SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korea welcomed former President Bill Clinton to Pyongyang with flowers and hearty handshakes Tuesday as he arrived in the communist nation on a surprise mission to bring home two jailed American journalists.
Clinton landed in the North Korean capital in an unmarked jet. On arrival he shook hands with Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan and the deputy speaker of parliament. Footage from the television news agency APTN showed Clinton bowing and smiling as a young girl presented him with flowers.
Though Clinton is making the visit on a private basis, the trip could reap rewards beyond the journalists' release if the former leader and North Korean officials broach the nuclear impasse, diplomatic relations and other long-standing issues between Washington and Pyongyang, analysts said.
Shock and Awesome analysis:
Isn't Hillary Clinton the head of the State Dept? If she wants to establish herself on the international scene as a tough negotiator, or someone who can change the landscape, Obama has to send her on trips like this. Bill comes in goodwill, he arrives as a diplomat with a positive international reputation to many. With that said, you gotta wonder when Hillary will escape Bill's shadow on the chess board.
How soon will people make the comparison of this trip to Nixon heading to China to break the icy relations we had with them from 1949-1972. That trip didn't lead to direct policy changes in Vietnam or Taiwan, the major points of contention at the time, but got two countries who previously had no diplomatic ties, talking again. If Bill's trip yields a better direct line of communication for the State department to then follow up on, then call it a success.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment