Bill Clinton is trying to secure the release of Euna Lee and Laura Ling, Lisa Ling's sister, captured earlier this year.
SEOUL, South Korea - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il met with former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday after he arrived in the communist nation to seek the release of two jailed U.S. journalists, state media reported.They greeted him warmly:
The Korean Central News Agency reported that Clinton and Kim met in Pyongyang and that Clinton "courteously" conveyed a verbal message from President Barack Obama.
According to the report, Kim expressed his thanks and the two shared a "wide-ranging exchange of views" during their talk.
North Korea welcomed him with flowers and hearty handshakes Tuesday as he arrived in an unmarked jet.A thought--Can you imagine George Bush on a diplomatic mission like this?
Footage from television news agency APTN showed Clinton bowing and smiling as a young girl presented him with flowers.
The unusually warm exchange between officials from communist North Korea and the ex-leader of a wartime foe comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Pyongyang over the regime's nuclear program. In recent months, North Korea has abandoned a disarmament pact, launched a long-range rocket, conducted a nuclear test and test-fired a barrage of ballistic missiles in defiance of the U.N. Security Council. MSNBC
Robert Gibbs statement:
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says in an e-mailed statement about President Bill Clinton's trip to North Korea: "While this solely private mission to secure the release of two Americans is on the ground, we will have no comment. We do not want to jeopardize the success of former President Clinton's mission."
