and as for james clapper's role, james clapper also on this plane. he flew over to north korea for secret talks, it is not clear what clapper's role was in the detainee's release. the office is not giving details about whom dave clapper met with or what was said clapper did not get engaged in this diplomacy. he's a retired general and that is not usually his role. secretary of state john kerry spoke from oman saturday. and right now coming off the plane. again, he's 24 years old and had been sentenced to six months getting hugs from his family. an emotional time. so happy to have this u.s. citizen back on american soil. we're watching this live right now. at again, near tacoma, washington. he lives in california. and kenneth bae lives in washington state. an emotional time, finally having their loved one matthew todd miller home. back to secretary of state john kerry. he, i said made a statement saturday saying their release has been a focus every day. and we've been working all angles available to bring them home. we're pleased this gesture has take

james clapper. it's a get for the north koreans. but if they're not going to get anything going forward, i would say that that's a very small victory for them that they're not going to be able to take to the bank very long. if you remember, when president clinton went there, if you saw the pictures that came out of the north koreans, it's possibly we see one with james clapper, there weren't a lot of smiles and handshakes. if the north koreans are able to use this as propaganda, it's not going to go very far. i think they're looking for more. >> elise, thank you very much. you've been working your sources on this all morning. appreciate the reporting for us. but good for them they are coming home. we'll be back in just a moment. get to the terminal across town. are all the green lights you? no. it's called grid iq. the 4:51 is leaving at 4:51. ♪ they cut the power. it'll fix itself. power's back on. quick thinking traffic lights and self correcting power grids make the world predictable. thrillingly predictable. ♪ limits are the

we want to thank james clapper. thank you for leading the envoy. we have to thank the stweedish embassy in pyongyang for their tireless efforts. they were the only source of human contact that were warm and loving and brought a slice of home to kenneth when he was locked up in a north korea labor camp. there are many others who have advocated for us. i have to give a special shout-out to many at the state department who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to advocate for us. there are many disappointments, canceled envoys. we are we are. i can't thank them enough for the advocacy. we have to thank the washington del gaths. they are countless others who have been instrumental in our advocacy efforts, such as reverend jesse jackson and david sugarman and others who stayed tw us, support dollars us, i don't letters. we would not be here today without you. thank you. we are so happy to have him home. >> i just want to say thank you all for supporting me and standing by me during this time. it's been amazing blessing to see so many people being involved

and that seemed to have been what they wanted to talk to james clapper about when he went out there, at least -- although he and other -- i've been told he went there toward the purpose of not negotiating on nuclear talk, certainly to get the americans home. so they may want to go there. but u.s. officials have told me that we're not there yet. that the real change is going to be not symbolic releases of americans, but change in behavior, openness, transparency on the nuclear program, et cetera. and just thinking longer term, you know, the north korean foreign policy, if you call it that, is traditionally in a cycle of provocation and reconciliation. you know, you launch the missiles, and then you back off and look for a reward, whether that's economic concessions from china that supports them economically, et cetera or a diplomatic mission to the u.s., starting talks, et cetera. and then all too often, you have seen those periods of reconciliation, and with further provocati provocation. so i think we need some ex tri occasions management at this point, and in light of that history.

it wrapped a lot more authority around james clapper going. the north koreans historically have always responded better or they liked to work with a high-ranking american official. so bill richardson had -- you know, as ambassador to the united nations, carried a lot of weight when he went. similarly, of course, president clinton went over and got people released. so i think it has a lot to do with status. and the north koreans feeling like they're treated as a more equal partner and not just a third-rate country with a nuclear weapon. >> how much of a win is this for the obama administration after the mid terms? >> i think it's -- it's certainty positive. i don't think it's a big win for the obama administration, but it's a positive note. it will draw more attention to his trip to china, which is coming up this coming week. >> right. >> i think nobody knows when it comes to the north koreans actually what they're up to. they're so mysterious and isolated, as bill just said. some republicans will speculate, probably quietly, but speculate that

director of national intelligence james clapper, who made the trip to pyongyang earlier this week to secure their release. clapper is the highest ranking american official to travel to the reclusive nation in 14 years. while today's news is cause for celebration for both men's families, the exact nature of the talks that led to their remains cloaked in secrecy. we have two reports beginning with nbc's chris jansing at the white house. chris, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. the official u.s. government statement said simply, they're on their way home. an understated description for the highly secretive, high-stakes mission. adding to the intrigue the man who helped win bae and miller's release is america's top spy, james clapper. he's on the plane with them right now, on the last leg of their journey to freedom. the long nightmare for kenneth bae and matthew todd miller ended dramatically, like something out of a spy novel, the central character in the top-secret mission to win their release is america's top intelligence official james clapper. after abruptly cancelin

that's probably as far as it would go. >> you worked for james clapper. why do you think he was a good choice for a mission like this? >> he's an excellent choice. 16 agencies who watched north korea closely, who understand north korea's missile and nuclear programs, understand what they're doing on human rights activities. this is one interlocket north koreans have a tough time dealing with. he has the facts. he was an outstanding choice to represent the president of the united states. >> a lot of talk now is a lot of folks are hoping this charm offensive if you want to call it that, could bring other positive results. what do you think? >> the core issue is north korea's nuclear and missile programs. obviously activities and human rights. they need to address the nuclear programs. this has been on the table 20 years with frustrating thoerkss. we had 2 agreed frame work in '94, joint statement in 2005. north korea is building more missile and nuclear capability. they need to commit to what they promised many years ago. comprehensive verifiable denucleari

director of national intelligence james clapper flew to pyongyang the capital at the north's invitation. clapper carried with him a letter from u.s. president barack obama for north korean leader kim jong un. kenneth bae expressed his gratitude at a news conference shortly after he landed in the u.s. >> i just want to say thank you all for supporting me and standing by me during this time. and it's been just amazing to see so many people involved getting me released for the last two years, and not to mention the thousands of people that have been praying for me as well. so i just want to say thank you all for supporting me, lifting me up and not forgetting me. at the same time not forgetting the people of north korea. and thank you for supporting my family as well during this this difficult time for my family. standing strong during this time. >> we also heard from bae's sister, who said their family's hopes and prayers for this moment have finally come true. >> we are thankful for the mercy of leaders in north korea who relented and allowed the return of kenneth bae and matthew todd mi

general james clapper, i'm told, did not meet with kim jong-un. but they tell me that the u.s. spy chief was carrying a brief message from president obama to him. i'm told the message was short and to the point. but the general was the president's personal envoy just to bring home the two americans. u.s. officials are saying this does not mean a warming of relations. they say that will not happen until north korea stops violating agreements to get rid of its nuclear weapons program and stops launching missile tests. in another big obstacle, by the way, to normalizing relations north korea has just been found guilty of horrendous human rights abuses at its notorious prison camps by the u.n. and is facing condemnation by international tribunal, an issue experts say has been worrying the north korean regime. it's significant that general clapper is the first cabinet official to go to pyongyang since madeleine albright in 2000. even though john kerry was nearby in neighboring beijing, it was decided not to send a diplomat. >>> president obama announced a historic choice to be the c

we understand on the plane with him is the director of national intelligence james clapper. also a delegation of u.s. officials who went to north korea as well who are accompanying bae and miller as they now land home in the united states. we also understand their families, both men's families are here and will be greeting them as soon as they step off the plane. you can only imagine the excitement and joy and anticipation they must be feeling at this moment. again, a much-anticipated and long-awaited arrival, especially for the bae family who have been working so hard to try to secure his release for the past two years. it was november 3rd, 2012 when we learned kenneth bae was detained and arrested. both men in fact facing charges and eventually convicted in these cases of hostile acts against the government of north korea and they were sentenced to hard labor. you may recall the interview that our will ripley did with these two men as well as jeffrey fowle when they were still detained just a couple of months ago in which they pleaded for the u.s. to send a special envoy p

james clapper securing their release. why now? >> reporter: that's the question that everyone is still asking. it is a good pr exercise for pyongyang. this is a decision that could only have been made from the top by kim jong-un, the leader himself. the humanitarian gesture according to pyongyang would make him look good. there was no quid pro quo for releasing the two men. we heard recently from the u.s. preside president obama in beijing describe what happened. >> we had an indication there was a possibility of a release of these two hostages or prisoners and we pursued it. it did not touch on some of the broader issues that have been the source of primary concern when it comes to north korea. it's in particular its development of nuclear tests. >> reporter: obama says this is a gesture. he said there is a broader fundamental conflict with washington and pyongyang. the fact that pyongyang is refusing to denuclearize. a statement that obama actually apologized. given an earnest apology for what happened. washington is not comment

both men were released after a secret visit to north korea by james clapper. he delivered a letter to kim john ung that is support and to the point. >> happening a month after jeffrey foul was set free in an exclusive interview with our affiliate he is so relieved that both men were coming home and this is the advice he gave. >> keep your head up. keep the faith. stay positive. it will be good. >> it is short but also to the point. we're covering this story from all the angles like only cnn can with a team of experts from around the world. let's begin with cnn and will rippley who is in tokyo. we will, you were recently in north korea. you spoke to both men exclusively. what are your thoughts now hearing them speak back on u.s. soil? >> certainly you see an example of kenneth bay and matthew miller's very different reactions to this whole ordeal in north core eechlt kenneth bay and his family have been out in front of the cameras, very vocal, social media, tradition alameda, any way his family can get the message out and kenneth bay not afraid to step in front

why james clapper? these talks did involve intelligence officials. there's a quiet channel between the u.s. and north korea. we don't hear that much about it. but it seems to be a more transactional channel where officials can get business done outside of the whole realm of diplomacy and what the larger context of the u.s./north korea relationship. that's why they wouldn't have sent secretary of state john kerry. >> what role did sweden play in all this? >> sweden is what we call the protecting power of the united states. the u.s. and north korea don't

the president chose the director of national intelligence james clapper and senior administration officials tell me that mr. clapper did bring a letter from president obama to north korean leader kim jong un to let him know he was president obama's personal envoy, certainly a message from president obama to the north korean leader, poppy. >> wow. when you talk about this in a historical context, elise, have we seen this before? have we seen other presidents sending letters to the north korean regime? >> well, you know, this is not the first time that the u.s. and north korea have done business together. you remember that president clinton sent his secretary of state, madeleine albright to north korea. so, certainly there have been communications from the presidents to north korea. i think a letter of this nature, i mean, you wouldn't make that much out of it because it's not a letter calling for better relations certainly. calling for an opening. but certainly it's something that the north korean leader cheeri clearly wanted something from president obama saying -- making some kind of gestu

he'll be back in a moment with my interview of director of national intelligence, james clapper. [♪] great rates and safety working in harmony. open an optimizer +plus account from synchrony bank. visit myoptimizerplus.com to open an account. service. security. savings. synchrony bank engage with us. >> schieffer: who puts going to goat korea a on their bucket list. america's top spy. that is one of the things we found on friday when james clapper, the director of national intelligence, invited us to his office to talk about his top secret trip there to bring home two american prisoners. kenneth bae and matthew miller. why do you suppose they chose the top spy in the united states? >> that's a great question. for one, they wanted someone who is currently in the government who was part the national security council. i think i followed the korean peninsula as i served there as director of intelligence in the mid '80s. >> schieffer: had you ever been to north korea? >> this is the first time i flew over north korea with permission. when i served in korea in december 1985 straight in to

james clapper, director of national intelligence, is with them. rosalind jordan has more. >> reporter: the days of life in a prison camp are over for kenneth bae and matthew miller. they were released on tuesday and boarded a plane for the u.s. >> it's a wonderful day for them and their families. we are happy for their safe return. doing a great job on what was obviously a challenging mission. >> director clapper is james clapper, the u.s.'s director of national intelligence. in a statement, the u.s. state department called clapper to release: it's not clear why clapper was brought in to negotiate. the north koreans prefer to negotiate with either former president or high profile diplomat on the fate of u.s. citizens. >> there's some speculation that by releasing the men, kim jong un may be trying to soften his country's image. north korea faces sanctions because it refuses to stop the nuclear weapons programme, the the u.n. security council could refer kim to the international criminal court for human rights violations. kenneth bae, a christian m

how did in the north koreans react when james clapper arrived two days late? >> well, doesn't seem to have had a huge impact because clapper made it back with both americans, but it is good that the plane did not break down in north korea. if that happened there would have beens' serious logistical issues. once clobber, ba and miller got on the play, they returned home safely, after which the obama administration was quick to say this was a trip to get both men back. not a task to open diplomatic relation with north korea. over the years we heard that bae was in bad health. he appeared to be in good spirits and his sister says he had no ill will against north korea. >> i learn a lot. i grow a lot. lost a lot of weight, but i stand strong because of you. >> there's going to be, i think, a lot of emotional stress and other things he has to deal with. i'm thankful that for now he seems to be doing remarkably well. he is in good spirits. >> the first thing bae did, he had a hot piece of pizza with his family and his sister said there's only one thing he may never

james clapper is personally accompanying the men to the u.s. bae was arrested two years ago as he entered a northeastern city just near the border with china. north korea says he used his business to form groups to overthrow the government and sentenced him to 15 years hard labor. matthew todd miller was arrested in april after destroying his tourist visa and demanding asylum. he was sentenced to six years of hard labor for what's described as hostile acts. the release following the release of another american, jeffrey fowle. ian joins us. what are you hearing? >> reporter: what we can say for sure is they are on their way home accompanied by james clapper who was in pyongyang. who's been in pyongyang since midweek. although the u.s. insists there was no deal. also, the swedish embassy's been on this case for some time. now, those two individuals, kenneth bae and matthew miller, couldn't be any more different. miller showed up there, reportedly tore up his visa and asked for asylum. which was puzzling to the north koreans and so they put him in

plus america's top spy national intelligence director james clapper and panel of analysts. 60 years of news because this is "face the nation." captioning sponsored by cbs good morning again we're going first to london and cbs news veteran iraq correspondent charlie d'agata more on this atrocity. >> good morning, bob. the video surfaced this morning it appears to show that same english speaking isis militant seen in previous videos claiming to beheaded peter kassig. unlike previous videos this did not show kassig alive before the alleged beheading. 26-year-old aid worker was captured in syria just over a year ago while trying to deliver food. he's a former army ranger served in iraq, set up his own agency. his family from indiana they released statement saying they're aware of the reports. death of their treasured son but they're awaiting confirmation from the u.s. government. national security council said they're trying to confirm the authenticity of the video but if true, the u.s. government is appalled by the brutal murder of innocent american aid worker. the 15 minute video include

now he sent james clapper. he's not sending a diplomat to north korea. >> he sure wasn't. since the alternative might have been dennis rodman. >> rodman's claiming some credit here, right? >> of course, of course. look, james clapper, who's the director of national intelligence, did a great tactical move here. he went in. he presented this letter. apparently there was no quid pro quo. he emerged with these two americans. and they're back home. and as the president said, that's a good news story. but strategically, there was nothing in this to show any kind of opening to north korea. and it's interesting that kim jong- jong-un, the north korean leader, unpredictable, missing for the past few months, has taken a number of steps lately that show he certainly is concerned about trying to get some kind of relationship. >> that's what i want to ask about. it appears if the president is not showing any willingness to negotiate in any formal way, going forward, believe, as you note earlier today, that you can more specifically, what's the word i'm looking for, you can just contain

national intelligence director james clapper helped to secure their release. and president obama leaving for an important visit to china. it comes at a time of tense relations between the two countries. president obama nominating brooklyn u.s. attorney loretta lynch to be the next attorney general. he called on the senate for a timely confirmation. and turning to isis and word from the pentagon that u.s.- led coalition carried out a series of a strikes around mosul and the target is the gather aring of top isis leaders. and it pushes on especially in kaboni. here's the latest from the mideast newsroom. john? >> reporter: u.s. led air strikes are helping ground forces in iraq and syria and the bloody tug-of-war continues in the syrian border town of kobani. now, that is where the iraqi- kurdish forces helped to weaken but not stopped the assault on the town. u.s. air strikes are helping and they are continuing. it took out iowa -- isis positions and. now begee is where the largest oil refinery sits and an important bloody battle ground since june. u.s. led air

the north koreans let them go after they received a call from james clapper. who then escorted the men home. following a story from the west coast newsroom. i bet it's great to be back on u.s. soil. >> you have to imagine so, heather. in fact, the first thing that kenneth bae did after reuting with his family and friends. he sat down and had a big hot pizza. his sister said there's only one thing he did not want, korean food. he returned after being detained in 2012 while leading a korean group to an economic zone. he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for alleged government activity. but with the good spirits he thanked president obama and even north korea for granting his release. >> i will not, we will not -- but i'm standing strong because of you. >> amazingly, bae's sister said that right now he hold no, sir ill-will against north korea. and as for his family, they say they're just happy he's home safe. >> i started crying and i was just so emotional. then, you know, we had agreed that my mom would hug him first. when i saw that, you know -- wow. >> bae

their release was secured by james clapper. a senior administration official says it was short and to the point, identifying clapper as the president's envoy, who was there to bring to americans home. he had a request when he got home. , he said i want a burger or pizza. if thetiations -- asked negotiations gave any insight to kim jong-un, the president said no. karen travers, abc 7 news. the nurse under ebola quarantine says she will not stay in maine. says she and her boyfriend plan to leave maine tomorrow since she will no longer require daily monitoring. she was placed in that mandatory quarantine in new jersey. after protesting isolation she was allowed to return to maine, where she denied official orders to stay inside. she has not shown any symptoms and has twice tested negative for ebola. on your side with a consumer alert. hundreds of children have been poisoned from those popular laundry detergents called pods. it shows there were more than 17,000 calls about the products involving children younger than six years old.

. >> the two men were accompanied by james clapper, the director of national intelligence. senior white house correspondent has the late breaking details on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning lester. president obama approved the mission last week. members of congress were given the heads up. hard to overstate the intricacies or surprising details of the plan. the highest ranking u.s. official in more than a decade visiting one of the most secretive places on earth. at the end of it all was a reunion. for kenneth bae, this was the embrace he waited two long years to feel. he was reunited with his family. >> i want to say thank you all for supporting me and lifting me up, not forgetting me. >> bae touched down at a military base outside of seattle. with himing matthew todd miller who arrived in the weight arms of his parents after 12 months. it was a dramatic and emotional ending after the spy story. the secret mission was headed by america's top spy james clapper after a series of back channel negotiations that included china. >> there are ways in which they can c

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it was headed by james clapper, after a sensitive of back channel negotiations that included china. >> there are ways in which they can communicate with us largely through their mission to the u.n. in new york. this was the final step in a very well choreographed ballet. >> he carried a short message from president obama, but officials say north korea wasn't offered anything in return. >> well, i think it's a wonderful day for the men and their families, obviously. we're very grateful for their safe return. >> miller allegedly ripped up his veisa when he arrived in north korea and was convicted of espionage. bae had been hospitalized after working in a labor camp. >> it's been amazing two years. i learned a lot. grew a lot. lost lots of weight. but i'm standing strong because of you. >> standing by his side, his sister who had worked tirelessly to see this day. >> we're finally here. my brother is home. all of our hopes and prayers for this moment have finally come true. >> that joyious reunion notwithstanding, u.s. officials say the release did not address concerns over north korea's

director of national intelligence james clapper. i'm curious, the north korean government released a statement. what did they say about this? >> well, video we've heard about this is from the north korean side so, of course, it will be about to see if washington does admit that yes, president obama did give that apology. this is really what pyongyang wanted. they wanted the commander in chief of the u.s., president obama, to be apologizing to the leader of north korea. >> this is the most correct meeting or connection that these two leaders have ever had. it is significant that this letter was taken by james clapper, effectively saying that he was the personal envoy. it's significant. >> especially this letter is supposed to be short and sweet, according to the u.s. officials we've been speaking with. thank you. paula hancocks. >> tell us more about this reunion. i can imagine it was a very emotional rewrun. what are the men saying about being back home? >> it was such a joyful reunion, indeed, when we saw both those families enbrac

they were released after james clapper flew to north korea himself to discuss the men's situation. kenneth bae spent more than two years in prison. he spoke shortly after arriving in the u.s. >> i just want to say thank you all for supporting me and standing by me during this time. and it's been just amazing blessing to see so many people being involved, getting me released the last two years, not to mention -- not only mentioning for the thousands of people that have been praying for me as well. >> and that was kenneth bae there. matthew todd miller had been detained since april. he spent a lot less time in north korea. he was also at that press conference. he didn't make a statement, however, and was reunited with his family. >>> well, back to today's events in berlin. the german chancellor angela merkel is live at the berlin wall. very emotional part of berlin. this is where so many east berliners lost their lives, killed by border guards in many cases trying to cross from east to west. events are underway on this very special day. pretty soon we're expecting the lighting of can

official, james clapper. >> it has been an amazing two years. i learned a lot and grew a lot and lost a lot of weight. strong becauseng of you. whilewas detained in 2012 leading a tour group to a north korean economic zone. miller was serving a six-year sentence on charges of espionage after allegedly ripping up his tourist visa at the pyongyang airport. theas been 25 years since fall of the berlin wall that separated east and west berlin. how thousands at of people honored the historic moment in germany. eightliners released house and lighted white balloons into the sky, marking the path of the berlin wall with a sign of peace. a quarter of the center -- a quarter of a century has passed since the fall of the berlin wall -- a concrete wall separating east and west berlin from 1961 to 1989, cutting off friends and relatives in the same city. it became an iconic symbol of the cold war. the german chancellor time rated the occasion with words of hope. the wall showed his dreams can come true. nothing has to stay as it is. on november 9, 19 89, ger

their release was secured after a secret trip by this man, america's top spy master, james clapper who flew into enemy territory, the hermit kingdom of north korea, a hard line nuclear armed communist dictatorship run leader kim jong-un. abc's tom llamas is on the story. stomach, good morning. >> reporter: dan, good morning to you. we cannot stress enough how extraordinary this is that our nation's top intelligence official, the man who knows all the secrets, took the trip but mission accomplished and this morning, someone else is taking credit for the release, dennis rodman. >> thank you all for supporting me, lifting me up and not forgetting me. >> reporter: overnight kenneth bae and matthew todd miller stepping off this military plane and onto american soil for the first time since the surprise release of the last known americans in captivity in north korea. >> it's just hard to believe this day is finally here. >> it's been an amazing two years, i learned a lot. i grew a lot, lost a lot of weight in a good way, but i'm standing strong. >> reporter: 45-year-old bae convicted of anti

director of national intelligence james clapper flew to north korea to discuss the men's' situation. kenneth bae spoke shortly after arriving in the united states. listen. >> i just want to say thank you all for supporting me and standing by me during this time. and it's been just amazing blessing to see so many people being involved, getting me released for last two years and not to mention the thousands of people who prayed for me as well. >> reporter: kenneth bae there. matthew todd miller, the other american detained in north korea had been in north korea since april. his family was also at that news conference but not make a statement. >>> back to today's events in berlin, the german chancellor angela merkel has arrived at the berlin wall memorial. let's take a look at some of the events unfolding in the german capital. ceremonies are getting under way. it's a very special way. you're seeing on your screens some of the speeches taking place at that memorial. there will be roses laid along berlin's hinterland wall and solemn services at the chapel. all this mark a quarter century

you're flying your top spy, james clapper, from washington to pyongyang for a very sensitive mission. and twice it has to stop on the way for mechanical issues. and when the issue was dealt with, apparently had to stop again in guam on the way to pyongyang. at the end of the day, it just delayed the mission by a day. so he was meant to get there a day earlier and then those americans would have been freed a day earlier. the mission probably would have gone on. i imagine the u.s. would have mustered another plane if this one proved incapable of making the trip all the way to pyongyang. but it's certainly embarrassing. what's interesting, it's not the first time it's happened to the u.s. flight crew for flying senior officials around. john kerry, you'll remember, just a few weeks ago returning from sensitive negotiations in the middle east, his plane broke down. he had to fly commercial home. gets to a larger issue here where the u.s. fleet has to be upgraded. a number of folks in washington are pushing for that. here we had it happen in the middle of of one of the most sensitive missio

president obama praising the director of national intelligence james clapper for his role in their release. >> it's a wonderful day for them, their families. we are grateful for their safe return. i appreciate director clapper doing a great job on what was obviously a challenging mission. >> now, today's release follows last month's release of jeffrey fowle and that means there are no americans being held by the north korea regime. dominic dinatelli join us live with the latest on the developing story. >> you probably can see by the look on president obama's face this is extremely good news. intelligence officials in washington saying kenneth bae and matt miller are heading back to the united states right now. miller was serving a six month jail term on charges of espionage while bae is a missionary. with them, the director of national intelligence james clapper who had negotiated with the dprk for their return. here's what his office had to say in a statement a short while ago. kenneth bae and matthew todd miller have been allowed to depart the dprk and they're on their way home accompani

sent national intelligence director general james clapper to pyongyang. clapper brought along a letter from president obama addressed to dear leader himself, kim jong-un. cnn chief national security correspondent jim sciutto joins me now. this mission almost didn't get off the ground. >> yes. we learned today that this lofty and diplomat ic mission almost didn't happen. clapper's plane had to stop twice with mechanical problems. bae and miller might have been home free by friday otherwise. regardless, still a remarkable moment in the long troubled u.s./north korea relationship. the mission to bring americans kenneth bae and matthew miller home was the result of a elaborate behind-the-scenes planning and ultimately a risk. north korea approached the u.s. two weeks ago asking for a high-level u.s. envoy. >> we had indication that there was the possibility of the release of these two hostages, prisoners. and we pursued it. >> reporter: the u.s. responded with james clapper, the nation's top spy, but not a diplomat who might signal the opening of a broader ne

1&p+e a feeling that they sent james clapper because secretary of state was otherwise involved trying to give away the store to the iranians and iran on the nuclear neg/e[cxtions. i, for one,r0÷ would not send the man had who keeps the secrets to north korea. not that i would expect even north korea is foolish enough to do anything but >> it's sort of interesting they help north korea happy for that didn't help in mexico at least as far as we can see not much. and so far silent innq >> i that's why i think this is explainable from the north korean perspective that they expect to get something, whether there is a negotiation that in effect iséy already in train. administration -- i think has ceased thexm( u concessions that the administration is making to iran and say we can do as well ourselves. >> maybe sometime we will get the answer. this one baffles me. i'm glad they're home. nice to he so you sincht nice to see. >> you lava strike. youweúe$'t believe. this new video just. in 2,000-degree lava, setting a house on fire. more on this absolutely:ím incredible vi<2.9(+fuñ just i

they were accompanied by the director of national intelligence james clapper. his intervention led to their release. >> want to say thank you all for supporting me and lifting me up and not forgetting me. >> bae was held for more than two years in a labor camp. his health was declining. miller was arrested last spring after reportedly ripping up his visa at the airport. he was charged with espionage and sentenced to hard labor. >>> trouble at a south philadelphia nightclub. police say security guards shot a man early this morning after he allegedly tried to run them over in the parking lot. it happened at club onyx. the victim is hospitalized in stable condition. charges are pending. >>> we did some digging. it turns out we have covered several shootings outside club onyx in recent years. this was the scene in february of 2013 after a gunman opened fire and injured three people. less than a month later, a 23-year-old man was murdered in the parking lot. >>> a woman was found dead this morning outside a home. police say she was hot in tshot back of the head. it

the release follows a rare trip by james clapper. north korea contacted the u.s. government and urged them to send a cabinet-level official to discuss the detainees. >> i think it's a wonderful day for the families. i appreciate that they did a great job on a challenging mission. >> they have been held since 2012. he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for hostile acts against the north korean government. miller has been detained since april and was put on trial after he reportedly behaved bizarrely in april. in december of last year the 85- year-old was released after being held in north korea for more than a month. >>> police released pictures that they say show a well organized band of thieves that hit three apple stores within the same day. officers say four people used stolen credit cards to buy gift cards worth $10,000. they redeemed some of the cards for merchandise at the store and then used the remainder at the apple stores, buying mostly ipads and mack book computers. anyone with information is asked to contact police. >>> a chilling incident has lef

the man who helped win their release is national intelligence director james clapper. he flew to north korea for the high stakes negotiations. >> this was the final step in a very well-choreographed ballet. this was something that had been predetermined. so there was no real uncertainty when he arrived in pyongyang as to the fact that he was going to bring these two guys back. >> president obama reacted to the news the men were released. >>> i think it's a wonderful day for them and their families and obviously -- >> miller, who is from bakersfield, had been arrested this spring after reportedly ripping up his visa at the airport. he was charged with espionage and sentenced to hard labor. bae, a korean american missionary from seattle had been held for more than two years. both in a labor camp and then in a hospital in failing health. >> we have to exercise a certain skepticism -- >> a senior fellow at the hoover institution at stanford institution offered insight on the timing of the release. >> clearly, they don't care about human beings. these are simply pawns to th

they were accompanied by the director of national intelligence james clapper. he secured their release through a secret mission to the communist country. miller you may remember was arrested last spring after he reportedly ripped up his visa when he arrived at an airport in north korea. he was charged with espionage and then sentenced to hard labor. bae had been held for more than two years in a labor camp for alleged anti-government activities in north korea. his health, by the way, was failing. he spoke briefly after landing in washington overnight. >> i just want to say thank you all for supporting me and lifting me up and not forgetting me. >> bae also thanked president obama for his support and the north korean government for releasing him. >>> in our area, a woman in her 30s was shot in the head and killed in philadelphia overnight. nbc 10 was on the scene along rowan street as investigators began their work. police have not made any arrests and have not released the victim's identity. >>> this morning, police are looking for a trio of thieves who broke i

they were accompanied by the director of national intelligence james clapper. he secured their release through a secret mission to the communist country. miller was arrested last spring after reportedly ripping up his visa at an airport in north korea. he was charged with espionage and sentenced to hard labor there. bae had been held for more than two years in a labor camp for alleged anti-government activities. his health was failing. he spoke briefly after landing in washington. >> i just want to say thank you all for supporting me and lifting me up and not forgetting me. >> bae also thanked president obama for his support and the north korean government for releasing him. >>> in our area, a woman in her 30s was shot and killed in the hunting park section of philadelphia overnight. nbc 10 was on the scene along rowan street. police have not made any arrests in this case. we are working to find out the woman's identity, and as soon as we get it and other details in the shooting, we'll pass it along. >>> philadelphia police are also investigating another deadly

intelligence official james clapper. after arriving back on u.s. soil, bae expressed his gratitude. >> it's been amazing two years. i learn a lot. i grew a lot. lost a lot of weight. in a good way. but i am standing strong because of you. >> a senior obama administration official says the president approved the mission last week. clapper spent roughly a day on the ground and met with north korean security officials but not leader kim jong-un. clapper and his aides have kept quiet whom he met with or what was discussed. >>> trafficking is moving again on the golden gate bridge and all the prep work to install the safety device is done. all the work wrapped up this morning. officials believe the barrier will prevent head-on collisions. all lanes of the bridge will close the weekend of january 10th and 11th so crews can put the barrier into place. >>> still ahead at 6:00, a new report suggests 49ers star aldon smith could have to play to play on the team this year, and a tech exec's vacation home plans are too lavish for some in a north bay community.

clapper, was the u.s. official who was able to escort the two men from north korea back to the united states? the dni, as known here, has not been involved in this shorts of detention issues involving north korea because that government has usually wanted to have high profile american, a former president or peace activist involved in the release of u.s. citizens. many questions about this situation and there are now questions about whether this could be the break through that could surgeon the six-party talks to the international security end. >> witnesses say isil has targeted border crossings. bomb explosions have killed 22 people. car bombs have killed eight people and wounded 22 others in baghdad. another 60 were killed and eight injured when explosives were detonated. and in the town of baigi. eight people were killed and officers were wounded when a truck wag driven into a police convoy. >>> al jazeera continues to demand the immediate release of its journalist who is have been detained in egypt for

we are thankful for their safe return: >> reporter: director clapper is james clapper the director of national intelligence. he was the highest ranking american to visit pyongyang in more than a decade. it's not clear why clapper was brought in to negotiate or the second reason for officials meeting in pyongyang. there's speculation that by releasing the men, kim jong un may be trying to soften the country's image. north korea is facing sanctions because it refuses to stop the programme. and kim and other officials could be referred to the international criminal court for human rights violations. neither kenneth bae nor michael todd miller will be prosecuted, but the president obama considerations is warning other americans it's not a good idea to visit >>> well, john ever ard is a former british ambassador to north korea, and believes there's a number of reasons why pyongyang decided to release the two men now. >> firstly, the international situation seems to have turned against north korea. they have watched with anxiety china and japan. they know that president obama will be sittin

they were accompanied by the director of national intelligence james clapper. he secured their release through a secret mission to the communist country. miller was arrested last spring after reportedly ripping up his visa at an airport in north korea. he was charged with espionage and sentenced to hard labor. bay had been held for more than two years in a labor camp for alleged anti-government activities. his health was failing. he spoke briefly after landing in washington. >> i just want to say thank you all for supporting me and lifting me up. and not forgetting me. >> bae also thanked president obama for his support and the north korean government for releasing him. >>> president obama will test his influence abroad as he begins a three-day trip to china. the president left the white house around 1:00 this morning. he's currently in alaska, where air force one is refueling and is expected to land in beijing around 9:00 tonight. the president will attend the asia pacific economic cooperation summit, also known as apec. he will end his trip by heading to burm

. >> the two men were released through a secret mission headed up by james clapper himself. he is the director of national intelligence. >> well, with the 2016 run for the white house in sight, former president george w. bush makes a prediction about his brother's presidential plan saying there is a chance he will run for president. >> i think it's 50/50. he and i are very close on the other hand he's not here knocking on my door agonizing about the decision. he knows exactly the ramifications on family. >> pundits say the former florida governor should be seen as a strong contender if he runs. and jeb bush has said the impact on his family is one of his top considerations. >> a new congress is on the way. but will the change change washington? republicans are gearing up to take the reigns of powers. will this finally mean an end to gridlock in washington or will there be more. >>> plus, it is getting chilly out there today. we're going to tell you about the icy weather that's moving in. a bike ride. i didn't think i'd have a heart attack. but i did. i'm mike, and i'm very m

clapper met with officials in recluseive come unight country. >> miller and bay are believed to be the last americans held captive in north korea. >> thousands of boy scouts doing their part in the fight against hunger and went door to door dropping off bags of food for families in need as part of scouting for food drive and organizeded in collaboration with the 29th annual 6abc dunkin donuts holiday food drive and last year the food drive gathered enough donations to provide more than 771 thousand meals ais cot region. is >> jeff skversky has a check on sports and a monday night match-up fort eagles. >> eagles staying in first place with exception of nick foles who is obviously out monday and everybody else probably would have played the panthers quarterback mark sanchez will mack a start in 23 months. >>> they need to fill the void left by ryans, acho and will play monday night against carolina. >> if there's more responsibility added ton to me i think it would be to make sure you keep everyone else calm and collective and make sure we all play good ball. i'm not putting much pressur