Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Laura Ling and Euna Lee to be released by North Korea

Former US President Bill Clinton visited North Korea in an attempt to release Current TV reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee who have been held for months after being arrested last year when they crossed into North Korea illegally. The two were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor earlier this year. Word out of North Korea is that Kim Jong Il has decided to pardon the two.

The release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee was a sign of North Korea's "humanitarian and peaceloving policy," the Korean Central News Agency reported.

The North has been playing up the Bill Clinton visit as a major event and state run media is reporting the visit was used to discuss political issues between the US and North Korea. They are also reporting that Bill Clinton delivered a personal letter from President Barack Obama. The US government is denying the visit was for anything more than to negotiate the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee and that no message was delivered from Obama.

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