Rare Access to American Captives in North Korea; Americans Held in North Korea Plead for Help
BASH: Welcome back to THE LEAD. In other world news, it is a government cloaked in secrecy, which made North Korea's decision to grant a CNN crew rare access to three American captives all the more stunning. Kenneth Bae, Matthew Miller, and Jeffrey Fowle were each presented for five-minute interviews with CNN's Will Ripley. Bae pleaded for help from the U.S. government, Miller described the situation as urgent and Fowle acknowledged he was desperate to get back to his family. The men all say that they were speaking freely, but that notion is being met with heavy skepticism and with good reason. North Korea has long used its detainees as pawns in a bizarre chess match with U.S. officials. CNN's Will Ripley has more on the American captives and their message to the world.</s>WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mr. Bae, Will Ripley with</s>CNN. (voice-over): This is a moment we never expected. During a CNN trip to North Korea, officials take us to a secret location for a surprise interview with Kenneth Bae, the American missionary is serving 15 years hard labor for what are North Korea calls a Christian plot to the undermine the government. (on camera): Can you tell me about the conditions at the labor camp?</s>KENNETH BAE, AMERICAN HELD IN NORTH KOREA: Condition in labor camp is I'm working eight hours a day, six days a week, and working agriculture work to other hard labor that is required to do every day.</s>RIPLEY: Would you say you're being treated humanely?</s>BAE: Yes.</s>RIPLEY: And your message to your family?</s>BAE: Well, I'm sure they're very worried about my health at this time, and even though right now, last month and a half, my heart's been -- or so, not -- it's been failing so right now, what I can say to my family and friends is to continue to pray for me and also ask them to continue the effort on getting me released here.</s>RIPLEY (voice-over): Bae's been in North Korea for almost two years. Two other Americans were arrested separately in April. (on camera): We were pull off our regular schedule and brought here to a building in Pyongyang where we were told we had precisely five minutes with each of the detainees. (voice-over): They're held in separate rooms and have no contact with each other. American Matthew Miller admitted to tearing up his asylum and seeking asylum in North Korea. Now, he wants out. (on camera): What's the bottom line about your situation here and your message that you want to put out?</s>MATTHEW MILLER, AMERICA HELD IN NORTH KOREA: That my situation is very urgent. That very soon I'm going to trial and I would directly be sent to prison. I think this interview is my final chance to push the American government into helping me.</s>JEFFREY FOWLE, AMERICAN HELD IN NORTH KOREA: I'd like to thank you guys for being here.</s>RIPLEY (voice-over): Jeffrey Fowle, a father from Ohio, confessed to leaving a bible behind during a tourist trip, considered a covert act by the North Korea government. He was arrested on his daughter's birthday. (on camera): And your message to your family?</s>FOWLE: Message is I'll come home as soon as I can. My family is the biggest thing on my mind right now. I got the wife and three school aged school kids that depend on me for support. My mother-in-law is staying with us, too. So, there's six of us in our household. And when I'm gone --</s>RIPLEY (voice-over): Right now, Fowle's in a hotel, but that could quickly change if he's found guilty later this month.</s>FOWLE: I'm good for the time being. I need to let people know I'm getting desperate. I'm getting desperate for help.</s>RIPLEY: Each man says they're getting humane treatment. They're pleading for the United States to send a special envoy to secure their release. Three Americans held in North Korea, waiting and hoping that some day, they'll go home.</s>BASH: That was CNN's Will Ripley with that remarkable report. So, just what exactly does North Korea's government hope to gain by granting these interviews? And how should the Obama administration react? Joining me now is Philip Yun. He's the former advisor to Secretary of State William Perry and executive director of Ploughshares in San Francisco. Now, Philip, you have actually been to North Korea four times, which is a lot for anybody outside, particularly for a U.S. citizen. Knowing the North Koreans as you do, but what do you think their message was? What do you think they were trying to do through these interviews?</s>PHILIP YUN, FORMER SR. ADVISER, DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM PERRY: This is a cynical ploy, in many respects, tugging at heartstrings. It's a deplorable situation. Obviously, these individuals are in great distress. So, this is a way for the North Koreans, as to ratchet up the pressure. There's another calculated thing they're doing. The timing of the interview being Labor Day, there's a lot of stuff going on in the world right now, and this is a way independent dramatic fashion through interviews and in this way to cut through what the North Koreans see is the news clutter, all that's going on with ISIS, what's going on in Ukraine. And this is a way to hopefully for them to put pressure to let the U.S. government know that North Korea still has these people and that they want the U.S. to do something about it.</s>BASH: Now, as somebody who was inside the administration trying to game out and figure out the North Koreans, which is not easy to do, put yourself in the State Department right now analyzing these interviews. What information do you think can be gained by reviewing these tapes?</s>YUN: Well, as you said, no one really knows what's going on in terms of what the leadership is thinking. But there could be -- you know, three or four possibilities. One is that this is just again a cynical ploy for them to get some kind of benefit. That's a possibility I think a lot of people would probably very easily say that. That's an easy way to talk about it. Another possibility is they actually want a high level envoy to come. You recall President Clinton did that a couple years ago. That was with Kim Jong-il, the father. So, there's a prestige factor involved if a high level envoy of some kind can meet Kim Jong-un. The third possibility is that this in a way is a way an opening to send a message to the United States. There's pressure, my understanding from the Chinese on the North Koreans to start moving to try to get some -- to be less unreasonable, and this is an opportunity to send a message and to get some kind of negotiation and talk and discussion between the United States. And finally, some people can say knowing that the Obama administration probably will not respond to this or it's very difficult in this circumstance, they're going to say no. So, this could be an excuse for North Korea continuing belligerent behavior which I think ultimately may end up in another nuclear test at some point in the future.</s>BASH: And you say that the Obama administration will likely say no. To a layman looking at this, they see these U.S. prisoners in North Korea. And you say -- which is probably the case -- that the North Koreans especially the newer leader, Kim Jung-un, wants a high level U.S. official to come there. It seems kind of simple, right? I mean, why not just send somebody if you can get these Americans back? But it isn't that simple when you're talking about this very delicate diplomatic dance with North Korea, is it?</s>YUN: Exactly. I mean, one, if you're talking about somebody at President Clinton's level, that's one thing. But the other question is when does it stop? I mean, this is something the North Koreans have steadily been using. We have more Americans that are going into North Korea. These kinds of things are going to be constantly repeated. And so, the question is, are we going to continually be in the situation where we're going to have to send someone to somehow get them out. There's another factor involved is that we did, my understanding, offer a high level envoy, Ambassador Bob King I think was scheduled to go. He's the individual in charge of human rights, the special envoy. And he was all set to go with respect to Kenneth Bae and the North Koreans suddenly turned it down. So, it's really unclear what the North Koreans are looking for. And, you know, we're in a situation where we're giving them a rock and North Koreans are saying yes or no, and that from our standpoint, a policy standpoint is not the place to be in.</s>BASH: Fascinating insight about a very opaque society. Philip Yun, thank you so much for your time. And, coming up, look at this -- this is no Labor Day pool party. These may be Islamic militants splashing around the U.S. embassy compound in Libya. And a family headed to Spain with their sick son in search of a cure. It was a trip that landed them in prison. That's all ahead on THE LEAD.