President Barack Obama proclaimed the U.S. government "extraordinarily relieved" Wednesday over the release of two American journalists from North Korea and praised former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore for their roles.
Speaking on the White House lawn just before leaving on a trip to Indiana, Obama said, "The reunion we've all seen on television, I think, is a source of happiness not only for the families but also for the entire country."
Obama made no mention of the overall tense relationship between Washington and the regime headed by Kim Jong Il, and he said that "all Americans should be grateful to both former President Clinton and Vice President Gore for their extraordinary work."
Obama said that he had spoken with the families of Laura Ling and Euna Lee once the pair was safely on aboard Clinton's private jet en route to the United States from North Korea. He also said he'd spoken with the former president.
Speaking to reporters earlier, press secretary Robert Gibbs had said the former president would brief Obama's national security team at some point on what transpired during his high-level meeting with Kim as a private envoy representing the United States.
At the same time, Gibbs reiterated that the former president did not carry a message from Obama to Kim. "If there wasn't a message, there certainly couldn't have been an apology," the spokesman said.
When asked whether the release of the journalists could lead to a breakthrough on other issues like North Korea's nuclear program, Gibbs said that will depend on the actions of the communist regime.
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