So now the US has no moral ground to stand on here

News today tells of 2 young journalists who have been sentenced by a South Korean court--we use the term court loosely here--for crimes against the country. They are to serve 12 years in prison at "hard labor."

Of course, this was by a "kangaroo court", set up by the government and it was all done in complete secrecy. It was not disclosed who the ladies attorney was--who represented them--and most all other details were undisclosed.

"There are fears Pyongyang is using the women as bargaining chips as the U.N. debates a new resolution to punish the country for its defiant May 25 atomic test and as North Korea seeks to draw Washington into direct negotiations."

"The journalists were found guilty of committing a 'grave crime' against North Korea and of illegally entering the country, state-run media said."

"A Korean-language version said they were convicted of 'hostility toward the Korean people.'"

Apparently Kim Jong Il and the South Korean government are going to use the women as bargaining chips with the West, to get what they want, one way or another. What they want is almost irrelevant, to an extent. What's more important is getting the two women released and having South Korea and President Kim be more logical and intelligent regarding the world in general and nuclear weapons, specifically.

What's really unfortunate about all this is that the US has such a reduced moral standing to rail against any "kangaroo court", because of what we did at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in the last several years.

We captured and held "enemy prisoners" for years without declaring any charges against them.

Sure, they weren't reporters but they were, after all, human beings.

We used to be above that kind of action. We used to hold a higher moral ground.

Ever since Guantanamo Bay, we don't.

So why, now, should South Korea?

And how is it we can expect anything better of them?

Link to story:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105092425&sc=fb&cc=fp