Carter returning from North Korea with detained American
 

(CNN) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter arrived in North Korea Wednesday to negotiate the release of an American held there.

Carter was greeted at the airport by the country's vice minister for foreign affairs, the communist nation's official news agency said.

The trip is intended to secure the release of Aijalon Mahli Gomes, a 31-year-old Boston, Massachusetts, resident.

Gomes was sentenced in April to eight years at a hard labor camp for illegally crossing North Korea's border with China and for an unspecified "hostile act."

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/as...rip/index.html



Note:August 25, 2010 Updated 1322 GMT

Yes saw this yesterday I guess Hillary is either busy or doesent want to approach this issue.

But as much as I feel Carter is hopelessly inept I hope he is successfull in this endevor.

Carter has more charisma and H Clinton and can safely,
 

come to a decision, then he has a different and less aggressive approach,us the I commend him for :yep:

I figure that Carter has no real power and therefore can't make any promises/concessions to try and secure release, whereas the North Koreans would be very tempted to play hardball with the Secretary of State, and vice versa.
Wouldn't be surprised if this is the preferred policy.

It does North Korea no good to be holding Americans hostage, it does the US no good to openly confront NK right now.

Agreed...and a way forward that prevents both sides from 'losing face'.

I wish him every success.

This isn't directed at anyone on Subsim, more so at America in general.

*ahem* North Korea and the United States are not friends, buddies, chums or anything of the like. Therefore if you the American citizen decide that you would like to go to NK, via China, know that you are not the first to do that. Also know that you will not receive a warm welcome and may be jailed if caught. Constitutional rights? Nope, don't apply there. If you were advised of this prior to your trip and want to go anyways (which if you are serious about going you probably have, or should have, talked to the State Department already to get the current political climate. In which case they warned you that you may be jailed etc, etc.), then NK may be a better place for you than the US.

Seriously. My first thought, was , "WTF was he doing in North Korea? "

Idiot. Acutally, nevermind the quote from ETR, if your THAT stupid, maybe you should be sent to a North Korean Gulag for the next 12 years!

Jimmy Carter's Mission to North Korea
 

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4321008/j...to-north-korea





Note:August 26, 2010

Eh, on the part of the US, I think it's best to get this guy out, even if he is on all accounts an utter moron for doing this. Reminds me of the crazy old bat that stalked Aung San Suu Kyi last year and got himself imprisoned in Burma for it (not to mention gave their junta an excuse to keep her under arrest). I believe sending Carter is a good decision and hopefully everything goes without diplomatic incident.

For the North Koreans, I think they're eager to talk. For all their apparent craziness, I'd hope they're at least a little concerned about the freeze in relations. Even if they want to continue playing the tough guy in all of this, it would certainly be to their benefit to have some sort of channel open for talking as well. In the end, I think all their tough-acting policy boils down to extracting compromises from the US and the South, and that only works when after acting bullish they have someone to pester for concessions. I think they'd have preferred a Clinton, sure, but given how pathetic their situation actually is, I'd hope they're secretly quite happy to have even Carter's ear on this...

Actually, I think Obama ask,and he say yes...
 

and for various reasons do not want to send the Clinton H. in which it serves even more NK.

Yeah but he does stuff like this. He's taken on this role of "master diplomat" in his post-presidency life. He's dealt with NK in the past, and I think if NK did anything to him, it would cause an international uproar given Carter's elder statesman and diplomat role. They're not going to touch him and he knows it.

Good on him.

I think he meant the guy being held there, not Carter :hmmm:

The super hero who is Jimmy 'peanut farmer' Carter has saved the world.

I'm relieved.

I'm with ETR and Ducimus. The simple fact is that there are places in the world that are not good for sightseeing. I feel the same way about the three backpackers being detained by Iran. They just couldn't hike the Appalachian Trail. No, they simpily had to hike along the border in one of the worlds hot spots.

Yes, yes, every young person wants an adventure. I'm sure they're getting one now.

wow guys, at least somebody is trying. I guess no good deed goes unpunished.