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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Al Gore silent as his journalists are sentenced to 12 years hard labor |
| 2009-06-08 |
| The two reporters for Al Gore's TV Current, an on-line journal based in San Francisco, held since March, were found guilty of illegal entry and sentenced to 12 years hard labor, the North Korean news agency said on Monday. Al Gore and his on-line network have yet to speak out on the actions by the North Korean government -- the arrest and now the sentencing. The pair, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, were arrested by the North Korean authorities on March 17, after traveling through northern China to the North Korean border to do a story on trafficking of North Korean women. They may not have even been in North Korea at the time of their arrest. North Korean border guards probably crossed the Tumen (the river that forms the border) while Ling and Lee were filming on the Chinese bank, according to Reporters without Borders. There were many comments to my April 21, 2009 post when I criticized Gore for failing to speak out on behalf of his journalists. Several irate readers assured us that negotiations were occurring behind the scenes. Then on June 4, 2009 Reuters reported that the U.S. might send former vice president Al Gore to Pyongyang in order to negotiate the release of two American journalists on trial in North Korea for illegal entry. Too little and too late. There's been a virtual news blackout at Gore's TV Current, his on-line TV station has suppressed readers' comments, refused to report the story about his own reporters. TV Current even posted a guard to keep the press out, as reported by the SF Weekly. Now, the two journalists, Ling and Lee, have been convicted and sentenced. Then and now, the former Vice President remains silent. His silence in March, through April, through May has left the two pawns in the standoff between the U.S. and North Korea. North Korea has defied the U.S. by conducing prohibited missile tests. Now they have insulted the U.S. by sentencing two likely innocent journalists to hard labor. It is an embarrassment to this country, shameful for the former vice president, and a tragedy for the two journalists. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #12 Maybe Gore hasn't figured out a good way to spin this story so he's keeping quiet in the hope the MSM will forget about it, especially if he knew beforehand that these young and most likely very naive women were going into such a dangerous assignment. I gotta believe he'd be screaming bloody murder if he thought it would be good publicity. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2009-06-08 14:43 |
| #11 The Perot rescue story is detailed in: On Wings of Eagles by Ken Follett. A great reminder, 49 Pan. I'd rather work for Perot than Gore. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-06-08 12:08 |
| #10 No one is thinking this thing through. Al is waiting for the "cap and trade" program to become law. Then he will go to Kimmie and offer 10 trillion tons of CO2 (equivalent to Al's carbon footprint) for their release. This way Kimmie can burn coal and give up his nuclear power ambitions. Am I missing something here? |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2009-06-08 10:40 |
| #9 Darling of the left, Al "Leave um" Gore and for the right, Ross "They are mine I will getr them" Perot. Who would you rather work for?? |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2009-06-08 10:39 |
| #8 Besoker, since there are two arrested by the NKorks would you agree to have Al Sharpton join Big Al in subbing for Ling and Lee? |
| Posted by: Lord garth 2009-06-08 09:55 |
| #7 Well, he sent them there. |
| Posted by: imoyaro 2009-06-08 09:55 |
| #6 And this man was almost our president. Scary. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2009-06-08 07:58 |
| #5 I insist that Gore "Man Up" and immediately offer himself as randsom and sentencing substitute (2 consecutive 12 year terms) for the release of these two dingbats. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-06-08 07:58 |
| #4 Is is too early to nominate Al Gore for Boss of the Year? |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2009-06-08 07:36 |
| #3 Since North Korea uses less energy per capita than the US, by being imprisoned there the two ladies are reducing their carbon footprint. In AlGore World, that's a good thing. |
| Posted by: Mike 2009-06-08 06:42 |
| #2 Yeah. Negotiations are occurring behind the scenes. Sure. Like the North Koreans will negotiate for anything less than a huge bribe. |
| Posted by: gromky 2009-06-08 06:04 |
| #1 Of course he's silent. There's no money to be made in speaking up about it. Fat f*ckin lyin hypocrite "he playyyyed on our fearrrrs!" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-06-08 05:07 |