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2009-08-15 Southeast Asia

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Posted by Steve White 2009-08-15 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top

#1 Update
US Senator Jim Webb will fly out of Burma tomorrow with an American convicted to seven years imprisonment after securing his release from the military regime.

"I am grateful to the Burmese government for honouring these requests," Mr Webb.

"It is my hope that we can take advantage of these gestures as a way to begin laying a foundation of goodwill and confidence-building in the future."

Mr Webb, a Democrat who is close to US President Barack Obama, became the first US official to hold talks with junta leader Than Shwe and also held talks with detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.

He said the junta agreed to free US national John Yettaw, who was convicted along with Aung San Suu Kyi after the American swam uninvited to the Nobel laureate's lakeside home.

"Yettaw will be officially deported on Sunday morning," Webb's office said.

Posted by tipper 2009-08-15 12:22|| 2009-08-15 12:22|| Front Page Top

#2 Any word on whether Mr. Webb got Aung San Suu Kyi released?

Posted by Steve White 2009-08-15 13:34|| 2009-08-15 13:34|| Front Page Top

#3 What was the payoff?

Posted by Pappy 2009-08-15 17:21|| 2009-08-15 17:21|| Front Page Top

#4 As a Virginian, I apologize to the nation for Webb.

I didn't vote for him. :-(

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2009-08-15 21:42|| 2009-08-15 21:42|| Front Page Top

#5 Webb puzzles me, Fields of Fire was brilliant and seemed to castrate the media for being the pusilanimous motley they were in the late 60s/early 70s. Maybe old age has softened the man's acumen.

Posted by Broadhead6 2009-08-15 23:48|| 2009-08-15 23:48|| Front Page Top

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