State Department Says U.S. Government Willing to Defer but Not Drop Desert

[mom cat]

State Department Says U.S. Government Willing to Defer but Not Drop Desertion Charges Against Former Soldier

By Barry Schweid The Associated Press
Published: Jul 19, 2004






WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States may be willing to defer prosecution of a former U.S. soldier accused of defecting to North Korea nearly 40 years ago but is not willing to give up on seeking his return from Japan to face charges, the State Department spokesman said Monday.
The former soldier, Charles Jenkins, 64, was resting in a Tokyo hospital while many Japanese hoped the United States would be lenient in its desertion case against him so he may resettle there with his Japanese wife.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said "we are considerate of the humanitarian situation" and of Jenkins' medical condition. So, Boucher said, "while we do expect to present a legal request for custody at the appropriate time, we won't be doing that right away."

Jenkins was to undergo testing Tuesday to determine how he should be treated, a hospital official said in Japan. The Japanese government says Jenkins suffers from after-affects of abdominal surgery he received in North Korea and needs urgent care.

Jenkins disappeared near the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea in 1965. He arrived in Japan on Sunday with his Japanese wife and their North Korea-born daughters.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBKRMCXUWD.html

[Demeter]

1. In the Words of Our Fearless Vice Feurer

FU! Let the man alone.

[Tiberius]

2. This is such a strange story

The army claims he left letters to the effect of, "I'm going to North Korea, good bye". The letters were apparently lost by the army so there's no concrete evidence still in existence that he actually did defect.

To see him showing up in Malaysia wearing a Kim Il Sung pin... that's kind of surreal.

[daleo]

3. They lost Bush's military records too

But that seems to be no hindrance to Bushco.

[stickdog]

4. It's OK. The POTUS can surely empathize.