To the Point
Politics, Prisoners and Nuclear Technology, from Iran to North Korea
Iran's President Ahmadinejad has been sworn in for a second term. We look at the political, economic and diplomatic obstacles he'll face in the next four years. Also, a high-profile assignment has Bill Clinton back on the world stage.
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenReformers, including politicians and major clerics, boycotted Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s swearing in today. Protesters were outnumbered by riot police. What are the prospects for his second term as President with Iran threatened by economic collapse, political instability and international sanctions? Also, former president Bill Clinton is back on the world stage with the release of two American journalists from North Korea. What’s the benefit for the dictator Kim Jong Il? What were the roles of Secretary of State Clinton and President Obama? Is a breakthrough on nuclear weapons more or less likely?
Banner image: Former President Bill Clinton (L) and Vice President Al Gore (2nd-L) greet freed US journalists Laura Ling (2nd-R) and Euna Lee upon their arrival at the airport in Burbank, California on August 5. Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
In this episode
3 storiesHillary Clinton Launches African Tour
The Secretary of State has an opportunity to make news of her own on her visit to sub-Saharan Africa. First stop, Kenya, where she criticized the government for graft and corruption. Shashank Bengali is Africa Correspondent for the McClatchy Newspapers .
Read the story7 minWill Reporters' Release Warm North Korea-US Relations?
After months of captivity in North Korea and a sentence of 12 years at hard labor, Laura Ling described what happened yesterday when she and Euna Lee were told to go to a meeting. Ling spoke to reporters this morning at the airport in Burbank, California along with Al Gore.
Read the story36 minIranian President Ahmadinejad Begins Second Term
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad starts his second four-year term as President of Iran. In today's inaugural address, Ahmadinejad called for "a national will" and "national resolve." He told his audience, "We need to join forces." As if to dramatize the moment, major reformers, including a faction of parliament, boycotted the ceremony.
Read the story7 min
