I better write up my review for a Long Road Home, before these two publish theirs

Laura Ling, one of the women journalists captured by the North Koreans in March and then freed earlier this month following a visit by former President Bill Clinton, is shopping a book proposal–with her sister.

According to a publisher who has seen the proposal and asked to remain anonymous, Ms. Ling, together with her sister, Lisa Ling, a special correspondent for “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” is offering a book that will examine the meaning of sisterhood and journalistic ideals. The issue of Laura Ling’s captivity will be discussed, but in a larger context.

Some commentators wanted to blame Ling and Lee for endangering North Korea refugees. I defended them saying that helping refugees by nature carries a heightened risk and that the real culprits are the Chinese and North Korean government.

But it’s over. Ling and Lee are free. There are tens of thousands more refugees hidden in China. The cause I’ve been blogging for over threes is not about two journalists at the wrong place.

This is the last I will mention these two. I hope everyone else will follow suit.

Rarely does one find a politician in America that is Pro-North Korean, but OFK might have found one in John Choe, who is running for the NYC Council in Queens. You should read his take.

I don’t live in New York so I have no stake in this and Choe’s foreign policy views aren’t applicable in city council. If he does get elected, it may or may not be interesting fodder for this blog.

Good news, but at what price?

North Korean President Kim Jong Il has pardoned and released two U.S. journalists, state-run news agency KCNA said Wednesday.
President Clinton met Tuesday with North Korea leader Kim Jong Il.

The announcement came after former U.S. President Clinton met with top North Korean officials in Pyongyang to appeal for their release.

“Clinton expressed words of sincere apology to Kim Jong Il for the hostile acts committed by the two American journalists against the DPRK after illegally intruding into it,” the news agency reported. “Clinton courteously conveyed to Kim Jong Il an earnest request of the U.S. government to leniently pardon them and send them back home from a humanitarian point of view.

“The meetings had candid and in-depth discussions on the pending issues between the DPRK and the U.S. in a sincere atmosphere and reached a consensus of views on seeking a negotiated settlement of them.”

The report said Clinton then conveyed a message from U.S. President Obama “expressing profound thanks for this and reflecting views on ways of improving the relations between the two countries.”

I am sure many people are elated that Ling and Lee are freed, as they should, but I wonder what was the cost? Will it hamper human rights work in China? What if the cost was promises to prevent Americans from operating near the Chinese-North Korean border?

All speculation until further info, but I personally doubt that KJI released them because of any threats or intimidation from Clinton.

One good thing though is now we can finally receive an accurate account of what happened at the border.