Did Bill Clnton Send Money To North Korea

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Information technology took a U.S. erstwhile president with global glory condition to free 2 American journalists from a N Korea prison.

Former President Beak Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore greets freed U.S. journalist Laura Ling.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee arrived dorsum in the The states Wednesday morning time with former President Bill Clinton, who flew to North korea to negotiate their release after they were sentenced to a labor camp.

Iain Clayton said Wednesday that his married woman, Laura, told him through a telephone conversation that the North Koreans were willing to grant the ii journalists amnesty if a loftier-level envoy, such equally one-time President Clinton, were willing to travel to Pyongyang.

Merely there was no shortage of envoys gear up to travel to North Korea and negotiate the women's release.

Some heavyweights were turned down by the North Koreans: former Vice President Al Gore, a co-founder of the media outfit the women were working for when they were arrested, and New United mexican states Gov. Bill Richardson, a old U.S. ambassador to the United Nations whose previous missions to North Korea included negotiating the release of a detained American.

Lower-level envoys such as onetime U.Due south. ambassador to Republic of korea and electric current Korea Society Chairman Donald Gregg, Sig Harrison, an adept on North Korean nukes who has traveled in that location several times, and Han Park, a scholar at the University of Georgia, all offered their services.

Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was besides closely involved in coordinating efforts with the White House and State Department to free the women.

According to sources intimately involved with the efforts, Sen. John Kerry -- chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- received an official invitation to visit Pyongyang to facilitate their release and open a larger dialogue on the nuclear issue afterwards several weeks of quiet direct diplomacy between Kerry and his aides and North korea.

In the finish, information technology was Clinton whom North korea wanted.

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Two senior Obama administration officials described on groundwork how Clinton's mission to Pyongyang to secure the release of two U.S. journalists imprisoned by Northward Korea evolved.

Officials said that while President Obama never spoke direct with the erstwhile president virtually this issue, negotiations were under way within the administration.

During the weekend of July 24-25, Clinton spoke with National Security Adviser Gen. Jim Jones about his willingness to take on this mission. Clinton ultimately agreed to go on the mission but made it very clear in every communication that this was purely a humanitarian try.

Clinton too wanted to make certain, based on the due diligence of the national security team, that there was a high likelihood of success if he went.

"We were convinced this would exist the result, and based on that we could advise President Clinton that his trip was going to be successful," one official said.

State Section spokesman Ian Kelly said Wednesday that "we did our homework ... to brand sure that if President Clinton did have this trip, that we would be able to ... win the freedom for these two."

Kelly said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also had a office in the mission, adding that "The State Department was very involved." More details, he said, will be released.

Administration officials also said information technology was always made clear by Clinton and the national security team that this would be a humanitarian mission.

"Nosotros had one goal in heed, which was in the U.Southward. interest, which was to seek the release of these two U.South. Americans," i of the officials said. "And information technology wasn't in any way about our disagreements with the DPRK with respect to its conduct, or with respect to our intention to vigorously enforce resolutions and to vigorously seek the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."

Clinton and his squad engaged in a 75-infinitesimal meeting with President Kim Jong Il and then had a dinner which lasted a little over 2 hours.

"Then the total amount of fourth dimension that they were in meetings or agendas with each other was about a little over three hours and 15 minutes," one official said.

Asked if the nuclear effect at least was discussed, the official said, "I don't accept an answer to that question. I'm certain President Clinton gave President Kim his views on denuclearization and his views are well known with respect to denuclearization."

While Gore was turned down by North Korea, he was, however, actively involved in this effort from the start, speaking often with the families and the Obama assistants.

On Wednesday, Obama thanked the quondam vice president, saying he "worked tirelessly in social club to achieve a positive outcome."

Clinton's humanitarian help was not lost on Obama -- who reached out to the journalists' families on Tuesday night.

"I desire to thank President Bill Clinton -- I had a risk to talk to him -- for the extraordinary humanitarian attempt that resulted in the release of the two journalists," he said at the White House. "My promise is that the families that have been reunited tin can enjoy the next several days and weeks understanding that because of the efforts of President Clinton and Gore they are able to exist with each other again."

CNN's Dan Lothian, Ed Hornick and Elise Labott and Jill Dougherty contributed to this report.

All Nigh Democratic people's republic of korea • Kim Jong-il • Euna Lee • Laura Ling

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/05/nkorea.journalists.background/

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