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Investigators vow to leave 'no stone unturned' in Washington plane crash probe as 28 bodies recovered
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Investigators vow to leave 'no stone unturned' in Washington plane crash probe as 28 bodies recovered
File pic: American missionary Kenneth Bae, right, leaves after speaking to reporters at Pyongyang Friendship Hospital in Pyongyang (January). AP/Press Association Images
Released from years of 'hard labour': Two Americans imprisoned by North Korea are being allowed home
Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller have been held for for two years and seven months, respectively.
THE US STATE Department has announced the release of two Americans who had been held by the government of North Korea.
“The Department of State welcomes the release of US citizens Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller from the DPRK, where they have been held for two years and seven months, respectively,” it said in a statement.
The State Department said the two Americans were freed with the help of US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who traveled to North Korea and “engaged on behalf of the United States in discussions with DPRK authorities about the release of two citizens,” the statement said.
A senior State Department official added that there was “no quid pro quo” for North Korea freeing the two Americans.
Their release comes just two weeks after Pyongyang freed American Jeffrey Fowle, 56, who was imprisoned in April after apparently leaving a Bible in a nightclub bathroom.
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AP / Press Association Images - Mathew Miller, Jeffrey Fowle and Kenneth Bae
AP / Press Association Images - Mathew Miller, Jeffrey Fowle and Kenneth Bae / Press Association Images - Mathew Miller, Jeffrey Fowle and Kenneth Bae
“The safety and welfare of US citizens abroad is the Department of State’s highest priority, and the United States has long called on DPRK authorities to release these individuals on humanitarian grounds. We join their families and friends in welcoming them home.”
Bae, a Korean-American missionary, earlier this week marked the two-year anniversary of his detention by the reclusive state.
The sickly 42-year-old was arrested in November 2012 and later sentenced to 15 years’ hard labour.
Miller, 24, had been sentenced to six years’ hard labour by the North Korean Supreme Court following his arrest in April, after he allegedly ripped up his visa at immigration and demanded asylum.
Washington has condemned Pyongyang over the detentions, saying the Americans were held as political hostages to extract diplomatic concessions.
Coco..I agree!! For example I made a comment on TheJournal.ie this morning and it was taken down..freedom of speech, ya sure!! Freedom is an illusion!!!!!!!!
Haven’t the north Koreans suffered enough without the intervention of the god squad! If they were doing something that would benefit the people in drnk, I might have sympathy, but trying to enslave them to a fictional character…
Its getting disturbingly common with ‘liberal’ people not understanding their own supposed liberalism.
They believe in freedom until someones doing something they don’t like, then suddenly they wanna mock or obstruct that freedom.
I’ve found it a better exercise to try to show religious people some respect and try to understand where they are coming from, why they think the way they do etc, and generally if you approach them like that they treat you back the same then, and everyone comes out of it understanding each other a little better. It is possible for two intelligent people to look at the same data and come to diff conclusions, someone else not agreeing with you does not make them a moron by default.
Some supposed liberals need to sneer a little less and understand a little more, when you look down on people, sneer at them and mock them it does not make them any more likely to come around to your point of view.
Ryan, modern day liberals have no idea what liberalism means. The other day a lot of these “liberals” were out in support of the NI authorities attempting to gag that unfortunate baker, while liberals also regularly call for the destruction of the Church & even reported a priest for making reference to the arrows of secularism. Anyone who disagrees with their supposedly liberal agenda should be silenced, by force of the state if necessary, and if you argue with them you’re labelled a bigot. Very few actual liberals would consider freedom of expression, freedom of religion, or freedom of conscience to be bigoted or conservative values. These right-on “liberals” are dangerous people, their fascist agenda is advancing in society, and they do need to be challenged.
The White House is claiming that they gave the North Korean nothing in return. I find that hard to believe. Obama has already being caught trying to do back door deals with Iran. And I doubt young Kim would roll over and play nice just because Admiral Clapped talked nice to him. Obama as already released terrorists from Gitmo to get the traitor Bergdhal back. So assurances from the Obama White House carry as much weight as smoke on a windy day.
I’m always amazed that Irish people who take sides in internal US politics despite having no friends family or connections to the country, I’ve always found it strange and so do they. My cousins have no opinion on FF v FG and they find it odd when a European takes sides in their politics, esp since for most of them both parties are as bad as each other.
Anyone who’s been watching North Korea for any length of time knows they use threats of violence to extort aid out of the rest of us. That’s what they do, but they want it done in secret so they won’t have to admit their insane economic system hasn’t worked.
I’m not aware of them releasing people from Gitmo other than the people who turned out to be innocent , and it was Bush who released most of those, Obama would never release guilty people he’s a spineless wimp when it comes to the GOP he’d never risk giving them an open shot like that. You also should recall if you know a lot about US politics that it’s not just democratic presidents who make those kind of deals, given the Iran Contra affair
Are you serious?
America is a super power.
There actions have a knock on effect globally, that’s why people have a opinion on what happens in American politics.
People are interested in who there going to invade next.
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