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Re: North Korea detains 2 American journalists
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two U.S. journalists have been taken into custody, apparently by North Korean border guards, in the area of the Tuman River marking the border between North Korea and China, the U.S. State department said.
A State Department official tells CNN the United States is working with the Chinese government on the case and has expressed Washington's concern to North Korea through the Swedish Embassy in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. Sweden represents the United States in North Korea since the United States does not have diplomatic relations with the North.
Media reports have identified the women as Laura Ling and Euna Lee, from the online news outlet called Current TV, co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore. The State Department is not confirming the women's names and is not saying where the women are being held.
Gore has asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for help, a senior administration official told CNN. "She is very engaged and is following it closely," the official said.
CNN has learned that the two were a part of a group of four who were filming near the Tuman River area, on the border between China and North Korea. As the North Korean guards tried to arrest them, an American male and a Chinese driver fled; the two women were caught.
The arrest was made early Tuesday.
Officials said the State Department is trying to pin down exactly whether the journalists were on the Chinese side of the border or on the North Korean side when they were caught.
The women were caught in the middle of the frozen Tumen River, where the border between the two countries is not clearly marked, a senior administration official said.
In addition to working through the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang -- the U.S. protective power in the absence of formal U.S.-North Korean ties -- Washington is also seeking help from the Chinese.
A Chinese official told CNN Beijing is investigating. U.S. officials have also reached out to the North Korean mission to the United Nations, a common way of communicating with Pyongyang.
Before they went into North Korea, the group was on a fact-finding mission to South Korea. They talked to a few local journalists, then enlisted the help of a South Korean pastor who helps North Korean refugees flee the North.
Tensions with North Korea have been high for months, as the North has announced it is preparing to launch a missile carrying what it describes as a communications satellite. The United States and several other Western governments say that the missile could be used to launch a nuclear warhead and that any launch would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions. The missile, a Taepodong-2, is thought to have an intended range of about 4,200 miles (about 6,800 kilometers).
North Korea accuses the United States and South Korea of threatening its security by engaging in military exercises, which end March 20.
The incident comes as North Korean Prime Minister Kim Yong Il is visiting Beijing.
Re: North Korea detains 2 American journalists
This is simply unacceptable. Obama should already be on TV demanding the immediate and unconditional release of these journalists. Military action should be threatened(at least behind the scenes) if necessary.
If he is another Jimmy Carter, God help us all.
Flagg, when you log in, give us an opinion from a military perspective. Do you think a strike of some sort is warranted if North Korea refuses to release these journalists and turn this into some sort of political game?
Re: North Korea detains 2 American journalists
The hostages are not at fault. They were not even in North Korean territory, and this appears to be some sort of border skirmish to create a crisis.
If Reagan was president we'd already have Navy Seals, CIA task forces, and a strong naval presence in the area in the event Reagan gives it the go ahead. Instead, we're probably gonna suck Korean dick raw and bone dry.
The US needs to take an immediate hard line stance on this issue. I don't give two shits about whether or not these journalists are liberals or conservatives. They're americans first, and them being held hostage by a communist regime is unacceptable in any regard.
Re: North Korea detains 2 American journalists
I've never understood, why is communism such a dirty word in America?
It's not the idea of a communist economy for reasonable Americans, it's the human rights issues like James said.
Obama needs to take action immediately on this. This is unacceptable.
Re: North Korea detains 2 American journalists
Has it always been about human rights? What about during the 50s and 60s when suspicion of having some communist ideals could get you arrested? Mabye I've just watched too much TV about America , it all just seemed like sensationalised scare mongering.
Re: North Korea detains 2 American journalists
Has it always been about human rights? What about during the 50s and 60s when suspicion of having some communist ideals could get you arrested? Mabye I've just watched too much TV about America , it all just seemed like sensationalised scare mongering.
During that time period though the main communist power in the world was the Soviet Union, and they treated their own people awfully. So a lot of Americans just assumed that came with the communist economy. Although, it does seem to be the case, just look at China as well.
Communism survives on the idea of scarcity and a low faith in humanity. Everyone is fighting for scarce resources, so instead of fighting everyone else, give one group the power and have them distribute the resources among the people as they see fit. And they will argue that this type of situation, even if the people will all the guns are corrupt, is better than everyone against everyone. (coming from Hobbes' Leviathan) That's an oversimplification of course, but that's basically where communism got its roots. Then Marx comes along later and will expand upon those principles and will actually say that all nations will eventually convert to communism and communism is the natural end of humanity (end as in end goal, not demise).
