I’d like to unleash Tom Cruise on Nick Kristof:
I’m kidding of course — I’m a fan of Nick Kristof…sometimes. I’m ambivalent about his most recent posting. He adequately addresses the egregious human rights situation in North Korea, as well as the vague conditions of the capture of the two American journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling.
On the other hand, Kristof makes some very…well, stupid observations:
Another possibility, which I incline to, is that Laura and Euna may have been sold to North Korea by a local guide. If the guide said that it was safe to cross, or that they were still on Chinese territory, they would have believed him….A couple of years ago, I set up an interview with a trafficker in that border area, but then backed out when he demanded money; the traffickers may realize that the people to demand money from aren’t the journalists but the North Korean officials. And at a time of crisis, when it is undergoing a leadership transition and a confrontation with the West, North Korea would probably pay well for a few extra bargaining chips in the form of American journalists.
A case of reverse-trafficking? Highly unlikely. Great, you’ve been to the North Korean border a couple of times. That doesn’t give you legitimacy on the subject matter. Do your research.
Why would traffickers risk revealing their identity to North Korean officials? Do you know what happens to forcibly repatriated North Korean women who become pregnant with half-Chinese babies? Torso’s are beaten to induce miscarriages, gruesome forced abortions, etc. North Korea probably regards traffickers as co-conspirators in adulterating the purity of the Korean race…maybe that’s why we hear accounts of traffickers being punished in North Korea.
Then there’s the problem of North Korea proliferating ballistic missile and nuclear technologies:
The problem is that a North Korean freighter is now steaming on the high seas, apparently to Burma, and reputedly carrying weapons. The U.S. should stop it and search it or turn it back, since Burma obviously won’t, but that could easily lead to bullets flying — either at sea or in an incident at the DMZ, or both. If there is such an incident, North Korea may be less likely to release Laura and Euna for the time being.
Well put, Mr. Kristof. Insightful and compelling. Is he on the payroll of some other news corporation?
