Accused of Spying

Published: Mon, 9 Nov 2009

Description: Iran charges 3 American hikers with espionage

Automatically Generated Transcript (may not be 100% accurate)

" We're getting word out of prosecutors there are -- are not charging three young Americans and they've been holding now with espionage. This would set the stage for trial some video released by their families their UC Berkeley grad. They were captured in July they were accused of entering -- by crossing over the border from Iraq -- family's -- They are not spies they were just south of hiking and made a mistake but it -- cut. He's in London covering it for -- Greg what's the significant of the significance of these charges."

" The -- the official Iranian news agency actually just put this out in the past couple of hours -- for young Americans are charger at least facing charges of spying of espionage. Thrust chief prosecutor is also quoted as saying today that the investigation would be continuing. Into these three individuals in that we could in fact see a trial flowing from that they are being held on what we are reminded here and the very tough. -- prison in Tehran where some very very -- dangerous. Of folks are held or at least the conditions are very tough. The family's claim as you noted did -- they've just straight over the border from the Iraqi Kurdistan area. That's where there were rescued by goers out what efforts are being made at this point to release them. Secretary of state Clinton once again to -- in Berlin is demanding the release of these three she says there was no evidence to support any of those charges she is asking the Iranian government. For compassion. The only contact that there has been with these three Americans has been Swiss diplomat last month. Family and friends have been organizing campaign. We've seen -- yesterday marking 100 days to they've been held by the Iranians. -- reminded by one of our contacts -- wrong that these three individuals could just be bargaining chips. Corso US and Iran and a bunch of difficulties including over the suspect nuclear program that -- on the negotiations surrounding that and this could be just sort of the first stage -- in -- diplomatic dance between Iran and the US using again. These three kids -- to some very global global diplomatic. Negotiations --"

" I mean that great help cut it will be covering the latest on Iran and the list of hears anything else --"

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64 dollar question that's exactly why -- only way to deal with North Korea's nuclear program is through pressure and ultimately bringing that regime down and reuniting the Korean Peninsula anything less than that -- objective is doomed to failure so the Obama people say. Well we'll put more sanctions on in order to get North Korea back to the six party talks. That's like saying if only we could get him on a merry go round we could solve the nuclear program it's not gonna work it seems to me -- and that then pretend to have a great -- of the -- weigh in -- if China would finally get tough with them. I mean it why why -- China what's -- disincentive because there's still Wheeling and dealing with them -- China's policy is schizophrenic they say and I think get correctly they don't want a nuclear North Korea because of the instability creates -- northeast Asia maybe Japan going nuclear itself. But they're not willing to apply the requisite pressure North Korea because they like it divided Korean Peninsula . As long as they pursue a policy of not pressuring North Korea they're going to perpetuate North Korea's nuclear weapons state somebody needs to break through them on that point.

arrested march 17 by the north Koreans along the border of China. North Korea says the women's five day trial quote confirmed the grade crime they committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing.

Well let's be clear this is an act of state terrorism by North Korea secretary Clinton said the other day they were looking as to whether they could read list North Korea . These two these two women have been kidnapped. Maybe they were in North Korea you could resolve that by wrist slap and let them go twelve years of hard labor is an entirely disproportionate sentences. You

Well as a practical matter it delegitimize is North Korea again it was a tragic and terrible mistake for the Bush Administration to take them off that list. And it was the

symbolism I think it's quite important to say we do not regard North Korea as a legitimate government.

illicit purposes. I think these women wore. Even if they were in North Korea we're certainly not American espionage agents as if that's the best our intelligence community can do we're in serious trouble. I think

that's kind of what this is one reason why the delisting of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism was such a mistake here's Japan. One of our closest strongest allies in the world. Outraged at their citizens being kidnapped as we should be outraged about what's happened to these two women. And the Bush Administration just blows him off when they say happy you take North Korea off the list of state sponsors of terrorism. So certainly another benefit of putting the north back on is to say to Japan we've got our feet on the ground again here why did we take them off. The Bush Administration Secretary Rice President Bush felt that if say if they took good North Korea off the list. North Korea would make further changes and its nuclear weapons program was fundamentally wrong it was a mistake when it was done this just proves it was a mistake.

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for providing space for meetings well. You know China provides 90% of North Korea's energy it could cut it off it could act more toughly. Second the United States could depression United Nations to enforce the resolutions. And another thing that could do is reintroduce the financial sanctions that -- introduced in the first half the Bush Administration of which were effective in cutting North Korea off from the international banking system. And last and certainly not least we should. Improve our missile defense system so that we

one main. Is conspicuously missing from that list and tensions -- with North Korea the UN Security Council agrees on new sanctions. As the rogue regime uses to American journalists as bargaining chips. The Journal Editorial

journalists are the latest bargaining chips and an increasingly tense standoff with North Korea how should. The Obama administration responded to the UN's new sanctions. Have any --

US intelligence officials are warning the Obama administration that North Korea may be preparing to conduct a third nuclear test . In response to this week's UN Security Council resolution. Condemning the Communist country for its recent nuclear and ballistic missile activities the

of diplomacy with our adversaries. Why has it gone so sour -- North Korea so fast.

Now that conventional wisdom is that North Korea has wanted to bargain that's north -- its nuclear weapons capability in return for more money. But now -- developing view that

nuclear technology corporation is the biggest threat to its emerging from this North Korea problem. And if that is insult you've got countries like Saudi Arabia Egypt and Syria they're going to want to get in

career inside China but either way they're being held unjustly. What is North Korea up to because in the past you know they held Americans for a very long time in Japanese for a very long

Obama administration will make some concession that will draw a North Korea back to the six party talks. And if we're lucky the two journalists will be released as part of that.

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