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WASHINGTON : Former US vice president Al Gore was "held back" from travelling to North Korea to negotiate for the release of his two employees - journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee.
That is according to Selig Harrison from the Centre for International Policy, who said Gore sought diplomatic backing from the Obama administration in a private meeting on May 11.
Ling and Lee have just been sentenced to 12 years in North Korean labour camp.
Neither Al Gore nor the company he founded, Current TV, have made any public comments, since the two journalists were captured whilst on a reporting assignment in March.
But according to Harrison, Gore wanted covert diplomatic backing to go to North Korea to negotiate their release.
Harrison also said Gore and Ling's sister, Lisa Ling went for a private meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"He made it clear that he was not only prepared to go to North Korea, but wanted to go to North Korea. (He) felt he could make contribution, wanted to be able to talk about some of the important issues, in addition to talking about these young women... All he could get out of it (meeting with Clinton) was that she would consider it, and she's been considering it ever since," said Harrison.
Harrison said he found out about the meeting from Lisa Ling, when she sought his advice on dealing with Pyongyang.
Laura Ling and Euna Lee were given 12-year sentences for unspecified "grave crimes" and for crossing the border near China, according to the court.
The White House said the two are "innocent" and Secretary Clinton is calling for their release.
"Obviously we are deeply concerned about the length of the sentences and the fact that this trial was conducted totally in secret," said Secretary Clinton.
As a private citizen, Gore does not need the permission of the US government to go to North Korea. But he would need the support of the government, in order to offer diplomatic incentives, like the consideration of bilateral talks.
But that's something the Obama administration has so far been unwilling to consider.
"They made a great mistake in holding back Gore, not encouraging him to go to North Korea. We've lost four weeks since that meeting, during which I believe the outcome of this case might well have been altered," said Harrison.
A senior administration official, speaking anonymously, said that Gore and Governor Bill Richardson are in contact with the White House and State Department about potential next steps, but that neither had been asked to go.
Richardson has previously travelled to North Korea, twice negotiating the release of American citizens, including an army helicopter pilot.
"For understandable reason, I'm not going to go into our private diplomatic efforts. We are pursuing every possible approach that we can consider in order to persuade the North Koreans to release them and send these young women home. We view these as separate matters," said Clinton.
Analysts said strained relations between the two countries over the North's nuclear and rocket launch tests makes this a difficult issue to manage.
Neither Gore's office nor the State Department would comment about any discussions on a trip to North Korea. But it is clear that the Obama administration now faces some tough decisions on how to negotiate the release of these two journalists. - CNA/ls
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