The editors of the Washington Post weigh in on the maltreatment of American Otto Warmbier by the North Koreans:
Now it appears that Mr. Warmbier may have been gravely ill for much or all of that time. His parents told The Post that North Korean representatives suddenly informed U.S. officials last week that the student was in a coma. He was said to have lost consciousness after contracting botulism and taking a sleeping pill — an account that strains credulity.
and recommends sketchily-defined “sanctions” against the regime:
The United States should also move quickly to step up sanctions on the regime of Kim Jong Un, which has been racing to develop missiles that can reach the United States with a nuclear warhead. A new report by the research group C4ADS shows that by cracking down on a relatively small number of interlinked Chinese companies and individuals, the pressure on Pyongyang could be greatly increased. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration has asked China to act against some 10 entities; if Beijing does not respond promptly, the United States should act unilaterally.
I have sympathy for Mr. Warmbier and his parents on a purely human basis. However, the reality is that much of the world is a cruel, harsh place and North Korea is distinctively so. The State Department already warns Americans that they shouldn’t travel to North Korea. When they do so, they’re on their own.
We already have about as much in the way of sanctions against North Korea as we can and until and unless we’re willing to risk whatever relationship we presently have with China any American who does what Mr. Warmbier did can expect to get what he got.
Couldn’t agree more. Add to that the bozos who decided to go hiking on the Iran border.
Steve
North Korea is so far outside the American experience I’m going to cut the kid some slack. He obviously had no idea that taking a souvenir poster from a hotel was a serious thought crime punishable by torture and 15 years of hard labor (which is actually a de facto death sentence much of the time).
I totally agree with Andy. Someone that young and idealistic has lots of bravado and little wisdom or experience to deter, what was most probably an impulsive act, in taking a souvenir banner.
Furthermore, it’s worthwhile to note the father’s comments about which administration was most sympathetic and helpful in obtaining the release of his son. I guess if his son had been in Iran, though, with an impending deal on the line, the young man might have been returned to the states a lot sooner, along with a transfer of a plane load of 💰.