WE APPRECIATE IT. >>> WE'RE COVERING WHAT'S
HAPPENING WITH THE RELEASE OF THE STUDENT FROM NORTH KOREA.
WITH ME ON THE PHONE IS THE AMBASSADOR BILL RICHARDSON,
FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. WHO HAS WORKED IN SOME OF
THESE DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS WITH NORTH KOREA.
DE FACTO I GUESS. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM PEOPLE
YOU ARE IN CONTACT WITH ABOUT THE RELEASE OF OTTO WARMBIER?
>> WE SPOKE TO OTTO'S PARENTS THIS MORNING.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT HE HAS BEEN RELEASED.
THAT'S VERY WELCOMED NEWS. THE STATE DEPARTMENT DESERVES
CREDIT. MY FOUNDATION SENT A DELEGATION
LATE LAST YEAR TO TRY TO GET HIM OUT.
WE HAVE BEEN PRESSING THE NORTH KOREANS, MEETING WITH THEM.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT HE IS OUT. THE BAD NEWS IS, APPARENTLY, HIS
HEALTH. HE HAS BEEN IN A COMA FOR A
YEAR. WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT
THAT. AND THE MAIN QUESTION IS, THE
NORTH KOREANS HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO.
WHY DIDN'T THEY LET THE UNITED STATES AND OUR REPRESENTATIVES
IN NORTH KOREA, THE SWEDSWEDES,W ABOUT HIS CONDITION.
WHY DIDN'T THEY ALLOW MORE CONSULAR ACCESS?
THEY SHOULD HAVE RELEASED HIM A LONG TIME AGO.
THERE ARE TWO AMERICANS AND ONE CANADIAN THERE THAT THE NORTH
KOREANS NEED TO RELEASE IMMEDIATELY.
>> REX TILLERSON IS ON CAPITOL HILL RIGHT NOW AND JUST TALKED
ABOUT THE SITUATION. HERE IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.
>> THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HAS SECURED THE RELEASE OF OTTO
WARMBIER FROM NORTH KOREA. HE IS EN ROUTE HOME TO BE
REUNITED WITH HIS FAMILY. WE CONTINUE OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH
THE NORTH KOREAN REGIME REGARDING THE RELEASE OF THE
THREE OTHER AMERICAN CITIZENS THAT HAVE BEEN DETAINED.
WE HAVE NO COMMENT ON MR. WARMBIER'S CONDITION, OUT OF
RESPECT TO HIM AND THE FAMILY. AND THAT IS THE STATEMENT THAT
WAS RELEASED. >> SECRETARY TILLERSON THERE.
AMBASSADOR, WHY NOW? YOU RAISED THAT QUESTION.
CAN YOU EVEN TALK ABOUT THE TIMING OF THISTHIS AND WHY YOU K
IT'S HAPPENING? >> WELL, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE
FACTS. WE MET WITH THE NORTH KOREANS.
THEY NEVER TOLD US THAT HE WAS IN THIS VERY PRECARIOUS HEALTH
SITUATION. SO WE'RE VERY CONCERNED THAT HE
WASN'T GIVEN PROPER MEDICAL ACCESS, PROPER ACCESS TO THE
SWEDES WHO REPRESENT US THERE. SO I BELIEVE NORTH KOREA HAS A
LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO. I DO COMMEND THE STATE
DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR EFFORTS. THERE WAS THAT INVOLVEMENT THAT
GOT OTTO OUT. BUT YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PUBLIC
PRESSURE, PRESS PRESSURE. MY DELEGATION PUSHING.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHY HAS HE BEEN IN A COMA FOR A YEAR AND WE
DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT. AND OUR CONCERN HAS TO BE,
BEFORE WE START CELEBRATING HIS RELEASE, HOW IS HE, WHAT IS HIS
CONDITION. >> RIGHT.
>> WE HAVE TALKED TO HIS PARENTS, THEY ARE GREAT PEOPLE.
WE'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THEM CONTINUOUSLY.
>> HOW DO THEY SOUND? CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT
MIGHT BE A HIGHLY EMOTIONAL STATE FOR THEM RIGHT NOW.
>> THEY ARE HIGHLY EMOTIONAL. THEY ARE EN ROUTE TO SEE THEIR
SON. HE IS BEING TREATED AT A
MILITARY BASE IN JAPAN. HOPEFULLY HE WILL GET THE PROPER
MEDICAL TREATMENT. HIS CONDITION RIGHT NOW -- WE
SHOULD PRAY FOR HIS SAFE CONDITION.
THAT'S MY BIGGEST WORRY NOW. I AM HAPPY THAT HE IS OUT.
BUT IS HE -- IS HE -- IS HIS HEALTH GOOD.
I AM WORRIED ABOUT THAT. THE NORTH KOREANS HAVE A LOT OF
EXPLAINING TO DO. >> ARE HIS PARENTS, DO YOU KNOW,
HEADED, OBVIOUSLY, TO SEE HIM, IF HE IS, AS AS YOU SAY, HEADED
THIS MILITARY BASE IN JAPAN? >> I BELIEVE SO, YEAH.
WE SPOKE TO THEM THIS MORNING. THEY WERE VERY EMOTIONAL,
OBVIOUSLY. THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT HIS
HEALTH. HAPPY HE IS GETTING OUT.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THEM CONTINUOUSLY.
BUT AGAIN, WE TO RECOGNIZE NORTH KOREA USES THESE AMERICANS
AS BARGAINING CHIPS. THIS TIME, THEY MAY HAVE GONE
TOO FAR, ESPECIALLY IF HE'S BEEN IN A COMA FOR A YEAR.
HE'S NOT BEEN WELL, EVEN THOUGH HE IS A YOUNG MAN.
THEY SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED PROPER MEDICAL AUTHORITIES, THE UNITED
STATES. THERE ARE A LOT OF INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTIONS THAT DEAL WITH PRISONERS.
THEY MAY NOT HAVE ABIDED BY THAT.
THE BEST THING THEY CAN DO NOW IS RELEASE THE OTHER THREE
AMERICANS IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT CONDITION.
>> OKAY. AMBASSADOR BILL RICHARDSON,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PERSPECTIVE.
ALL OF IT HAPPENING A