U.S. deserter 'in terrible shape'

[Hobarticus]

(CNN) -- Charles Robert Jenkins, a U.S. Army sergeant accused of defecting to North Korea 39 years ago, is facing serious health problems and may head to Japan for medical treatment, but it is unclear if the U.S. will seek his extradition.

Speaking to CNN's Ash-har Quraishi in an exclusive interview, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said "it's an open question" as to whether the United States will try to extradite the 64-year-old American, classified as a military deserter.

However, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker was more firm on the issue.

"If and when he comes to Japan, we'll ask for custody -- exactly when remains to be seen," Baker told reporters Thursday, according to a transcript available on the U.S. Embassy's Web site.

Jenkins, 64, left reclusive North Korea for the first time in almost four decades last week with his daughters to be reunited with his Japanese wife Hitomi Soga in Indonesia, which has no extradition treaty with the U.S. Before that, they lived in North Korea.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/07/15/us.deserter/index.html

Interesting...we'll chase down a sick 64 year-old junior sergeant who served in the front line, but somehow a lieutenant who walked away from his cushy post in Alabama gets a free pass. I wonder if Powell actually cringes when he says stuff like this.

[THUNDER HANDS]

1. jeez

just let the guy live in peace already.

[UpInArms]

2. is there no statute of limitations on this? ........ eom

[Commendatori]

7. Not likely - it's the UCMJ, and he was never discharged.

Legally, they've got him dead to rights. It'll be interesting to see if they decide that thousands and thousands of tax dollars are a worthwhile investment here.

[bushisanidiot]

3. Thought you were talking about President AWOL

oops!

[zbird]

4. Bushco thinks they can get info out of him re N Korea's nuclear weapons?

more from article:
He could provide the United States with valuable information on the reclusive Communist nation, which Washington accuses of having a nuclear weapons program.

Baker would not confirm that Jenkins was definitely coming to Japan. He said he understood the American needs "an abdominal operation."

"This man is in terrible shape," Baker said. "His health circumstances are really barely short of extreme and I have no doubt that he's in need of skillful medical attention."

Baker said that while "the U.S. government is sympathetic to his health concerns," he is "still classified as a deserter and when we can gain custody of him, he will be charged."


What are they going to do... withhold medical treatment until he coughs up the info they want? I highly doubt that Mr. Jenkins is privy to NK state secrets. I guess this is to scare the current military members, seeing that Bushco doesn't take AWOL/desertion lightly (unless, of course your name is Bush), and will hunt you down and prosecute to the end of time.

[Th1onein]

5. What a waste of time and precious resources! Oooooo!

He might be one of them thair terra-ists. Don't we have better things to do with our money? Oh, that's right! What money? We spent it all on tax cuts and invading Iraq!

[tom_paine]

6. Well, the leuitenant WAS a member of the Imperial Family

You think you live in a Free Country where everyone is equal?

Not even close. But at least we used to be sort of free.

That helped a lot to suffer indignities and injustice.

Now that we are Imperial Subjects, it is not so easy anymore.