Freed, fired Fowle flies to family
North Korea has released Jeffrey Fowle, one of its three American hostages. We learn this from, among other sources, an AP report — filed from Washington, following a State Department announcement.
In addition to spending five months in North Korea’s gulag lite, Fowle lost his job during his confinement. He can’t sue North Korea because of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, but I do hope he at least sues the company that sold him his tour. Also, as taxpayers, we deserve our own cut of the proceeds for the cost of that flight, and for anything we paid Kim Jong Un to ransom this schlamassel out.
It was unclear whether the U.S. and the North had negotiated Fowle’s release or if the North was offered any concession from the U.S. in exchange for the release.
But State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said at a regular press briefing that she will “let the North Koreans speak for themselves about why they decided to do this, why now,” strongly suggesting that the release was a unilateral decision by the North, not a product of negotiations between the two countries.
That’s not exactly a denial, now, is it?
The widespread view has been that the North wants to use the three Americans as leverage to reopen negotiations with Washington. Pyongyang has indicted (sic) such intentions, displaying the three before U.S. TV cameras in interviews where they asked their government in Washington to send a high-level special envoy to Pyongyang.
I see that I share a widespread view, but I promise not to make a habit of it. Anyway, let it be a lesson to good people everywhere to stay the f … to stay out of North Korea. Hat tips and thanks to several of you.
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Update: This is a denial. Secretary of State Kerry flatly denies any “quid pro quo.”