Posted on 06/08/2009 7:18:58 PM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
Don't fall for North Korea's trap -- Rogue states are using US reporters as pawns. -- Only swift retribution will stop the cynical game. -- By Allan Richarz from the June 8, 2009 edition Print this Letter to the Editor Republish -- KANNAMACHI, JAPAN - With North Korea's conviction and sentencing of two American journalists today to 12 years of prison labor, reporters have again been used as proxies in a cynical game waged by rogue states to gain leverage in negotiations with the West. This follows on the heels of now-freed Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, who was released last month in a supposed goodwill gesture by Tehran. These sagas, like so many situations involving rogue states, are little more than manufactured crises designed to wrest concessions. Already, articles have cropped up in Time magazine and elsewhere pondering how the United States will "reciprocate" the Iranian gesture. The most common theory is that the US will consider releasing three captured Iranian diplomats held in Iraq as part of a quid pro quo arrangement. It would be ill-advised, however, to reward the "reasonable" act of releasing a journalist, given the fact that Ms. Saberi's detention was an unreasonable and provocative act in the first place. The same is predicted to hold true of the North Koreans, according to one expert, who stated today that "North Korea will certainly use the reporters as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the United States." These dramas are the latest in a long line of faux controversies fashioned by Western adversaries. Recall the 2007 capture of 15 British sailors under the dubious claim that they had violated Iran's territorial waters. While Iran claimed their release a few weeks later was nothing more than a "present to the British people," it is no coincidence that
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
(And no, Allan Richarz is NOT "AmericanInTokyo."
I still don’t get why these women were anywhere near North Korea doing any reporting. It isn’t like the rest of the world doesn’t know what the North Korean regime is up to in the human rights department.
If they are even released alive to talk about it.
They could very well just vanish into North Korea's horrific concentration camp system, never to be heard from again.
Or, more likely, they are being administered certain drugs in line with heavy mental brainwashing, and they will experiences severe problems upon returning to the United States, unable to give a clear account of what happened, all kinds of problems. One American that was rescued from three months up there ended up committing suicide (this was the one Bill Richardson brought out, Evan Hunsaker). These folks play for keeps, and I would not discount the situation.
I really hope more US journalists make the trip then.
They are obviously bargaining chips so maybe big Al can swap NK some carbon credits for their return
Big Al is in no position to swap anything. I don’t think they take him seriously in NK.
Believe me. They dont even know who he is.
The journalists need to suffer for their art. HOPE AND CHANGE!!!
I remember this happening, wondering what kind of an idiot would sneak INTO NK.
Well, drunk and unhappy, Evan snuck into NK. Lasted about 3 hours before NK farmers called the local police.
Very sad.
The desire to grant concessions for the release of imprisoned journalists or citizens, is, of course, an understandable one. Intense domestic pressure to "bring them home" makes any hard-line stance by the West a risky political move. But there's a good reason why "we don't negotiate with terrorists." Even it causes short-term pain, it saves countless other innocents from becoming victims. When a citizen of a friendly nation is used as a pawn as part of a rogue-state scheme, the West must swiftly and effectively level retaliatory political and economic sanctions on the offending state. Upon realizing that their cynical game of sham accusations will only bring swift retribution, rogue states will be less apt to attempt it in the future.
Nobody really takes him seriously, they just push his bullsh!t
I think one must agree that Al will boreass the entire NK government to death. Send him!
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