An Exceedingly Good Day for Both Bill Clinton and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il

Besides the two young American journalists released by the North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-il, the biggest winner in Bill Clinton's mission to Pyongyang was the weird and reclusive dictator, who just days ago called Bill's wife, Hillary, "a pensioner going shopping" and "by no means intelligent."

The former president's humanitarian visit did what it needed to do for the 67-year-old dictator, who has defied the US and much of the world, including China, with missile launches and two nuclear tests. It buffed up his image at home, burnished his legacy with a photo taken with Bill Clinton that landed on the front pages of newspapers around the world. In that photo, Kim Jong-il radiates victory and Clinton grimness because, in a sense, Clinton knows he's being used. To his people at home, Kim Jong-il is seen seated across a table appearing to negotiate with Clinton; he is seen sharing a meal with Clinton; and, the North Korean state news agency reported that Kim Jong-il had received an apology from the US and a message from the current President Obama. (The US government denies both.)

Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee, 36, supposedly confessed to the crime of wandering over the border of China into North Korean territory while reporting for Al Gore's Current TV on the trafficking of North Korean women into China as part of a sex trade. They had been detained in a guest house since last June, when they were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor. While in the guest house they were allowed to call their families in the U.S. During one or more of those calls they they delivered the message from their captors that if Bill Clinton were to personally come to North Korea and seek their release, the deal would be done. (News reports make clear that the former president did not board the private plane that took him to Pyongyang before officials in the Obama administration received assurances that if Bill Clinton came the women would be released.)

The North Koreans rejected other offered envoys including Al Gore (as the co-founder of Current TV he would be seen merely as their boss pleading on behalf of his employees, and besides he was only Clinton's vice president and a failed presidential candidate) and John Kerry (also a failed presidential candidate and merely the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee).

So the North Koreans in charge got what they wanted -- all that video, stills, pumped-up domestic "news," propaganda -- their leader engaging with the former president of the United States.

The North Koreans also sent the message out that they could deal with the man in the Clinton family. Who knows? They might believe that they had weakened Hillary in the eyes of the world and punished her for, last month, likening North Korean leaders to spoiled children.

Bill Clinton also had a very good day. He emerged the hero, watched the extremely moving scene as the women, one a mother of a young girl, were reunited with their ecstatic families. The publicity is a wonderful buildup for the former president's Clinton Global Initiative in New York next month; and it will undoubtedly help him raise more millions for the good work he does around the world.

He also got material for his next book which is sure to come, given his unwieldy 957-page doorstop of a memoir (My Life, 2004). Leon Panetta, now the head of the CIA, formerly Clinton's chief of staff, told me when I interviewed him for my book on Clinton's post presidency, Clinton in Exile: A President Out of the White House, that he found the book's first half excellent, but the second half, on his presidency, a failure. He "just kind of ran through his schedules."

One of the people who accompanied President Clinton to North Korea was Justin Cooper, the young aide who camped out at Bill Clinton's house in Chappaqua when Clinton was struggling to write his memoir during George W. Bush's first term. Clinton himself says he wouldn't have completed it without Cooper, whom he credits in the book's acknowledgments with pulling all-nighters during the final six months of work. Presumably, Cooper was taking notes this time, for what is sure to be a chapter in Bill's next post presidency book.

When Bill was president, he sent Jimmy Carter on a mission to Pyongyang that no one, including Bill, considered a success. (Clinton, as president, considered Carter to be an annoying meddler.) Still Carter's post presidency missions around the world yielded him a Nobel Peace Prize. Bill Clinton, still in a way reforming his image damaged by Monica Lewinsky and Marc Rich, would love to have one of those.

As a postscript, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson -- whom Bill Clinton has not yet forgiven for throwing his support to Obama, not Hillary, even though Clinton, as president, had appointed Richardson to two cabinet posts -- yearned to fly to North Korea to seek the release of the women, a role he has played previously and successfully. It would not be surprising if Bill Clinton feels such sweet revenge that today he, not Richardson, basks in worldwide acclaim.

Comments

[obiejuan]

Bravo to everyone involved, truly a great day for the journalists and their family. Americans will remember what the Clintons and everyone else did. : )

[William Young]

It's a good day for both Clinton and Kim Jong-IL. As this makes Bill Clinton even more popular than ever, and it makes Kim Jong-IL look like he's not against talking with the right people. I know one thing, republicans are surely hating this as you can already hear them crying, saying we're cooperating with terrists and yada ya, you know the typical fear mongering bs they spew. Anyways the situation was handled with great care and I'm glad it came out positive.

[henri09]

We wouldn't want to cooperate with terrorists like Reagan did. Ollie North, anyone?
Bill and Barack rock!

[trainunderwater]

If the North Koreans rejected both Al Gore and John Kerry, why would they accept Bill Richardson? Both Gore and Kerry (especially Gore) are much more widely known figures than Richardson.

[greenriverkate]

My heart and prayers go out to these women and Pres. Clinton. It was the only way and he did it with great style and knowledge. And it would appear he was the ONLY one that could do it. I am so pleased for the women and their families. Yes, even Obama for obvious reasons, if you know how politics rule. Thank you all for a wonderful act of love.

[sjc14850]

This is an extremely silly article. The entire world, including Kim Jong-il's erstwhile allies, knows that he is both pathetic and evil. Who cares what the DPRK's people are told about Clinton's visit? They are in no position to revolt, anyway. This was a no-lose situation for everybody involved.

[wizened]

I don't think it was a no lose situation for the North Koreans. I think it was a real diplomatic loss for them. As for the Obama administration, including his Secretary of State and her husband, I think this was handled about as well as it could have possibly been handled. I'm curious to see how the Fox News shouters will play this.

[vintagefunk]

You are so cynical, and your words are unfortunate, almost devoid of feeling. Diplomacy is not intended to be easy. All you see is politics and egos. This is about people, and about human dignity.

Trust me, this is not about Secretary Clinton's or President Clinton's egos. This was about getting those two journalists home to their families, and shedding light on the injustice of sex trafficking, in order to begin to right that grievous wrong.

So Kim Jong Il said a few off-color words about Hillary Clinton. Believe me, as an Obama supporter in the Democratic primaries, I have said much, much worse about Hillary Clinton. Much worse! Yet today, I have great respect for her and the quiet dignity she brings to her role of Secretary of State.

I am sure no one is more grateful to President Bill Clinton than the two freed journalists; but certainly no one is prouder of President Clinton today than his wife, who has stood by him for over thirty years in times both good times and bad, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

[jcwtts1]

I just re read your piece and I'm struggling with the there there. We had a chance to get the women out, we had a chance to, perhaps, soften the insane relationship we have had with NK for decades, we have a chance to push the dialogue forward. What the Bushies did didn't work, what the Clinton's did didn't work, so it is time to try something else. I don't think this is a NK win, I think that the visuals cement the ability of this president to work, without abundant ego, towards a resolution to conflict.

J

[wizened]

lets hope you're right, although I have to admit I can't understand exactly what kind of society these North Koreans want or why they want it.

[wizened]

I doubt Kim appeared to be anything besides the childish person that he is to any international eyes for this stunt played at the expense of two defenseless young women. As to how he appeared to his totally unworldly countrymen, that is another story , but I'm unaware of any serious resistance movement in North Korea which could have been set back by these silly photo ops. Lets just be thankful these women are safe and are reunited with their families.

[LMPE]

A more important point is that GWB wouldn't have even tried to do this.

[PWM]

GWB will be very unhappy that force was not used.

[BocaMom]

We need to bring Bill! Obama should name him VP!

[Carol Felsenthal - Huffpost Blogger]

I assume you know that's not possible under the US Constitution. I think more likely is a suggestion i read somewhere yesterday that in 2012 Obama name Hillary Clinton VP and Joe Biden Secretary of State--a position he is said to have always wanted. (In other words, Hillary and Joe trade jobs.) As is typical, these situations are complicated; being named VP would nicely set Hillary up for another run for the White House in 2016, but neither Biden nor Hillary Clinton have ruled out running in 2016.

[JackRusselTerrier]

You read somewhere? Where? Please site.