Otto Warmbier's father denounces North Korea as his son is treated in the hospital for a severe neu

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Washington Post

Grade Point
Otto Warmbier's father denounces North Korea as his son is treated in the hospital for a severe neurological injury
By Susan Svrluga June 15 at 10:47 AM

WYOMING, Ohio Wearing the jacket his son Otto Warmbier wore at the sham trial that ended with his imprisonment in North Korea, Fred Warmbier denounced the pariah regime that had brutalized his son, and fought back tears Thursday as he remembered kneeling to hug him when he was returned to the United States.

The fact that he was taken and treated this way is horrible, and tough to process, Fred Warmbier said. He declared that he was tremendously proud of his son and heaped scorn on North Korea. "They're brutal and they're terroristic," he said. "We see the results of their actions, with Otto."

Kelly Martin of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center told reporters at the news conference Thursday that Otto Warmbier is in stable condition but has suffered a severe neurological injury.
....

When asked if he felt the Obama administration had not done enough to help, he said, "I think the results speak for themselves."
....

Susan Svrluga is a reporter for the Washington Post, covering higher education for the Grade Point blog. Follow @SusanSvrluga

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/06/15/after-his-release-from-north-korean-detention-otto-warmbiers-hometown-waits-anxiously-for-news/

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* * * * *

What is not stated is what North Korea is getting in return. You know it's something.

* * * * *

Otto Warmbier's Father Says He's Proud of His Son, Praises Trump's Efforts
https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2017/06/otto-warmbier/530448/

Fred Warmbier also said he didnt believe North Koreas explanation for why his son was in a coma.

KRISHNADEV CALAMUR 11:06 AM ET

Otto Warmbier's father said Thursday he does not believe North Korea's explanation for why the 22-year-old University of Virginia student is in a coma, credited the Trump administration for freeing his son, and criticized the Obama administrations advice to the family to keep a low profile.
....

Warmbier's case also raises questions about U.S. policy toward North Korea. As I've previously reported, Warmbier, who arrived in North Korea in December 2015 as part of a tour group, was arrested on January 2, 2016, while he was leaving the country. North Korean officials said he was detained for anti-republic activities, and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.

Fred Warmbier said the Obama administration had urged the family to keep a low profile for fear of offending the North Koreans, whose leadership is seen as unpredictable. At least three other U.S. citizens are in North Korean custody, and the country regularly tests missiles and nuclear devices - in violation of its international obligation - threatening its neighbors, U.S. military personnel in the region, as well as U.S. territory. The Obama administration had called for "strategic patience" with North Korea, a policy the Trump administration has publicly departed from.

When asked Thursday if the Obama administration could have done more to free their son, Fred Warmbier replied: "I think the results speak for themselves." ... The "time for strategic patience is over," he said, "We've been brutalized {by North Korea} for the last 18 months with misinformation, no information." He said their silence so far was based on the "false premise" that North Korea "would treat Otto well." ... He said he'd spoken to President Trump about his son's release, calling the president "kind." ... "It was nice," he said of the call. "And it was gracious, and it felt good."

[riversedge]

1. While I know this father is grief stricken, implying that Obama did not do

enough is beyond the pale.



... When asked if he felt the Obama administration had not done enough to help, he said, “I think the results speak for themselves.”
....

[SHRED]

2. The fact he traveled there...

...means he is responsible at some level.

Anyone that doesn't understand the risk is a fool.

[Not Ruth]

16. I have read stories about North Korean tourism

At no point does North Korea tell tourists that this is just like home, do what you feel like. They constantly tell you, do anything that we do not like, no matter how insignificant, and you are going to jail.

[Lucky Luciano]

5. Grief stricken indeed, but he can otherwise go fuck hinself. nt

[Blue_Tires]

29. +1

[JI7]

37. agree. i would feel differently if this was a soldier sent

Somewhere during Obamas time in office. Even if i disagreed i could understand the anger at Obama since he would have been serving.

But this was totally different.

[karynnj]

13. Agreed -- and remember the right wing insisting that Obama gave Iran millions to get people

back. Seriously, on twitter and elsewhere they STILL say that and want Obama and Kerry tried for treason.

With NK, unlike even Iran, the US has absolutely no direct connections diplomatically. Not to mention, in that time frame, we engaged with China to increase sanctions to try to control NK from tests associated with their nuclear program - which incidentally have ramped up big time under Trump.

I remember Kerry being asked at a hearing about the Iranian dual national arrested for trying to set up a church - after he was expelled earlier from the country for doing the same thing. He was asked if his release would be made a condition of any agreement. Kerry's answer has essentially that (the Congressmen) would not want him to make any concession to Iran - giving them more leeway on anything nuclear - in exchange for release. However, he pointed out that the negotiations gave them a diplomatic channel they previously had not had and that he raised these cases each time he met with Zarif.

With NK, there is no diplomatic channel, no face to face meetings, no personal relationship - no chance, even remote - for better relationships. That pretty much means no real leverage -- unless we were willing to "give" NK something.

[MadDAsHell]

36. President Obama is a grown man, he doesn't need us worrying about his reputation.

Have a little compassion for a man who has essentially lost his son.

[7962]

3. Wonder if they'll figure out just what they did to this guy to put him in a coma?

And why do people insist on going to that shithole!!!

[hamsterjill]

4. Guilt is a hard emotion to bear.

I feel sorry for this family. I truly do.

But a parent allowing (perhaps "not stopping" would be a better term to use) a child to go to a country like North Korea, and having the worst thing possible happen, has got to be a hard emotion to bear.

What pisses me off is Trump's manipulation of a situation like this to make himself look good. I know, right? What would I expect? But I still try to remember a normal world once in a while.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

10. The kid was an adult. He was on a scholarship at UVa.

I'm pretty sure of that. I can check the articles.

I don't think his father could have stopped him. The tour group was headed somewhere else, and New Year's Eve was their last night in the DPRK.

[hamsterjill]

12. A parent always feels responsibility.

"Why didn't I persuade him not to go", etc.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

15. I hear you, but the son was on his own.

[Justice]

27. He was on scholarship

"At the University of Virginia, he had a prestigious scholarship designed for the most “intellectually curious” students, a phrase that his friends said described him well. He had a rare sense of discipline, with a clearly delineated path to a future career in finance complete with a summer at the London School of Economics under his belt, enough credits to graduate as a sophomore, and, as a junior, the summer internship he wanted locked in by the fall."

Washington Post article

[luvMIdog]

6. as sad as this is & it IS sad..brutal beating by some in authority are happening right in the USA

[Archae]

7. I have no doubt he was beaten into a coma.

[gldstwmn]

34. I'm betting chemical agent. n/t

[atreides1]

8. My question

Who actually negotiated for his release? I had heard that Bill Richardson and the Swedes were involved?

[karynnj]

11. I had seen that it was the Swedes who got the info on his medical state

and that the US person involved worked with Sweden. I know Richardson had tried to get them released, but met with no success. I actually wonder if his medical state might have been the reason that NK withheld visits from Swedish officials and everyone else for a years.

Trump and Tillerson likely did get involved when NK agreed to have him sent back to the US in a coma.

[karynnj]

9. What a waste and a really bitter victory for the family

The WP article does a great job describing this young man as a golden youth with a fantastic future. I assume at this point, the family is also dealing with regret that they had not talked him out of going to NK.

From other articles, NK has denied the Swedish consulate any contact with the Americans held for the last several years. We have NO relations - so the Swedes have provided the little representation there was. I get Warmbier's anger at the Obama administration - though it is misdirected. They had no information and no leverage. At a point where the issue is a mad man with a nuclear program, what would they offer to get the 4 Americans returned? We were working with China at that point to dial up sanctions to restrain the nuclear program. Should they have lifted them instead to get the 4 Americans back? Not to mention, had Obama oked that (which is very unlikely and not in our interest), what then happens when we then learn of his medical state?

His anger should be directed towards NK. The State Department has - through republican and Democratic administrations - told people NOT to go to NK. There were very well publicized arrests, where Americans were sentenced and it took a very long time to get them back. The simple truth is that the US can NOT protect you if you go there and they have made that clear. This is a case of someone thinking he was invincible - and paying a very very steep price for being wrong.

[chowder66]

17. Excellent post. nt

[Ray Bruns]

14. Here is a clue -

Stay the @!##$ out of North Korea, and you won't have these problems. Anyone blaming someone else for what happens to you when you travel to North Korea should get a boot to the head.

[INdemo]

18. The problem is here the father of this N Korean captive is using this tragedy

to make this a Right Wing political issue. Fred Warmbier appears to be going to great lengths and even "s t r e t c h i n g" the truth in order to discredit President Obama and that is what part of this is all about and I'm sure he's making Trump very happy.

[Ilsa]

26. I think he was fairly restrained. He didn't bring up the

politics of this, the reporters did, and he gave his opinion without getting specific or elaborating.

I can understand how he would feel that whomever is in charge isn't doing enough. His family was rightfully scared for their loved one. I don't think he understands that negotiations like this are more complicated than he can know. There is no telling what kim jung ill wanted for the kid.

And now Tillerson may have gotten him home, but at what price? What is trump going to do for another murderous autocrat?

[oasis]

19. Trump should shoulder some of the blame here.

He's blaming the wrong president.

[Sunlei]

21. trumps only been here 5 months, I know it feels like 100 years :P

hope he's impeached soon.

[oasis]

23. Oops. Got my dates mixed in my rage.

But yes, it does seem like a long time since Trump's innaguration. I'm gonna love every minute of the exit process.

[Sunlei]

20. I don't blame him for lashing out & being extremely upset. I think the basketball buddie was why h

why his son was released.

I hope the son has the best medical care and maybe can recover over time.

Someone should remind the president that thanks to ACA, the 22 year old is covered by his parents medical insurance.

[Ilsa]

22. We traded Rodman for this poor kid? Awesome!

They can keep him!

[Sunlei]

24. Dennis is the only RL friend the manchild has. His online game-friends don't count.

[Justice]

25. I think you are correct. Thought it was odd Trump Admin kept saying wasn't Rodman, which made me

conclude that Dennis almost certainly was responsible.

[spooky3]

31. If DR was, thanks to him.

[uncle ray]

33. so why didn't Rodman get any of the non-comatose Americans released? nt.

[Sunlei]

38. how many are there? I think only 3 or 4? NK does hold quite a few people from SK & Japan. 400?

they tend to grab people, near their border and off fishing boats I've read. I think a lot of killings happen out at sea, not much a small fishing boat can do when attacked by some other country. There are a few cell phone 'trophy' videos up showing how fishermen are shot and boats sunk.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

28. 2015 article about Fred Warmbier

SEP 26, 2015 @ 08:10 AM
Introducing A Small Business Owner Who Discovered Growth Is A Blessing And A Curse

Meet Fred Warmbier, entrepreneur. Warmbier owns a small business, Finishing Technology, located near Cincinnati, Ohio. The company finishes and anodizes metal parts –and is growing rapidly.

It is industrial work, and it is sophisticated brainwork, too, because Finishing Technology has to innovate solutions every day because every job is a custom job. In fact, no two jobs are exactly alike, and there are a lot of jobs in house, each day. Recipes for treating parts are difficult to create and closely guarded.

[Coventina]

30. Is this the moron who stole the NK banner on a school trip?

Did his father never teach him that when you go to a brutal dictatorship you should be on your best behavior?

Fuck him and his blaming Obama. He should be blaming himself.

[LovingA2andMI]

32. Bingo!!!

Blaming Real POTUS Barack Obama was BS and, totally lost any feeling what-so-ever for this incident, immediately!

[dalton99a]

39. Yeah, that was stupid:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3497017/The-worst-mistake-life-caught-film-Moment-American-student-21-steals-propaganda-poster-bearing-Kim-Jong-Il-North-Korean-hotel-earning-15-years-hard-labor.html

According to Warmbier's statement on Monday, he wanted the banner with a political slogan on it as a trophy for the church member, who was the mother of a friend.

In his comments, Warmbier said he was offered a used car worth $10,000 by a member of the church.

He said the church member told him the slogan would be hung on its wall as a trophy. He also said he was told that if he was detained and didn't return, $200,000 would be paid to his mother in the form of a charitable donation.

Warmbier identified the church as the Friendship United Methodist Church, which is in his hometown of Wyoming, in Ohio.

[JI7]

40. story is most likely false but i can see why he would tell that

it was a way to make it seem like something from north korea would be special and worth something.

[janx]

35. The father is grieving.

He's going to lash out wherever and whenever he can.