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Posted with permission.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/secret-mission-helps-obama-admin-free-americans-north-korea
Secret mission helps Obama admin free Americans in North Korea
11/10/14 08:35 AM
By Steve Benen
Too often it seems that for a foreign policy move to be considered a success, it must involve the use of force. Its likely why so much of the political establishment remains critical of the Obama administration ridding Syria of its chemical-weapons stockpiles no missiles means no triumph.
The fact remains, however, that President Obama and his team continue to put together some important victories that resulted from careful diplomacy, including these developments announced over the weekend.
The plane carrying the Americans Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller and the national intelligence director, James R. Clapper Jr., landed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near Tacoma, Wash., about 9:15 p.m. Pacific time on Saturday.
As the New York Times report noted, Clapper, the nations most senior intelligence official, has no background in diplomacy. But in this case, the White House saw the DNI as perfectly suited for a clandestine mission, which went extremely well.
The Associated Press reported that North Korean officials had passed word they wanted a high-ranking U.S. government official to discuss the release of the American prisoners, and the president and his team saw Clapper as a unique asset under the circumstances: The spy chief was senior enough to convey a message of respect to the North Korean. But he is not a diplomat, so he could beg off any unrelated demands the North Koreans may have made.
When Clapper returned with Miller and Bae, the evidence of success was obvious.
The timing doesnt hurt Obama left Washington yesterday for meetings in China, including discussions with President Xi Jinping.
More from the AP report on the mission to North Korea:
Clapper went for the sole purpose of bringing home the two detainees, although the U.S. anticipated that other issues of concern to the North would come up during Clappers discussions, said the official, who wasnt authorized to comment by name and demanded anonymity.
The official added that as part of the successful negotiations, there was no quid pro quo. On the contrary, Clapper reportedly told North Korean officials that for a resumption of relations with the United States, North Korea had to deliver on its past promises to dismantle a nuclear program now believed to have six to a dozen weapons.
Naturally, one can hope that developments like these will mark a shift in posture for North Korea, though the regimes erratic behavior makes it almost impossible to predict.
Either way, the White House deserves credit for another foreign-policy success story.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)Massive credit to the President no matter what NK sees they get out of it....bellicose bullying may have achieved the same thing "some will say", the usual talking heads looking for a headline.
Why use diplomacy and show some respect when you can just threaten to blow them away?
jillan
(39,451 posts)in Mexico AND one of the guys was a traitor and should have been left there.