Bill and Al: Buddies Again?

Ling, Lee could be back in US tomorrow: official

(NEWSER) - Kim Jong Il has pardoned two American journalists who had been sentenced to hard labor for entering North Korea illegally, and ordered their release during the visit of former President Bill Clinton, the AP reports. Clinton had an emotional meeting today with the two women, an official tells ABC News, adding that Laura Ling and Euna Lee may return to the US tomorrow. Clinton himself left North Korea this evening. Al Gore, who founded the TV outlet where Ling and Lee worked, initially asked Clinton to visit North Korea, ABC notes. More»

(NEWSER) - The release of Euna Lee and Laura Ling has catapulted Bill Clinton back onto the world stage, but as the New York Times reports, the former president—and husband of the secretary of State—was only selected for the role a few days ago. Hillary Clinton proposed several envoys for mission, including Al Gore and Bill Richardson, before her husband emerged as the North Koreans' preferred choice. It was Gore, whose Current TV employs Lee and Ling, who asked Clinton to travel to Pyongyang. More»

(NEWSER) - Bill Clinton is in North Korea, where he will attempt to secure the freedom of two American journalists imprisoned since March, Reuters reports, citing South and North Korean news agencies. "As soon as he arrives, he will be entering negotiations," said a source. The White House and State Department declined comment. Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced in June to 12 years' hard labor. They work for Current TV, co-founded by Clinton's VP, Al Gore. More»

(NEWSER) - North Korea’s sentencing of two US journalists to hard labor further complicates relations between the nations, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The White House seeks tougher UN sanctions against North Korea after it tested a nuclear bomb last month, and experts say the sentences’ timing is no coincidence. “Undoubtedly the North Koreans view [the journalists] as a trump card,” one says. More»

(NEWSER) - The same sprawling network of business and political contacts that caused trouble with Hillary Clinton's confirmation as secretary of state helped her husband secure the release of Euna Lee and Laura Ling, the Washington Post reports. Private donors paid for Bill Clinton's trip to North Korea, and the former president handpicked the team that came with him, which included his former chief of staff. More»