In a surprising show of human decency and compassion, North Korea’s madman Kim Jong-Il granted a special pardon to broadcast journalists Laura Ling, left, and Euna Lee. Ling is the sister of former ‘View’ host Lisa Ling.
The journalists were captured by the N. Koreans at the border between N. Korea and S. Korea back in March. They were convicted of espionage and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in a brutal prison camp where starving prisoners are forced to subsist on a meal of corn and water daily.
The women were working as television reporters for former Vice President Al Gore’s Current TV when they were captured. It was assumed that Gore would fly to N. Korea to negotiate their release. But Gore never commented publicly on the case.
Ling and Lee will fly back to the United States on former president Bill Clinton’s private jet today. Clinton, who works as a special envoy to the White House, arrived in N. Korea yesterday.
His visit was not a factor in Jong-Il’s decision to pardon the journalists. But you know Barack Obama will take credit for helping to win their release anyway.
