Hopes For American Economy and Global Trades Increase As President Obama Eases Strangle-hold on Broken Immigration.
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H.E. Dr. Obama extends deportation reprieve to 5 million undocumented immigrants
Published time: November 21, 2014 01:05
U.S. President Barack Obama (Reuters/Jason Reed)
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President Barack Obama announced an executive order on immigration reform
Thursday, which he will sign on Friday. The actions will affect up to 5 million
undocumented immigrants in the US, many of whom are the parents or spouses of
legal residents.
Obama announced his plan for unilateral action on immigration via a
prime-time address from the White House. He will sign the executive order
during a rally in Las Vegas on Friday. Because the plan will not be passed by
Congress, it could also be easily reversed by a new president after Obama’s
term runs out in just over two years.
The president called his actions "a commonsense middle ground
approach," as he continued to push Congress to pass a comprehensive
bill reforming the country's immigration system. Under the terms of his order, undocumented immigrants who have lived in the
US for five years or more, and are parents of American citizens or lawful
residents, will be subjected to criminal
and national security background checks. Once these are completed, they can pay
taxes and defer deportation for three years at a time.
The US will also increase security at the borders and focus deportation
efforts on criminals and potential security threats rather than families.
“"Mass amnesty would be
unfair. Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our
character," Obama said in his remarks. "If you meet the criteria, you can come out of
the shadows and get right with the law. If you’re a criminal, you’ll be
deported. If you plan to enter the US illegally, your chances of getting caught
and sent back just went up."
Obama also defend his decision to issue an executive order against Republicans
and those who claim he is overreaching, arguing that every Republican and
Democratic president in the last 50 years has used his authority similarly.
"To those members of Congress who question my authority to make our
immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where
Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill," he said.
Already, the president's plan has come under fire from conservatives. House
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) criticized Obama ahead of his speech, saying he
is acting like "an emperor."
“Instead of working together to fix our broken immigration system, the
president says he's acting on his own," he said in a video statement.
"That is just not how our democracy works.”
The plan will include a temporary reprieve from deportation for as many as 5
million undocumented immigrants ‒ which includes parents and spouses of US
citizens and permanent residents who have been in the country for at least five
years. Those people may also be made eligible for work permits, but will not
have a path to citizenship. Officials said the eligible immigrants will not be
entitled to federal benefits ‒ including health care tax credits, food stamps,
Medicaid coverage or other need-based federal programs ‒ under Obama's plan.
The plan will cover parents of legal residents, but not the parents who
brought their children to the US illegally. In 2012, Obama authorized the
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals via executive action, which delayed
deportation for the young
These people – our neighbors, our classmates, our friends – they did not
come here in search of a free ride or an easy life,” Obama said
Thursday. “They came to work, and study, and serve in our military, and
above all, contribute to America’s success.”
undocumented immigrants,
often referred to as DREAMers. The actions will create a similar program for
undocumented parents of children who are in the country legally. Expansions
include raising the eligibility age beyond the current limit of 30 and allowing
more recent arrivals (those who came after 2007) to apply, among other things.
Fixing
the System
President Obama is
Taking Action on Immigration
America’s immigration system is broken. The President is taking executive action to fix what he can to help build a system that lives up to our heritage as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.
Share the Facts
Our immigration system has been broken for decades. And every day we wait to
act, millions of undocumented immigrants are living in the shadows: Those who
want to pay taxes and play by the same rules as everyone else have no way to
live right by the law. That is why President Obama is using his executive
authority to address as much of the problem as he can, and why he’ll continue
to work with Congress to pass comprehensive reform.
where citizens could have their own opinions and express them, including the
right to be in opposition to the authorities.
“All people have the right
to suggest solutions for and approaches to current problems, they have the
right to form parties and groups, to participate in elections and fight for
power,” Putin said. “The most important thing is to ensure that the
process of realization of citizens’ political preferences was civilized and
strictly within the framework of the law,” he said.
Eurozone manufacturing outlook weakest for 16 months, as France and Germany lose steam
Published time: November 20, 2014 15:51
Edited time: November 20, 2014 16:22
Edited time: November 20, 2014 16:22
Reuters/Stoyan Nenov
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A new survey of manufacturing and service companies across the eurozone
shows the area is now a step away from recession, as key economies France and
Germany remain weak.
The speed of growth in the eurozone slowed down in November, according to
the preliminary Markit Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) released Thursday.
The eurozone's composite PMI came in at 51.4, the lowest in 16 months.
Analysts had expected the figure to come in at 52.3 overall, an improvement
from October's 52.1. The figure is still above the neutral 50 mark, anything
below that signals recession.
France and Germany remain the main drags on the European economy.
The report said France remained a "key area of weakness,"
suffering a drop in business activity for a seventh consecutive month and a
further month of job cuts. The country’s PMI index has remained below 50.0
since May.
Germany's manufacturing PMI dropped to 50.0 in November, down from 51.4 in
October and the weakest since July 2013.
Germany is an export-oriented economy and has been largely hit by
tit-for-tat sanctions with Russia over the Ukraine crisis.
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Good news for Russia. Our economy is getting stronger: U.S.
crude settled up $1 at $75.88 per barrel on Th
Citigroup director's death latest in string of suspected banker suicides
Published time: November 20, 2014 21:48
Citigroup managing director Shawn D. Miller was found dead in the bathtub of
his New York City apartment, following what police suspect was a suicide in a
year marked by suspicious banker deaths.
Miller, 42, was the global head of environmental and social risk management
at New York-based Citigroup, America’s fourth largest bank.
Police believe Miller killed himself, Detective Martin Speechley, an NYPD
spokesman, told Bloomberg News Wednesday. However, the official cause of death
will remain a mystery until the autopsy report is concluded. Miller “was highly
regarded at Citi and across the financial services industry as a leader and
tireless advocate for environmental and sustainable business practices,”
top managers at Citigroup wrote in a letter to staff in his department,
Bloomberg reported.
“He will be greatly missed by all who knew him,” the letter said.
Investigators believe Miller killed himself after going on a drug,
methamphetamine and alcohol bender, according to the Daily News, which said
that cops found controlled substances in the apartment.
The banker was discovered by the building’s doorman on Tuesday afternoon,
after his boyfriend was unable to get a hold of him. His body was found with a
laceration to his neck, the NYPD said. He was pronounced dead by paramedics
that arrived to the apartment.
On the night of his death he was reportedly keeping company with a man he
met on Backpage.com, a classifieds site that is also used for sex solicitation.
Security video footage at his apartment complex shows that Miller had a
confrontation in the elevator with an unidentified man late on Sunday night or
early Monday morning. The Daily News said Miller called the doorman to ask the
man not be let back into the building, and before his death, called 911 twice
to complain about a ‘stalker’ outside the building.
Miller’s death comes on the heels of a wave of suicides and mysterious
deaths in the financial sector in Europe and the US. Back in March, 28-year-old
JP Morgan Chase investment banker,Kenneth Bellando’s body was found on a
sidewalk after leaping to his death from his six-story Manhattan apartment
building. Bellando was the twelfth person to commit suicide in the banking
sector at the time of his death.
In April, Jan Peter
Schmittmann a former exec at ABN AMRO, a large Dutch-based bank committed
suicide after killing his wife and daughter. That same month the head of Bank
Frick, a Liechtenstein based bank, exec was shot dead in a parking lot by
Jürgen Hermann.
After the first batch of suicides early this year, Fortune Magazine wrote
that banker suicides are not a new phenomenon. Clusters are known to occur
whenever hardship strikes the industry, such as during the Great Depression or
the Great Recession of a few years ago. In addition, sensationalistic reports
of the deaths may lead to copycat fatalities.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bankers
appear to be more prone to suicide than any other profession, barring
“engineers and scientists.” For the years 1999, 2003, 2004 and 2007, there were
329 suicides among workers in the finance sector, Fortune reported.
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Ban urges Israeli, Palestinian leaders to stand up to extremists on both sides, end surging violence
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. UN Photo/M. Garten (file
photo)
20 November 2014 – Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas that he was shocked by the recent deadly attack on a
synagogue in West Jerusalem and “at this delicate and dangerous juncture” both
leaders must show the courage to do everything necessary to end the surging
violence.
A statement
issued by the Office of the United Nations Spokesperson in New York this evening
said Mr. Ban today spoke separately by telephone today with Mr. Netanyahu and
Mr. Mahmoud.
According to the readout, the Secretary-General said he was shocked by the
deadly attack of 18 November on a synagogue in West Jerusalem and the he was
“extremely alarmed by the upsurge of violence in recent weeks.” The attack at
the synagogue resulted in the murder of four innocent civilians worshipping
there and a police officer, as well as the injury of many more.
“The dangerous downward spiral must urgently be reversed,” the UN chief said
in his conversations, emphasizing that at this delicate and dangerous juncture,
“courage and responsibility were required from both the President and the Prime
Minister to take a stand that may be contrary to extremists in their own
domestic constituencies.”
The readout further notes that the Secretary-General said he hoped the
recently announced confidence-building measures and firm commitments made by
both sides at the meeting in Amman, Jordan, to maintain the status quo regarding
the holy sites would be further translated into a de-escalation of tensions.
“Absent this, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may quickly morph into a
religious conflict, over which the international community will have limited,
if no, leverage,” Mr. Ban warned, according to the readout.
Security Council adopts first-ever resolution on ‘invaluable role’ of UN police operations
MINUSMA Police Unit on patrol in Gao, Mali. UN Photo/Marco
Dormino
20 November 2014 – The United Nations Security Council today adopted its
first-ever resolution focusing on the world body’s policing operations,
stressing their invaluable contribution to peacekeeping, civilian protection
and the rule of law, and pledging to give clear mandates as well as appropriate
resources to UN police-related work.
Today’s unanimously adopted
resolution stresses the importance of close cooperation and coordination
between the UN Police Components and other elements of peacekeeping operations
and special political missions. It also “urges police-contributing countries to
continue to contribute professional police personnel with the necessary skills
equipment and experience to implement mission mandates.”
At the initiative of Australia, which holds the 15-member body’s Presidency
for the month, the Council was briefed by the Under-Secretary-General for UN
Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) Hervé Ladsous on all aspects of UN policing.
“UN [policing] has seen an unprecedented growth in recent years,” Mr.
Ladsous said today, adding that UN police are now deployed from 91 Member
States to 13 peacekeeping operations and four special political missions.
The nature of security and its traditional threats has evolved in recent
years. This means the UN POLICE (UNPOL) now deals
with a new reality – terrorism, organized crime, and corruption.
He went on to discuss the image that police must embody to foster trust and
provide assistance to host countries on rule of law and in some cases, where
there is less structure, undertake interim police tasks, enforce the law and
“support everything to do with reform”. Sometimes UNPOL even creates national
police, he added.
“All of this ultimately calls into play the need for more sophisticated
capacity,” Mr. Ladsous explained, emphasizing the need to increase
sophistication for police to be able to deal with modern challenges including
greater linguistic skills for instance in Arabic or French speaking countries.
On bridging the gender gap in UNPOL, he said the ambitious goal of having 20
per cent of women among all police has been far from complete. “But this is,
after all, a reflection of national police.”
“While some are making great strides in gender, others are not. Obviously we
are dependent on what Member States provide us. And increasingly we are
deploying units made up entirely of women,” he said.
Women in police are especially important in countries where issues of law
and order emerge and where there is a need to address women’s issues such as in
Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Liberia.
Also today, the Council heard from three heads of police components of UN
missions including from in South Sudan (UNMISS), Liberia
(UNMIL), and
the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
Mr. Luis Miguel Carrilho, Police Commissioner of MINUSCA, said that beyond
security, UNPOL participates in rebuilding trust among the population and its
police.
Police activities range from 24-hour patrols, the protection of the freedom
of movement, the flow of humanitarian aid and generally keeping public order.
UNPOL has continuously extracted and made safe civilians.
MINUSCA also apprehends criminals who perpetrate serious crimes. Turning to
women and security, he commended the “unprecedented” increase of women in UNPOL
and the free training courses offered in Rwanda, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon.
The presence of women increases a Mission’s ability to establish trusting
relationships with the populations and especially with women who have suffered
sexual violence. They feel safer reporting such crimes.
Fred Yiga, Police Commissioner of UNMISS, said that the performance of UN
police has clearly emerged as critical to peacekeeping missions. Police
contributing countries must take a closer look at training before deployment to
ensure that the host nation’s needs are met.
He said that in South Sudan, immediate and long-standing challenges need the
attention of the Council. True policing has never been offered to the South
Sudanese people in over 50 years and the UN is “holding the mantle” to ensure
that the first time “good policing, true policing” is provided.
Policing has generally been done by armed groups whose ethos is that of a
soldier in battle. South Sudan is largely a nomadic society and the policing
methods require special skills, policies and equipment, Mr. Yiga added.
Police Commissioner of UNMIL Greg Hinds said the adoption of today’s policing
resolution is a significant outcome as it will provide us with the much needed
strategic and practical guidance which will help the police do their work more
effectively.
Mr. Hinds thanked the UN for its support to the Ebola crisis in Liberia
which remains “crucial in maintaining, peace, stability and security in these
extremely challenging times.”
Some 11 years since the end of the conflict in Liberia and the establishment
of the UN Mission there, the legislative framework for the police remains piecemeal.
However, focus on the development of a clear legislative framework at a much
earlier stage would have addressed these organizational and institutional
limitations and provided a much stronger foundation for reform.
The resolution adopted today highlights the importance of building the
capacity of the host State, and requests the Secretary-General to consider
security sector reform, including reform of policing and other law enforcement
institutions, in the overall strategic planning of UN peace operations.
The resolution also expresses the Council’s intention to consider holding an
annual meeting on policing issues with the heads of police components and
requests the Secretary-General to submit a report on the role of policing as an
integral part of peacekeeping and peacebuilding by the end of 2016.
It also urges Member States and international partners to support, upon
request, host State efforts to professionalize policing and other law
enforcement agencies, within the context of broader security sector reform.
This is the first time heads of police components of UN missions briefed the
Council. Since 2010, the Council has received an annual briefing by force
commanders on cross-cutting operational issues in UN peacekeeping.
News Tracker: past stories on this issue
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UPF-Nigeria Marks World
Food Day with Launch of Food for Peace Initiative
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By Dr. Raphael Ogar
Oko, Secretary General, UPF-Nigeria
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Thursday, October 16, 2014
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Abuja,
Nigeria - UPF-Nigeria mobilized volunteers and Ambassadors for Peace
to organize an event to mark UN World Food Day, Oct. 16, 2014, with the theme
Family Farming: Feeding the world, caring for the earth.” The event also
featured the launch of the UPF-Nigeria Food for Peace Initiative, which is
designed to bring together food producers, distributors and consumers with
policy makers and Ambassadors for Peace to explore strategies for the harmony
of the needed culture, structure and infrastructure for the realization of
food for all and ensuring that all people eat food to live in peace.
The event was held at the National Merit Award House in Maitama, Abuja
with participants drawn from several groups including governmental agencies,
farmers and investors, food vendors, representatives of hotels, youth and
women's organizations as well as other NGO leaders and Ambassadors for Peace.
The opening prayer was offered by Rev. Sunday Uke, director of UPF-Nigeria's
Office of Interreligious Affairs, and was followed by the National Anthem of
Nigeria recited by all participants.
Dr. George C. Ikpot, director of UPF-Nigeria's Office of International
Affairs, delivered the opening address in which he shared stories about the
commitment of the UPF Founders to the well-being of all people emphasizing
their involvement in helping to feed the world with both spiritual and
physical food. Dr. Ikpot said: “Today’s event provides us the opportunity to
move our aspirations for peace in Nigeria forward. The launch of the Food for
Peace initiative today provides us the platform to ensure that we do
everything to make sure our world and nation does not remain in the realm of
survival of the fittest alone but survival of both the weak and strong.”
The United Nations Secretary-General’s message on World Food Day was read
by Ambassador for Peace Bede Ekeh, founder of LOGON, an NGO working with
several women farmers in Nigeria. In various goodwill messages, UPF-Nigeria
was commended for the idea of connecting the UN food for all to a new level
with the Food for Peace initiative. The messages came from the commissioner
of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced
Persons, the director general of the National Agency for Food Drugs
Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the national president of the
South-South Apex Farmers Association, the commandant general of the Global
Initiative for Harmony in Nigeria, and Mrs. Rosemary Effiong, national
coordinator of the Society for Empowerment and Self Reliance, as well as the
General Manager of 805 Restaurants Ltd., Sir Frederick James, Sr.
Mr. John Okwudili Ene, principal partner of the Horticulture Development
Center, popularly known as “John the farmer,” gave an inspiring presentation
in support of the Food for Peace initiative urging all stakeholders to work
together to ensure that “no one goes to sleep without food or stays awake
without food.” The director of UPF-Nigeria's Office of Resource Development,
Una B. Smart, spoke passionately about the UPF Founders' investments in food
and health technologies for healthy living and used the opportunity to
introduce the Happy Health Neurostabilizer machine, which he mentioned has
proved effective in treatment of pains, a common situation for local farmers
in Nigeria, and offered to introduce training programs for leaders of the
farmers’ association on the use of the machine for healthy living for peace.
The keynote presentation on the Food for Peace initiative was presented by
Dr. Raphael Ogar Oko, secretary general of UPF-Nigeria. The presentation
outlined the need for the initiative as well as the methodology being adopted
to ensure that food contributes to peacebuilding in Nigeria. The initiative
seeks to create a global culture for food production, distribution and consumption
as well as mobilization of an interdependent community of stakeholders
committed to food for all to live in peace. [For the text of his message,
click here.]
It was also explained that the idea of the Food for Peace initiative was
strengthened by Mr. Abiola Aloba, an intern serving with UPF-Nigeria from the
Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Ibadan, who has
just completed his Master's degree in peace and conflict studies with a
specialty in humanitarian and refugee affairs. His voluntary service with
passion, determination and commitment inspired the creation of the
Humanitarian Affairs unit in the office of the secretary general of
UPF-Nigeria and led to the planning and outreach efforts for the launch of
the Food for Peace initiative.
With positive commendations from participants, the representative of the
Global Women Farmers Association called on the UPF to intensify her efforts
to ensure that access to food becomes a reality for all people. There was
also a call on government to recognize the efforts of UPF-Nigeria in the task
of building a peaceful Nigeria. A voice vote in support of the launch of the
Food for Peace initiative in Nigeria signaled the formal proclamation of the
initiative, with a call to reach out to all stakeholders and design
innovative programs including education, food drives, food banks, hosting of
Food for Peace forums, dinners, awareness and advocacy campaigns as well as
the establishment of peace farms and working with agricultural science
teachers to train young farmers for peace, among others.
The event was enriched further with the presentation of awards to some
agencies and establishment that are making efforts toward creating access to
qualitative and quantitative food for all people in Nigeria. The National
Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) received the
UPF-Nigeria World Food Day 2014 award for regulation of food services, while
the following hotels were presented with the World Food Day Award 2014 for
creating access to food for all:
• 805 Restaurant, Abuja • Beverly Hotels, Wuse 2, Abuja • Agura Hotels, Area 10, Abuja • Hungryman Restaurant Also, 13 leaders of farmers associations received certificates as
Ambassadors for Peace and were inducted into the Food for Peace Initiative
Committee. Recipients expressed their appreciation to the UPF and pledged to
work in the Food for Peace Initiative to ensure that everyone has access to
food and that when people eat they should eat to live in peace.
The event ended with a banquet of different varieties of food served by
the women to all participants. UPF-Nigeria is determined to follow up with
the initiative and work toward securing land in Abuja and other communities
for the farms for peace programs of the initiative. Ambassadors for Peace
were encouraged to spread the message of the 2014 World Food Day focused on
family farming to all communities in Nigeria.
The World Food Day event in Nigeria was reported by the Federal Radio
Corporation of Nigeria network radio and the Kapital FM as well as Love FM
and Hot FM in Abuja.
Background
On April 28, 2014, UPF-Nigeria delivered thousands of yams raised through
the support of four Ambassadors for Peace: Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, Hajiya
Dr. Maryam C. Abdullahi, and Sir Chief Polycarp and Lady Helen NDOUNTENG JP,
under the Ambassadors for Peace Emergency Relief Project for the internally
displaced persons in Benue State. During the presentation of the over 4000
tubers of yams to the displaced persons, H.E. the Deputy Governor of Benue
State, Chief Steven Lawani received the yams on behalf of the people.
The supplies were followed by UPF's message of peace to the displaced
persons. The summary of the message based on the inspiration of the UPF
Founder was "take these items; use them to gain energy but not to seek
revenge. These are food for peace, eat them but live in peace no matter the
situation." These words have become the common expressions among the
beneficiaries and the people who witnessed it. On this foundation, UPF is
determined to build on the Food for Peace idea.
During the 2014 UN International Day of Peace, the conclusion of the
week-long activities was a Dinner for Peace, where Ambassadors for Peace
again endorsed the idea of Food for Peace and requested the Secretariat to
work toward the formal launch of the Food for Peace initiative.
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Freed American Matthew Miller: 'I wanted to stay in North Korea'
In a series of exclusive interviews after he was released earlier this
month, the 25-year old Californian sentenced to six years hard labour tells NK News his story
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For most people visiting North
Korea, the prospect of being arrested during their trip is a source
of some concern. But for 25-year old Californian Matthew Miller, it’s exactly
what he hoped for.
“My main fear was that they would not arrest me when I arrived,” Miller told
NK
News in a series of interviews after he and fellow American Kenneth
Bae were released
during a high-profile visit to the North Korean capital by James Clapper,
US Director of National Intelligence, earlier this month.
“I was trying to stay in the country,” said Miller. “They wanted me to
leave. The very first night they said, ‘We want you to leave on the next
flight.’ But I refused. I just did not leave.”
In April, North Korea’s state news agency KCNA announced that an American
citizen had been detained at Pyongyang airport after apparently attempting to
claim asylum. In a dictatorship without any independent media, which is known
for its furious anti-US vitriol, verifiable facts were difficult to come by.
But according to Miller’s account, North Korea’s version of events had been
largely accurate.
On his flight from China to Pyongyang, Miller had intentionally damaged his
tourist visa. Fifteen days later, after a series of run-ins with Pyongyang
authorities, he was removed from his tourist hotel and detained.
The general consensus among North Korea analysts was that Pyongyang would
welcome the chance to use
Miller as a pawn in its diplomatic wrangling with the US, as it
continues to defy international sanctions against its nuclear programme, and
widespread criticism of the regime’s
human rights abuses. But Miller says it was only after much
persuasion on his part that authorities finally took him in.
Finally, at a show trial in September, he was sentenced to six years of hard
labour for entering the country illegally and committing “hostile acts” against
the state – a charge he now describes as both true and false.
They wanted me to leave. The very first night they said, ‘We want you to
leave on the next flight.’ But I refused. I just did not leave
His plan had involved much preparation. Originally from the city of
Bakersfield, Miller says he had been dissatisfied with the western media’s
reporting on events in the pariah state, and had decided to arrange a trip to
see the country for himself.
Unlike other foreigners arrested in North
Korea, when Miller’s case was made public, international media
struggled to identify details of his background. This was partly because Miller
had engaged in a deliberate strategy to hide his online profile.
He had also provided Uri Tours – a company specialising in tours to North
Korea for US citizens – with false emergency contact information before
purchasing his plane ticket in Hong Kong. The lack of information fuelled
speculation that he may have been in the North for espionage purposes, a theory
compounded by Miller’s own notebook, in which he had alluded to carrying state
secrets held by the US and South Korea, two nations with which North Korea
officially remains at war.
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Snapshots of pages torn from Miller’s notebook were circulated by state media,
after his show trial, revealing statements he now describes as strategic lies
to help with his attempt to remain in North Korea. In it, entries appeared to
show support for removing “the American military from South Korea” and included
claims that Miller was a “hacker” with some involvement with Wikileaks.
It was full of abbreviations such as “RAC,” which Miller says stood for
“Renounce American Citizenship.” His inclusion of phrases such as “no involvement”
referred to his initial hope that the United States government would stay out
of the case, he said.
“I wrote the notebook in China just before going to North Korea,” said
Miller. “The purpose was just having it written is easier than explaining in
person. Since it was filled with a number of extravagant things… perhaps the
notebook was a little too much over the top, they instantly knew it was false
and wanted to know my true purpose of visiting.”
The true purpose, Miller insists, was to simply learn for himself what North
Korea was all about.
“I was not there to give secret information or anything like that. I just
wanted to speak to an ordinary North Korean person about normal things,” he
said.
“I think it was mistake but it was successful,” he said over several days of
interviews.
“I was in control of my situation. I knew the risks and consequences. My
trip has probably resulted in no change for anyone, except for me. I do feel
guilt for the crime. It was a crime. I wasted a lot of time of the North
Koreans’ and the Americans’, of all of the officials who spent time with my
case.”
Miller said he had prepared himself for the ordeal he believed he would face
in detention, but was surprised by how well he was treated. He was allowed to
keep possession of his iPhone and iPad for “at least a month” after his arrival
in North Korea, enabling him to listen to music and access other stored
information, although he could not use them to send or receive messages from
elsewhere.
“This might sound strange, but I was prepared for the ‘torture’. But instead
of that I was killed with kindness, and with that my mind folded and the plan
fell apart,” he said, speaking from his home in California.
Miller said he was initially held in the Yanggakdo International Hotel in
Pyongyang, where he said North Korean officials urged him to leave the country,
but he refused.
I was not there to give secret information or anything like that. I just
wanted to speak to an ordinary North Korean person about normal things
He was not formally detained until his third week in North Korea, when he
was moved to what he described as a “guest house” – the same place where he
said fellow American Kenneth Bae was being held – along with several other
unidentified prisoners. Miller would ultimately stay there for five more
months.
At the “guest house” he was kept in a room locked from the outside under
stricter detention. “They would deliver me food. There were other prisoners in
the guest house, too. I could hear them unlocking the doors from the outside to
deliver them food,” he said.
After he was formally tried, convicted, and sentenced on 14 September to six
years of “hard labour”, he was moved again to a more conventional prison
facility on the outskirts of Pyongyang. “It was kind of a farm place,” Miller
said. “They had all control. I would go out to work to move stones, take out
weeds.”
As part of the show trial, Miller had apologised to the North Korean regime
for his crimes, an apology he now insists was genuine.
“I sincerely apologised to North Korea, it was not coerced at all,” Miller
said. “Before going I did not think I would feel guilt for my actions toward
North Korea. Over time that changed and I did feel guilt for the crime, so in
that sense I consider what I did to be a mistake even though I did achieve [my]
goals.”
For Washington, Miller may well have been seen as the tourist from hell. The
detention of Kenneth Bae, a tour operator who was sentenced to 15 years hard
labour in 2012 for unspecified crimes, had been seen as an attempt by Pyongyang
to gain leverage to try and force concessions from Washington. Both cases would
require a careful response from the Obama administration.
“Seeking asylum seemed like a perfect crime since it put me in that ‘grey
zone’ for about a month and I thought it would prevent the US from wanting to
help me, although I changed my mind on that later,” Miller said.
So why did Miller, along with fellow American detainees Kenneth Bae and
Jeffrey Fowle, plead for help from the US in series of interviews with
international media?
“I am still thinking how to answer that,” he said. “Before going to North
Korea I had zero intention to request help from my government. I actually had a
message prepared for Sweden, as you may have seen referenced in the notebook
images.”
Before going to North Korea I had zero intention to request help from my
government
In an interview last week, Clapper said that even during his trip to
Pyongyang, he had been unsure whether he would be able to bring Bae and Miller
home. He had brought a brief letter with him from US President Barack Obama,
which said the release would be viewed as a positive gesture, but Clapper was
convinced Pyongyang was hoping for more.
“I think the major message from them was their disappointment that there
wasn’t some offer or some big... the term they used was ‘breakthrough’”,
Clapper said.
Whatever the effects of Miller’s actions on relations between Washington and
Pyongyang, he is satisfied that he was able to learn more about North Koreans,
and says he has “no complaints” against them.
“I wanted to meet North Korean people face to face in a way that a normal
tour would not be enough,” said Miller.” I spent a good five months having many
conversations with various people.”
Miller said he became particularly friendly with a translator he met on his
first day in the country. “We met everyday and would have conversations. We
would play billiards together.”
“He said he was a tour guide for five years and then moved up the ranks. He
said he was with [former NBA player] Dennis Rodman during Kim Jong-un’s
birthday. He said he travelled overseas on business trips. He spoke perfect
English,” said Miller.
However, he is not yet ready to share the details of the other conversations
he so desperately wanted.
“I might elaborate on that or I might just keep it as a personal
experience,” he said.
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A man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressure -- and that is the basis of all human morality. (JFK)
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