Update: Journalists Freed, Bolton Complains..... Clinton Heads to Pyongyang to Negotiate for Two US Journalists Freedom

[Drift3r]

These ladies were of no value any more for North Korea. There whole intent in snatching these ladies on the Chinese side of the border was to use them as leverage in nuke talks. Since that didn't pan out they realized they might as well get some good PR from it and have a ex-President pay old Kim Jong a visit on top of the forced confession and show trial. Anyone who thinks North Korea and Kim Jong are not above abducting hostages in a attempt to gain something politically from their rivals must be into buying ocean side property in Nevada.

 

[evident]

Originally posted by: Drakkon
Well Great. The NK news gets to say they got the US President to come over to their country personally and bow down to Kim and plead for forgiveness.
Its great and all these ladies were released but really did we need to give NK this win? And what happens now with Iran as they have 2 more of our people?

are you that unsympathetic?

 

[JSt0rm]

lol. So it worked. i guess all you saber rattlers were wrong. Again. lol.

 

[f95toli]

Originally posted by: OCguy

So it is a civilian's job to "negotiate" with foreign powers, not the department which is set up for that exact thing?

The whole point of sending an ex-president is that he can NOT negotiate on behalf of the US. Clinton was merely visiting NK and had a friendly chat with their leader, the leader in question then decided to release the prisoners.
I agree that it is a bit silly but these things happens all the time in diplomacy; it is a way to engage with to people/countries you do not neccesarily want to negotiate with officially.
If Clinton had no been succesful it would just have been a harmless visit (since he can not offer them anything); not a failed negotiation.

 

[Drift3r]

Any and all real negotiations were done behind the scenes. Bill was there for the photo op so that North Korea and Kim Jong could seem relevant and benevolent in their decision to release these ladies.

 

[gar3555]

Originally posted by: Drift3r
Any and all real negotiations were done behind the scenes. Bill was there for the photo op so that North Korea could seem relevant and benevolent in there decision to release these ladies.

ah, come on, they don't call him slick Willy for nothing. Plus we know he knows how to get the ladies.

 

[Drift3r]

Originally posted by: gar3555

Originally posted by: Drift3r
Any and all real negotiations were done behind the scenes. Bill was there for the photo op so that North Korea could seem relevant and benevolent in there decision to release these ladies.

ah, come on, they don't call him slick Willy for nothing. Plus we know he knows how to get the ladies.

LoL - I wonder if he has a fetish for Asian chicks?

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: OCguy
I wonder how pissed his wife is going to be that he is getting the ink for doing her job?

What's she going to do to him...threaten to stop putting out?

She's in Africa right now....hmmm :roll:
Savoring some black snake?

Isn't it a little early to be hitting the bottle Wiz?

 

[cubeless]

Originally posted by: Drift3r

Originally posted by: gar3555

Originally posted by: Drift3r
Any and all real negotiations were done behind the scenes. Bill was there for the photo op so that North Korea could seem relevant and benevolent in there decision to release these ladies.

ah, come on, they don't call him slick Willy for nothing. Plus we know he knows how to get the ladies.

LoL - I wonder if he has a fetish for Asian chicks?

the tops of their heads all look alike...

and bill was sure looking fit and trim, wasn't he???

 

[Jaskalas]

Originally posted by: JSt0rm01
lol. So it worked. i guess all you saber rattlers were wrong. Again. lol.

Their people are fed and their nuclear weapons disarmed?

 

[dbk]

Originally posted by: f95toli

Originally posted by: OCguy

So it is a civilian's job to "negotiate" with foreign powers, not the department which is set up for that exact thing?

The whole point of sending an ex-president is that he can NOT negotiate on behalf of the US. Clinton was merely visiting NK and had a friendly chat with their leader, the leader in question then decided to release the prisoners.
I agree that it is a bit silly but these things happens all the time in diplomacy; it is a way to engage with to people/countries you do not neccesarily want to negotiate with officially.
If Clinton had no been succesful it would just have been a harmless visit (since he can not offer them anything); not a failed negotiation.

LOL no way it was that easy

 

[Turin39789]

Good day for us.

 

[BrokenVisage]

This isn't the first time Bill Clinton went a long way and took a big risk to get involved with a woman!

Good for him, good for us.

 

[Robor]

Good job, President Clinton! :thumbsup:

 

[ZeGermans]

This was obviously prearranged

Lets not forget Clinton was a very bad person.

------------------------------------------------------------
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Senior Anandtech Moderator
Common Courtesy

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: ZeGermans
This was obviously prearranged

Lets not forget Clinton was a very bad person.

He was a berry berry bad bad man, he came he saw he came again:evil:

Nevermind that when he wasn't smokin his cigar he presided over the most successful 8yr presidency in decades, balanced the budget and built our reputation overseas.

 

[miniMUNCH]

I majorly salute to Bill Clinton...he definitely has earned my esteem and respect with all that he has done after his presidency.

Glad those too ladies are coming home safe.

 

[cubeless]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy

Originally posted by: ZeGermans
This was obviously prearranged

Lets not forget Clinton was a very bad person.

He was a berry berry bad bad man, he came he saw he came again:evil:

Nevermind that when he wasn't smokin his cigar he presided over the most successful 8yr presidency in decades, balanced the budget and built our reputation overseas.

don't u mean "getting his cigar smoked"???

it's just that it's silly to be saying that the gov't had "nothing to do" with this... you don't just drop in at the nk embassy in dc to get a visa there...

yes, we have no relations...

but you can get our friends to help...

 

[Craig234]

Oh, nm.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

There's nothing unusual or wrong with sending Clinton to NK. I'll remind people that there is a photo of Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam, and it wasn't because they got together to play golf.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Originally posted by: Hayabusa Rider
There's nothing unusual or wrong with sending Clinton to NK. I'll remind people that there is a photo of Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam, and it wasn't because they got together to play golf.

They were planning 9/11?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil

Originally posted by: Hayabusa Rider
There's nothing unusual or wrong with sending Clinton to NK. I'll remind people that there is a photo of Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam, and it wasn't because they got together to play golf.

They were planning 9/11?

Of course. Everyone needs a hobby.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: Hayabusa Rider
There's nothing unusual or wrong with sending Clinton to NK. I'll remind people that there is a photo of Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam, and it wasn't because they got together to play golf.

Why did Rumsfield go to Iraq?

 

[fskimospy]

Originally posted by: OCguy

Originally posted by: Craig234

Originally posted by: OCguy
I wonder how pissed his wife is going to be that he is getting the ink for doing her job?

It's not her job, any more than it was Clinton's secretary of stte's job when Carter went.

This is about the former president going, not the secretary of state. There's a reason.

So it is a civilian's job to "negotiate" with foreign powers, not the department which is set up for that exact thing?

Jesse Jackson has been involved with hostage/prisoner release, that doesnt mean it is how it is supposed to work.

Pass some of that over here.

There are lots of situations where direct government involvement is undesirable and an only nominally connected negotiator is superior. Jesse Jackson is hardly the only example of this taking place, and many times it's been extremely effective. These people don't supplant the secretary of state, they simply use another route.

The release of these women is a good thing, can't you turn off the attack for just one minute and be happy for them?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: Hayabusa Rider
There's nothing unusual or wrong with sending Clinton to NK. I'll remind people that there is a photo of Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam, and it wasn't because they got together to play golf.

Why did Rumsfield go to Iraq?

To represent Reagan. The US was officially neutral, but we were backing Saddam against Iran.

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