Clinton Successful in North Korea? Not So Much
When former President Bill Clinton travelled to North Korea earlier this week in order to convince Pyongyang to release two American journalists it accused of spying, many (especially conservative) commentators worried his trip would be in vain and perhaps even counterproductive. Since the two were released yesterday we can now say that these concerns were at least partially unfounded.
That is of course exceptionally good news. Every government has the responsibility to protect its citizens, no matter where they are. Although Clinton is not an official member of the Obama administration it is clear that he represented the White House during his trip. At least unofficially; he is a former president, a Democrat and his wife is Obama’s secretary of state.
Clinton had to act unofficially because the United States does not negotiate with terrorists. And make no mistake about it, that is exactly what the communists in charge of North Korea are. It is a terrorist state; it supports terrorist organizations, arrests innocent Americans in order to blackmail Washington D.C. and develops high-tech weapons and even WMD’s and tests them in an attempt to blackmail the region.
This is why Obama himself could not go to North Korea and why he sent Clinton.
In any case, the two journalists were released. In that regard we can say that the White House made the right decision to send the former president. As said, every government has the responsibility to protect its citizens and that is exactly what the Obama administration did yesterday. In this regard, then, Clinton’s trip constitutes a victory.
Sadly, politically it is an entirely different story altogether. According to several reports, this trip was not Clinton’s but the United Nations’ initiative. A North Korea delegation can be found near this organization’s headquarters. The UN negotiated between the two countries involved – which is reasonably normal considering the fact that the US does not want to negotiate directly with the communists of Pyongyang. It is rather hypocritical, however, that the White House did agree to negotiate with them indirectly. Through the UN or through one-on-one talks; the North does not care, as long as it can bully around the world’s only superpower.
North Korea told the US that it would only release the journalists if a well known politician would visit the country for a photo-op. The White House suggested Bill Richardson. No, he was not well known, the communists said. Next Obama et al. said former Vice President Al Gore might be willing to go on a trip and play the hero. Again the North declined the offer. Lastly, Bill Clinton was suggested. A former president, a man loved around the world; the perfect candidate. The North finally agreed. That was one heck of a diplomatic victory for the Asian state. They will use the photo-op to deceive their own people about their power and they will once again be respected (and feared) by other governments in the region; humiliating a superpower has that effect.
Additionally, many (probably rightly) fear that this was not the only concession the US agreed to. History has shown us that whenever the West gives North Korea something, it means America will lose a whole lot of money in so-called aid. ‘Aid’ that goes straight into the pockets of members of the regime, while their people are starving to death.
Pyongyang has played this game of blackmail for many decades already. Every single time it has engaged in it, it got away with it, this time is no exception. The money will undoubtedly be used by the regime to hang on to power. Clinton’s and Obama’s decision to give in to the North’s demands, then, probably means that the North Korean people will suffer longer than strictly necessary.
To sum up, the photo will be used for propaganda purposes and will improve Kim Jong-Il’s standing in the international community, the money that will undoubtedly be sent to Kim and his buddies will end up in their own pockets, they will continue to oppress their own people because they can do so financially, they are no longer isolated (from the international community) and they once again succeeded in blackmailing America.
A successful trip, then? Not really, no.
Talking and getting results is always a good thing.
The question in cases such as these are what did the USA have to give up in return. We all know that NK did not give these two away for nothing. There is or was a price to be paid…we will never know the price but I sure it was not cheap.
and details that emerge now show it was no magical network of contacts, no act of great Statesmanship, no foreign policy smarts.
They were 2 reporters who went where they shouldn’t have been and were held as pawns in comfortable surroundings until the Great OB said okay and Clinton went on over.