The only surprise for me, Marc, is your apparent surprise. This is of course an all too frequently occurring, highly orchestrated media "dance" that must be done in order to secure the release of American citizens who "wander" into various godforsaken countries (North Korea, Iran, etc.). Are you really shocked, shocked that North Korea's thug-in-chief would make political hay over this? That is the point. It's all a photo op for domestic political reasons, anything to maintain his cult of personality. As to Jimmy Carter's appearance, well, it's a given that the US representative has to be either a former president, a former candidate for the office, or someone with similar star power. And enough about the failed rescue attempt. Jesus, Carter showed remarkable restraint, and only agreed to the use of the Delta Force when all other avenues were closed. If those helicopters had not gone down or malfunctioned, Carter would have been hailed as a hero.

The real question is why so many feckless American hikers/tourists go anywhere near these incredibly dangerous places.

Peter T.