Posted Tuesday, August 04, 2009 11:45 PM
More Details from the White House on Bill Clinton's Trip to North Korea
Holly Bailey
The White House finally broke its silence on President Clintons trip to North Korea, where he facilitated the release of two detained U.S. journalists. Laura Ling and Euna Lee were pardoned Tuesday by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il after being detained four months ago after authorities there accused them of illegally entering the country. The women, both journalists for Current TV, had been sentenced to 12 years in a hard labor camp, but North Korea freed the women after Clintons visit today. The two are now en route to California on Clintons chartered jet, where they will be reunited with their families early Wednesday....
As arrangements were made, Clinton was subsequently briefed several times by administration officials, most recently at the home he shares here in Washington with his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. (No word on her direct involvement.) According to a White House official, Clinton didnt speak with President Obama about the tripaccording to Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, the two men havent spoken since March when both attended an environmental event. Gore, however, did speak with Obama directly about Lee and Ling. But thats not the only talking that went on. According to the senior administration official, upon word that Clinton would travel to the region, the White House and State Department quickly reached out to China, Russia and other allies in the so-called six-party talks aimed at convincing North Korea to drop its nuclear ambitions to make clear what the trip was about. (We) consulted directly with allies to ensure that they understood what the trip was about and what it wasn't about, the official said.
In Pyongyang, Clinton and his aides met with Kim Jong Il for about an hour and 15 minutes before the two sides sat down for a two hour dinner. An Obama official said the principal discussion was about the fate of Lee and Ling but said Clinton did bring up other humanitarian issues, including the imprisonment of Japanese and North Koreas treatment of South Koreans. Asked if the issue of nuclear weapons came up, the Obama aide suggested it likely did, but bluntly admitted, I dont know. Clinton is expected to more fully brief administration officials on what we went down in coming days. One thing the White House is sure on: Clinton did not apologize for the two journalists, as North Koreas state-owned media suggested....
