-> Hello GERRY!
-> 
-> 04 Aug 09 21:13, you wrote to ALL:
-> 
->  GF> Clinton brings the imprisoned journalist out of North Korea.
-> 
->  GF> Comments.
-> 
-> I heard that the journalists release was a foregone 
-> conclusion and that the clincher was sending someone 
-> like Clinton over to accomodate the Dictators ego.
-> 
-> So...
-> 
-> I dont think they were released because of any actions 
-> Clinton did on his own,
-> I think he was just a proxy or a means to an end.
-> 
-> The last time they held an American, we had to send 
-> over a member of Congress,
-> this time they wanted someone a little higher in the strata.
-> 
-> Clinton should most definately be praised for his role in 
-> their release but the credit should also be extended to 
-> the people at the State Dept or in the
-> Whitehouse whom helped with the behind the scenes 
-> diplomacy to have made this
-> all possible.
-> 
-> With that said..
-> 
-> Was this what you wanted to hear or which you were 
-> trolling for or are you
-> going to condemn this post by balling up your 
-> fists and getting red in the
-> face?

Actually your response is quite thoughtful. Do you think that GW Bush would
have been able to pull it off?

The fact is, Kim wanted to meet with Clinton from 1999 but the appropriate
arrangements could not be worked out before he left office.
 
-> Now the next step is to tell all USA citizens that travel 
-> to NK is off limits and if they go anyway and get 
-> caught/arrested/detained, they are on their own,
-> only other person we could send next time is Obama 
-> and I dont think that is wise.

The fact of the matter is, the two young women did enter NK illegally and
while the reaction of the NK government was indeed draconian, it is not so
much different from how republicans would like to handle those entering our
country illegally.

The entire two days cost us nothing and resulted in two things:

1.  Two young women were released and returned to their families.
2.  Once again Bill Clinton showed he has no equal on the world stage.

One former president visits Elliott's Hardware Store on Maple Avenue in
Dallas and jokes about being a greeter while another uses his prestige to
right a wrong and make a difference on the world stage.

Hell of a lesson there, seems to me.
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