with snow, so there are minimal landmarks in the area.

However, there are large signs on the Chinese side that warn everyone that N Korea is beyond. These two "journalists" wanted first person accounts from the N Koreans on the plain as to living conditions throughout N Korea. They also wanted stories about N Korean trafficking of Korean women to work in brothels in China.

The Chinese cameraman refused to go along. The two "journalists" thought they could make a foray and get back to the Chinese side before they were spotted. They greatly underestimated the paranoia of the N Koreans and were arrested in the nuetral zone and their notes of the interviews were used in evidence against them.

BTW, they have been sentenced to "hard labor". That means they will have to work if they want to eat.

At some point they will be freed, Gore is on his way to N Korea now. The Chinese will intercede and spring them but not until public apologies and an admission of guilt have been made by the two. But, they could easily do a year or two.

Interestingly, they have been well kept in a foreign diplomat hotel and have been well attended to by the Austrian Embassy. So treatment so far has been unusually benign. Hmmm.

[Vendome]

I don’t see the story at the link but I assume it is Lucy Lui’s sister. Prayers.

[Vendome]

Sorry my post is incorrect. Still prayers.

[eyedigress]

It’s close enough to 3:00 am. First it’s Iran and now NK. Looks like Bush was right all along. Alright Obama, step-up and speak without conditions you dumbass.

[Vendome]

It is Lisa Ling’s sister.

[joesjane]

It is amazing that our country is being punked by this little troll of a dictator. Thanks Barack!

[doug from upland]

[Liberty Valance]

This is not good. I hope they’re out soon.

[prismsinc]

WHEN YOU PLAY WITH FIRE, YOU’RE BOUND TO GET BURNED

[eyedigress]

Current TV, isn’t that Al Gores venture?