Relatives want Japanese abductees freed too after Clinton's N Korea trip

Wednesday 05th August, 01:54 PM JST

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Tahoochi at 12:25 PM JST - 6th August

Everyone talks as though Clinton himself negotiated the return of these 2 reporters. As far as I understand it, Bill Clinton did not negotiate anything.

The journalists' release followed weeks of quiet negotiations between the State Department and the North Korean mission to the United Nations, said Daniel Sneider, associate director of research at Stanford University's Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center. Clinton "didn't go to negotiate this, he went to reap the fruits of the negotiation," Sneider said. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as?nkorea?journalists?held (to use this link, replace the question marks with underscores)

Either way, does anyone know what the US used to negotiate the release of the 2 reporters? The only thing I can think of is money (food/supplies)! Japan could do the same, but for Japan, we are talking about abductees... not reporters who "wandered" illegally into NK. This means that 1) Japan doesn't want to offer money for the abductees because they shouldn't have been abducted to begin with, and 2) NK probably doesn't want to negotiate with money because that would make NK kidnappers holding out for a ransom.

Or, maybe my imagination is just reacting to the 2 cups of coffee I just had.
ratpack at 03:26 PM JST - 6th August

They could send Kitty chan or Anpanman!!!!!
stirfry at 04:14 PM JST - 6th August

maybe if japan ever had anything even remotely resembling a real,honest, strong politician, instead of the revolving door of chimps they've voted in for the last 25+ yrs (and counting)
WMD at 05:20 PM JST - 6th August

If japan sent a politician to see Kim he would just laugh. The japanese politicians just have zero credibility.
presto345 at 07:31 PM JST - 6th August

North Korea will never respond to efforts to re-open the abductees case unless a totally different leader will take over. It would cause too much loss of face, a very serious issue.
Foxie at 12:13 AM JST - 7th August

What about all the Korean abductees under Stalin because of Japan? Nobody seems to be standing up for them and their numbers are way higher than the few Japanese.
sfjp330 at 02:07 AM JST - 7th August

Everyone talks as though Clinton himself negotiated the return of these 2 reporters. As far as I understand it, Bill Clinton did not negotiate anything.

Tahoochi;

Clinton securing the release of two journalist from NK is a reminder of the value of diplomacy, which Japan is not good at. Not caving to the enemy, not pandering to terrorists, but the art of getting things done without having to launch a missile or an invasion. If it serves to reduce tensions, so much is better. This is how diplomacy works. Seems like the only country that NK respects is U.S.
KyotoChris at 02:17 AM JST - 7th August

but the art of getting things done without having to launch a missile or an invasion.

and this working in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, or maybe the idea of diplomacy involves waterboarding and torture?

Seems like the only country that NK respects is U.S.

I'm not sure respect and NK should even be in the same sentence. They've made enough bandstanding to show that the don't really respect or even like the US. There really is no information out saying exactly how they arrived at this release of the women.
motytrah at 11:51 AM JST - 7th August

The two journalists work for an organization that Al Gore is heavily involved in. So that might have helped them get the big dog involved. Scuttlebutt is the photo-op with Clinton was a big deal for lil' Kim.
The758 at 06:10 PM JST - 7th August

maybe if japan ever had anything even remotely resembling a real,honest, strong politician, instead of the revolving door of chimps they've voted in for the last 25+ yrs (and counting)

Very well put!
DeepAir65 at 08:22 AM JST - 8th August

sorry - no-one in Japan has any gravitas on the international scene
hworta269 at 10:45 AM JST - 9th August

a hahahahahaha the American liberals wont help anyone that cant make propaganda for them.
hworta269 at 10:46 AM JST - 9th August

NK doesnt respect America, they like clinton and obama though.
SebastianFlyte at 02:34 PM JST - 11th August

Japanese "politicians" are just a bunch of out-of-touch oyajis. Only a Clinton, a Gore, a Carter, a Chavez, a Mandela or a Brown could handle such a delicate matter well. The abducted Japanese are still in North Korea BECAUSE the Japanese politicians are inept.
mousepotato464 at 02:52 PM JST - 11th August

Japan needs to send one of her former popular, charismatic and charming Prime Ministers to North Korea.