Prisoners Released from North Korea

What were they doing there?

I’m glad that Laura Ling and Euna Lee were pardoned from their 12 year hard labor sentences in North Korea. I’m glad they have been returned the relative safety of the United States and reunited with their families and friends. It is amusing that former President Bill Clinton was available to his wife’s State Department to be the photo opportunity and their escort.

It’s said that they were working in China for former Vice President Al Gore’s almost unheard of Current TV, filming a story about the trafficking of women. Why did this take them so near the border? We were led to believe they crossed over the North Korea boarder without their knowledge. Were they walking around? Were they driving on an unmapped road? It’s hard to imagine this accidentally happening. Were they by themselves? Normally, western journalists in China are escorted by Chinese officials. The Chinese escort didn’t know they were crossing into North Korea without permission?

Why were they really in China? What were they doing so close to the border? Did they just want to add North Korea to their country resume? Did they think it was as simple as sneaking across the US border? Didn’t they know most other nations consider the sanctity of their borders critical to their sovereignty? If it wasn’t an accident or a lark, it must have been on purpose.

What was the purpose of deliberating violating a sovereign nation’s boundary; following a TV story?

What ransom had to be paid to buy their freedom? Was it just the former President Clinton’s less than joyful appearance or an exchange of greetings; or an agreement about something more foreboding, sinister, or unauthorized?

What actual exchange got them released?

I don’t really care why they intruded into North Korea. But it is curious that so much effort was expended to retrieve two fledgling TV journalists and violators of national boundaries that were about something ignorant or clandestine, who probably should have served some hard labor just for being so foolish, and wasting precious resources during a time of supposed international economic crisis.

C’mon ladies, why were you really there?