what does north korea want? with whom is kim jong-un looking to communicate and what message does he want to convey? >> north korea has been on a charm offensive for more than a year after its rupture with its relations with beijing, its most important sponsor. we've seen them reach out to moscow, and to south korea, to gentleman fan, and now to us. i think that's part of this charm offensive. but also north korea might have some other objectives in mind. so for instance, the u.n. commission on inquiry has just released a vedisming report about north korea's human rights and some people want to refer north korea to the international criminal court. north korea may be trying to prevent that with the release of the two americans. >> i want to talk about this because it is about the human rights violations there. but we are getting a note mirror from a senior state department official saying the director of national intelligence did carry a brief message from the president indicating that director clapper was his p

on north korea. we have with us there live cnn correspondent ana cabrera. why don't you set the stage what you're seeing there. >> reporter: i'm going to step out of the way so you can zoom into the action. you can see the plane arriving. kenneth bae the 46-year-old who's been held for two years in north korea as well as 25-year-old matthew todd miller. 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

and north korea don't

/north korea relations. as far as you have, as far as we know, no more americans detained in north korea. it hasn't been that way, now, for the two years since kenneth bae has been there. and much further back, in the history of the strained relations between these two countries. >> reporter: today, the state department is saying, this isn't going to change things in our relationship. north korea knows what to do to have a better relationship. and that's address the concerns the international community has over their nuclear program. that's dealing with the human rights situation that's detailed in this report. that's having better behavior on the international stage. i will say, a few weeks ago, when jeffrey fowle was released, secretary of state, john kerry, said, listen, it would be an extraordinary gesture for the north koreans to release kenneth bae, if they, indeed, want better relations with the international community. so, to release -- if they release kenneth bae and the u.s. does not do something t

the united states and north korea and other countries with north korea. >> you know, bill richardson, former ambassador to u.n. said he believes that north korea wants a warming of relation ands food, humanitarian assistance, energy assistance, sanctions lifted. how likely do you think any of that will happen and by whom does that need to happen with? >> you know, they do need all of the above. but when you look at what's happened over the last 2 1/2 years since kim un took over, it's been apalling. i mean what's gone on here with missile launches, executing his uncle, threatening the u.s. with a preemptive nuclear strike. i think they realize they've been on a very bad path and they need to change targct and get together. i think the realization is because they've become that much more isolated to include with the principle allies the people's republic of china. so they realize things are really dire, very difficult and they have to change tact. i think this is part of their approach. we saw that with the foreign minister going to the united nations. the number two or three person g

and north korea. but you seem to think this is really significant. >> i've seen these things before. in fact, i was involved in a back channel a long time ago. and it really opened up relations very quickly. you don't know where they're going to go. this was a gesture on the part of the north koreans. they are unpredictable. it's difficult to understand what they do and why they do it. so it's almost, you know, you can wait and see. say all right, we're listening. tell us what you want to tell us. >> yeah, absolutely. well, thank you so much, bob baer. we appreciate it. let's hope this is the beginning of more talks. we'll be right back after a quick break. ♪ [whispering] this is a woman, hesitating on a life-changing decision. ♪ yeah. at university of phoenix, we... [electronic toy noise] ...we know going back to school is a big decision. that's why we offer students new to college a risk-free period. so you can commit to your education with confidence. get started at riskfreephoenix.com. >>> two

they're home after separate detentions in north korea. we're wondering whether or not they're going to speak. so far there hasn't been any comments but we're seeing emotional reunions with their loved ones and you can assume there is going to be a long recovery for them. experts saying that there is a long recovery process after going through something like this. we understand there is a podium set up inside the building where they're headed so hopefully, we'll hear from them, kenneth bae and matthew miller and perhaps from the director of national intelligence, james clapper with more details, perhaps, on how this release was secured. again, speculation from analysts being that kim juning-un is feeling vulnerable because of the fact the united states released a report in which north korea was accused of flagrant human rights violations, and this report could actually lead to indictments against some of the top north korean leaders including kim jung-un himself and that he is quite worried about the possibility of indictments. and we're,

/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 negotiation. he carried a letter addressed to the north korean leader, kim jong- jong-un, stating he was traveling as the president's envoy solely to bring the two americans home. clapper, who did not meet with kim himself, did not know he'd succeed in his mission until he, bae and miller were on their way back. >> 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 because of you. >> reporter: so why now? for one, north korea is under enor

north korea. kenneth bae and matthew todd miller stepped off the plane on american soil after efforts to free them. the enjoy, america's top spy, national intelligence director james clapper met with leaders. a few hours later, president obama had this to say. >> obviously i'm incredibly thankful for james clapper and efforts he made. couldn't be happier for the families as we enter the holidays to know their loveed ones are back. it's a good story. >> anna cabrera is live in seattle near kenneth bae's family home. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning randi. it's been a little over 24 hours that these men have been back here in the united states. it was an emotional reunion with both their families when they arrived late saturday night. while matthew todd miller's family has asked for privacy, we have been in touch with the family of kenneth bae from the greater seattle area. they tell us he is enjoying time home, eating pizza, sharing stories and laughing with family and friends. they s

north korea has been on a campaign of countercharges. a move by members to refer to the state to an international tribunal. we believe the top spy director of intelligence james clapper is on the plane. he had traveled to north korea to secure their release. the white house saying he was not there to negotiate. this is the latest twist. the young north korean leader has shifted back and short to defiance and occasional conciliation. we know in another odd twist, the disappearance of kitchen john unwasn't seen. he was being treated for some healthy reasons. what appears to be loved ones of matthew todd miller running to him. big hugs as he comes down. we don't know who these people. they are family members, parents. he is fairly young. we understand he is in his 20s. so much to take in for these family members. these guys have been gone so long. miller was sentenced to a six-year jail term for charges of espionage. another big hug. we don't know if these two men will speak. if there is the opportunity for them, there is a podium and a noi

talking about clapper's decision to go to north korea. saying they did not talk about any of the broader issues and there is still fundamental differences of conflict with pyongyang and washington. the fact that pyongyang will not denucle denuclearize. >>> thank you, paula. >> secretary of state john kerry meeting in the night with the iranian foreign minister and foreign policy chief. negotiations continue this morning. the two sides have a november 24th to cut a deal. after that, the interim deal will expire. >>> the white house is promising a more satisfying experience for americans looking to sign up for obamacare this week. open enrollment on the healthcare.gov web site starts saturday. you can start window shopping now. go check it out. you can look at options. this is something you could not do when obamacare was rolled out last year. 7.3 million people have insurance through the federal or state exchange. >>> time for your money. higher shares thanks to the close of the jump in the chinese markets there. regulators set a date with

north korea. kenneth bae says he enjoyed a late night pizza for the first time in twoeufplt americans are enjoying the first full day of freedom after being released by north korea. he enjoyed a late night pizza for the first time in years. the men were the last of a group of americans detained in north korea. >>> kenith bay and matthew miller were reunited with their families and country at a military base near tacoma, washington saturday night. >> i just want to say thank you for supporting me and lifting me up and not forgetting me. >> reporter: bay is a missionary from washington with health issues. north korea detained him in 2012 and sentenced him to 15 years of hard labor for alleged antigovernment activities. bay was leading a tour group when he was arrested. >> i have been -- it has been an amazing two years, i learned a lot, grew a lot and lost a lot of weight. >> reporter: miller, from bakersfield, california was arrested in april after tearing up his u.s. passport and demanding asylum.

so why did north korea release them now? earlier cnn's poppy harlow spoke with bill richardson, a former u.s. ambassador to the u.n. and a man who spent years negotiating with north korea to free american detainees. here's his perspective. >> i believe there was two reasons. one, they were catching, the north koreans, a lot of heat at the united nations. secondly, i believe they want to start a dialogue with the united states. there are very few conditions that they asked for with the release of kenneth bae and this other young man, asking for a presidential envoy. and releasing them without any apparent conditions, any conditions giving them food or aid. when i negotiated with the north koreans, they're always asking for something very tangible in return. but this time i think they're sending a message that they're ready to talk to the united states and hopefully that will lessen tensions in northeast asia with south korea, with japan, with some of our efforts to keep some kind of stability in that region. >> but do we have

and north korea. officials telling me very happy that these americans are home but there's a lot of concern about north korea's nuclear program, about their human rights record and these are the things north korea needs to resolve before they can really have a better relationship with the u.s., poppy. >> absolutely. a lot of outstanding issues but the really good headline that these two men have been freed and they're on their way home. thank you, elise, appreciate it. >>> i want to go to tokyo to will ripley. you interviewed these men two months ago in pyongyang. and i can't imagine what you must be feeling now that they have been released. tell me a little bit about what they told you and also about why you think north korea has all of a sudden released the remaining two. >> reporter: well, this whole experience from start to finish has been really surreal, poppy, as you and i were e-mailing back and forth earlier, because we went to north korea. we asked to speak with these americans. we were told

and north korea? >> i personally, yes. i mean, i have to say on the record, my relationships with the north koreans, so the counselor and ambassador have been great. i've had very good meetings with them. we've discussed, you know, problems that they're having in the country. how i believe personally the united states government can help. so i think it opens doors. >> just have to remember, there's a lot about standing issues with north korea. the u.n. commission report coming out, damming, talking about the torture people have gone through and also others, maybe not americans, but others still held captive in north korea. >> correct. >> we'll be following this closely. i'm very happy for you and family. i want to go straight to jim sciutto on the phone. what do you make of the timing of this? >> well, traditionally with north korea, there is method to the madness. for lack of a better expression. this is a positive development, no question, for the americans released in the span of a couple weeks. but, you know, through d

north korea is doing things it hasn't done before. releasing people without getting anything in return. i think that's very significant. >> you know, they still have a pretty dismal human rights policy. they are still building their nuclear arsenal. do you expect any changes in regards to those, two pretty controversial topics. >> well, certainly with their nuclear program we're not going to see any change. they are full steam ahead. not only developing plutonium and uranium bombs but long range ballistic missiles to deliver them and a report from the general who is command of u.s. forces in korea send the north koreans can miniaturize their nuclear weapons. other human rights record we might see some, a little bit of improvement because they don't want to be referred to the international criminal court but apart from that the regime is not going to change because it can't change. especially can't change now when you have a young inexperienced leader who is very insecure. >> all right. we will all be watching very carefully to see if

two americans being held in north korea are on their way home to the united states tonight. freed this morning after a secret mission by this country's top intelligence official. kenneth bae in prison for two years and matthew miller held in north korea for seven months are flying back to the united states with u.s. 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

north korea has released the last two american citizens in its custody. kenneth bae and matthew todd miller have touches down in tacoma, washington. protesters in mexico's guerrero state have torched vehicles and a tacked a government building. it's where 43 students went missing in september. >>> the new i can't me new yemet will be sworn but but houthi members will reject it telling members of the parties to the make roles in the cabinets. earlier this dismissed the current president from its leadership accusing him of soliciting u.n. sanctions against sadder. a report from sanaa. >> reporter: this is yemen's former president when he was handing overpower to his successor president in 2012. he has now sacked his long-time ally from the leadership of the general people's congress. a party he formed in the 1980s. and remains one of the biggest political factions in yemen. the deposed president has all rejected the new government. a move that is likely to deepen yemen's political divide. he other excuses him of orchestrating the united nations sanction tha

/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 have official relations and there's not an embassy, the swedes look after u.s. interests there, if there are interests of u.s. citizens. if the u.s. needs to pass messages to the north koreans, sometimes they do that through the swedes. and the swedish ambassador has been visiting these american detainees over the years to make sure they're getting everything they need and they're treated very well. the swedish ambassador has been a key player in all of this. >> all right. i'm going to turn to erin mcpike. a very busy day at the white house. what's the reaction on the detainees' release? >> the white house has been tight-lipped about this. they are focused on the nomination of loretta lynch. but also, president obama is actually heading to asia, much later tonight. but he was aske

state department, it is estimated 6,000 westerners go to north korea a year. nine americans have been detained in the last five years alone. u.s. journalist laura ling imprisoned before her release said i hope their release is a signal of a potential opening between our two countries. >> it has been an amazing two years. i've learned a lot. i grew a lot. i'm standing strong because of you. >> reporter: tonight they are both back with familiay, enjoyi the comforts of home. miguelal mig air. >> the relationship with north korean could be what he discusses as he arrives in china tonight to strengthen u.s. ties to the region. kristin welker is traveling with the president and is now in beijing where it is now monday morning. >> reporter: lester, fostering strong relations is a key for president obama. this is his sixth trip to the eth ethan. many feel other things have taken his attention away from asia. there is much to start his so-called asia pivot and moni r monitoring the on going battles back at home. the president left overnight heading to china. 7,000 mile

he and michael todd miller home gain after imprisonment in north korea. kenneth bae's family worked tirelessly to keep his case alive and in the public eye. >> we are finally here. my brother is home. all of our hopes and prayers for this moment have come true. we are so thankful. >> it's been amazing blessing to see so many people involved, getting released, not to mention - not only mentioning for the thousands praying for me as well. i just want to thank you all for supporting me and lifting me up. >> national intelligence director james clapper made the trip, add acting as a personal envoy for president obama. a statement from the north korean government claims they refused an earnest apology from the president, and that gareth bale and michael todd miller be -- kenneth bae and michael todd miller behaved in prison. michael todd miller served a 6-year sentence charged why espionage, he did not address the media. kenneth bae was accused of planning the overthrow of the north korean government. his sentence, 15 years of hard labour. after two years in c

>> and even though it can choose how much pressure it ecoerts on north korea -- exerts on north korea, you would say it's likely that china would use its power at the u.n. security council if and when this comes up. >> reporter: if it gets to the council, and that's still an if. the whole u.n. general assembly has to vote on this proposed bill. if it gets there, yes. as it stands now, china and probably russia will veto it. the other possibility, of course, is that china tries to water down the provisions so that they do not include a provision to send or to suggest that kim jong-un and top leadership end up at the hague criminal court. so that is really the quandary here. but already this report, which really goes interest detail into human rights abuses allegedly happening in north korea, has had an effect. clearly the north korean regime had been made nervous by the threat at least of being sent to the hague. but whether it can get beyond the stage of nonbinding resolutions is very much up for debate. but the details in here are certainly very damning toward north korea, and in som

korea or just us directly talking to north korea or the south koreans and north koreans talking about family reunification and other issues that are humanitarian. and then you hope to get them to do what we need them to do, which is eliminate their nuclear weapons, joining the community of nations and they'd get some help in return. they'd get food, fuel, some kind of assistance. they're a desperately poor country. >> step by step, certainly. ambassador bill richardson, thank you for your time and insights. i appreciate them. >>> we're also following a developing story from washington. president obama has nominated loretta lynch to succeed eric holder who announced his resignation back in september. in the ceremony this afternoon, the president touted her record of success as u.s. attorney for the eastern district of new york. >> he has boldly gone after public corruption bringing charges against public officials in both parties. he's helped secure billions in settlements from some of the world's biggest banks accused of fraud and jailed some of new york's most violent and notorious m

he went to north korea, tore up his visa and demanded asylum. he was accused of trying to be put in a prison camp in north korea so he can come back to the outside world and tell people of his experiences. miller and bay should be back in the u.s. within the hour, south of tacoma in a military base. the president expressed his relief. . >> we are happy for their safe return and congratulations for a great job on a challenging mission. >> the president is on his way to asia for a tour and for the beijing summit. kenneth bae and his mother live north of seattle. and his sister who kept his plight alive in the eyes of the press, and a thorn in the side of the u.s. government, trying to get them to step up efforts to get kenneth bae free, posted a notice online thanking the u.s. government for its work, the north korean government and the swedish government. sweden is the one that has diplomatic footprint in north korea that we don't have, and does a lot of our work for us. she thanked all of those people, god, and said having kenneth bae back means

who specializes in north korea, he shared his analysis about the meetings in pyongyang. he says north korean officials are trying to show they are following through on an agreement they made with japan earlier this year and he says they may urge tokyo to take the next step. we have this explanation. >> reporter: he says the meetings were meaningful as japan had the opportunity to stress the abduction issue as a top priority for abe's administration. >> translator: in addition to diplomatic talks, the meetings in pyongyang allowed japan to stress its stance to the members of the special investigation committee. they can talk directly with the country's supreme leader kim jong-un. the japanese officials gained another route to dialogue. i think it's a big gain. >> reporter: japanese leaders say north korean committee members promised to carry out a thorough investigation. they agreed to look at the issue from new angles regardless of the outcome of previous probes. professor izumi says pyongyang could conduct an investigation tokyo would accept. >> translator: japanese off

but i [inaudible] >> why did north korea release him? does north korea expect something? former u.n. ambassador john bolton joins us. good evening, sir. i'm absolutely thrilled they are home. why did -- why were they released? >> i think everybody is delighted, obviously for the humanitarian aspect of it. but my view is north korea never does anythingfgky free. so there is something implicit or explicit here that they expect to get in return there are a lot of theories. fortunately, in the of any concrete information, one theory isphs as good as another. so mine is that they have obviously been in conversation between north korea and iran about the negotiations that are currently going on over iran's nuclear weapons program. >> but we have gotcís a pastor, christianú10% pastor, saudi am dean in iran and thes?tov president just sent arg(cñ lettr to the supreme leader last week. and i don't see him walking off a plane. >> that's because the iranians are still holding him for further concession. but my guessí[hás is the north koreans look at the calendar the same way we

>> nothing happens by accident in north korea. everything that comes out of that country is highly choreographed. every picture you see of the leader, everything on state-run media, and the fact that they have released these two u.s. citizens. every analyst says there is definitely something that north korea wants. now, they have pegged this as a humanitarian gesture, and they have effectively said that they should doing this because of the u.s. president barack obama having a number of requests and also an apology which, of course, is propaganda gold for the north korean leader being able to say to his own people the most powerful man in the world has apologized for what these two men have done. their crimes or at least crimes as they're seen in north korea. certainly from a p.r. point of view kim jong un has got a fair amount from this, but what else does he want? we are seeing a remarkable charm offensive from the north korean leader, from the top officials traveling around the world. we have three men, the number two, three, a

. >> 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 north korea obviously without their permission, they shot at us. we made it back to the south. my line first time i went in with permission. >> schieffer: let me talk about when united states aircraft, transport plane, set down in the north korean capital. what went through your mind? were you apprehensive? >> yes, i was. quite apprehensive. because we weren't sure how this was going to play out. i personally was not completely confident that we would actually -- that they would release our two citizens. and so, yes, it was apprehensive and from personal standpoint always been on my professional bucket list to visit north korea, so i did get to do that. >> schieffer: paint the scene for me, you said it was night time. >> it's dark anyway. in north korea, famous picture overhead shot of contrasting the two parts of the peninsula at night with north korea being dark

-north korea relationship. the mission to bring the americans home was the result of 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 an indication there was the possibility of the release of these two hostages, prisoners, and we pursued it. >> reporter: the u.s. responded with jiames clapper, the nations top spy, but not a diplomat. he carried a letter addressed to kim jong-un stating he was traveling as the president's envoy solely to bring the two americans home. clapper, who did not meet with kim himself, did not know he would succeed in his mission until he, bae and miller were on their way back. >> it's been an amazing two years. i grew a lot, learned a lot, lost a lot of weight, in a good way. but i stayed strong because of you. >> reporter: so why now? for one, north korea is under enormous international pressure following a damning u.n. report on human rights violations in its prison system. an effort

north korea. it sits right next to the border. in october>> translator: we're here to promote bilateral exchanges involving the economy and science and technology. we also are inviting more investment from china. >> reporter: the exhibition featured goods such as honey and herbal medicine. from this event, it would appear that north korea is determined to maintain the business connections it has built with china. north korean officials briefed operators on investment opportunities in special economic zones. they highlighted natural and human resources that the zones have to offer. >> translator: you can expect a big profit with a small investment. >> reporter: but beneath the surface, evidence of discord is starting to show up. >> the two countries jointly developed a special economic zone in an area. three years ago, a groundbreaking ceremony was held with much fanfare. this man led the project for the north. he was known for his strong connections with china. but those bonds did not count for mu

why this sudden gesture from north korea? >> clearly they crave having this kind of high level attention. is he back in the spotlight. limping but without the cane. some believe pyongyang's offensive including a high profile visit to seoul, technically enemy territory, is a p.r. exercise to improve its image. the trigger, the united nations inquiry of human rights abuses in north korea, abuses the report terms crimes against humanity. >> it had to basically show a lighter side, a more humane side to the international community because although there could be legal sanctions or even the national criminal court proceedings against north korea, north korea is also very much conscious of its reputation. >> the release of kenneth bae and matthew todd miller comes two weeks after a third u.s. citizen, jeffrey foul, won his freedom. no u.s. citizens remain in north korean captivity. >> paula hancocks joins us live from seoul, south korea. paula, what is the reaction like there? >> well, pamela, there was shock to start with. i have

neither will be prosecuted for travelling to north korea. the obama administration is warning other americans it's not a good idea to visit >>> u.n. secretary of state john kerry ban ki-moon was among leaders -- u.n. screcial ban ki-moon was among those expresses delight:. >> a. >> what does this many for the two countries. joining us is katherine moonfrom brookings institute. great to have you with us. >> thank you. >> what do you make of the latest olive branch. does it offer hope of progress between pyongyang and washington? >> i think it does offer some hope, but again, with north korea, we have to watch for consistent substantive action, and so what is interesting is that in the last six months, north korea has shown in chooump, japan, europe, japan, south korea. that jeffrey fowl, and the two gentlemen released today, this is consistent in terms of substantive actions. if they continue this way, there's hope for some creative and engagement between the u.s. and north korea >>> you bring up a good point. you mention the release. north k

the surprise homecoming of two americans held in north korea. there you can see them stepping off the plane overnight. their release was secured after a secret trip by this man, america's top spymaster, james clapper, who flew into enemy territory, the hermit kingdom of north korea, a hardline nuclear armed communist dictatorship run by the 31-year-old supreme leader kim jong-un. abc's tom llamas is on the story. tom, 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 final

the agenda dealing with north korea. so i this i the north koreans were hoping by doing this, the chinese would be inclined to sort of cut them some slack and say, look, americans, they've done something, you no toad do something in response. i think it was an effort to kind of head off what jim just described very accurately as this kind of mood in the entire apec meeting something needs to be done about forth korea. >> the fact that the u.s. sent one of is officials, you think the u.s. think they got someone who runs the u.s. government. can you explain? >> they like that kind of thing. they value the idea of people running intelligence, especially people running the cia, which they believe kind of of runs the world. so they would have been very happy with the idea of sending general clapper. but i think from the administration's point of view, as jim clapper said, earn understands general clapper is a lot of things. he's not a diplomat. he's not there to negotiate something. he probably read his talking points andters

human rights in north korea. the kirby commission. they submitted their report to the general assembly saying that the crimes against humanity -- they compared it to the nazis. hundreds of thousands of people in terrible conditions starving to death in prison camps. now there's a u.n. general assembly resolution put forward by the e.u. and japan calling for a referral to the security council and ultimately to the international criminal court. so there's a lot that's happening now in new york around this issue. >> they are a source of mystery. a source, sometimes, of bem bemoussement. they're really horrific. what can be done to stop this? >> it's really horrendous. sometimes it's entertaining and you see stories of people smashing things on their heads. but really the core story is one of the worst violations systemic violations of people's human rights in the world. we need to put pressure on china. as long as china wants this regime in control of north korea, it will be there. that's really the pressure point.

the sudden release of two americans by north korea after a high ranking u.s. official negotiates their freedom. >>> historic choice, the woman who's taken down mobsters and terrorists now tapped to be the country's next attorney general. >>> a good night's sleep, and why it's becoming harder to get for more and more kids. the new research that shows what happens as they get older. >>> and to the rescue, delivers life saving equipment fast in medical emergencies. is there a role for these unmanned drones? >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening. two americans being held in north korea are on their way home to the united states tonight. freed this morning after a secret mission by this country's top intelligence official. kenneth bae in prison for two years and matthew miller held in north korea for seven months are flying back to the united states with u.s. director of national intelligence james clap who are made the trip to pyongyang earlier this week to secure their release. clapper is t

chinese appear to be fed up with north korea's bad behavior. it seems like they are trying to not be that involved and concentrating diplomatic injuries elsewhere. the united states seems like it's a little more willing to play ball with the north koreans and this happened. >> so if this was about the north koreans gaining good will with the international community, is that actually going to happen? >> it's hard to say. if you do that and make it right, do you gain about will? right, you are writing something you shouldn't have done in the first place. >> so it's hard to say but i think they are very nervous about kim jung ungetting referred to the international criminal court. there was a big report done in february by the united nations that outlined a lot of abuses that the north korean government committed against their people and it seems like north korea is the not the most concerned about its international image but this report seems to have got edge this worried. >> is there reason to believe that they would do something reich this agai

north korea released the last two american citizens in its custody. kenneth bae and michael todd miller touched down. they were freed after negotiations of the u.s. director of national intelligence >>> it's 25 years since the fall of berlin wall in germany. event are held to mark the occasion. german chancellor angela merkel laid roses at a stretch of wall. she was after a huge party, at the brandenburg gait. the wall divided the commune yist east germany and the west. it became a powerful symbol of the end of the cold war. >> mikhail gorbachev will attend the celebrations and says that the world is on the brink of a new cold war. >> translation: bloodshed in europe and the middle east against the backdrop between a breakdown of dialogue between major powers is of concern. the world is on the brink of a new cold war. some say it has begun. >> a symbol of the cold war may have begun. it is a tourist attraction. we'll cross to nick spicer in berlin, let's look at where the fall of wall was important. >> reporter: east germany built a wall after a quart

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 sitting down with president xi jinping of china shortly, and, of course, their attempts to drive a wedge between china and russia have not gotten anywhere. >> they have probably calculated that now is not a good time to annoy the yoits by continuing to hold three united states citizens. >> there has been an explosion inside the police headquarters in the capital kabul. the blast happened outsid

at the same time, that also not forgetting the people of north korea. >>> they have had enough. an unguarded comment made by mexico's attorney general is fueling protesters' anger after the disappearance of dozens of students. >>> warnings of a new cold war as germany prepares to park 25 years since the fall of the berlin wall. ♪ ♪ >>> but first to afghanistan where there has been an explores inside the police headquarters in the capital kabul. the blast happened outside the office of the police chief. at least one person has been killed. jennifer glasse is joining us from kabul, where the taliban, jennifer has claimed responsibility for that attack. but the question is how they managed to get signed the headquarters. >> reporter: well, doreen, that's what police are investigating right now. just if the last few minutes we learned that the attacker was indeed a suicide attacker. the target was the police chief. he gave a press conference saying that the attacker was not in a police uniform, he was in a suit and came in to the compound with documents saying that he had a prob

he spent two years in prison in north korea. for eight hours a day he did hard labor and then spent the rest of the day in isolation. at one point he was so sick he was hospitalized. but tonight kenneth bae said he never gave up hope. >> my brother is home. all of our hopes and prayers for this moment have finally come true. we are so thankful. >> reporter: the long nightmare for kenneth bae is over. tonight he walked off a plane in ft. louis, washington, where his family was waiting. bae's sister who campaigned tirelessly for her brother's safe return is overjoyed. >> my brother is home. all of our hopes and prayers for this moment have finally come true. we are so thankful. >> reporter: matthew todd miller was also reunited with his family tonight. the man who helped win their release is national intelligence director james clapper. he flew to north korea for the high stakes negotiations. today, president obama reacted to the news the men were released. >> well, i think it's a wonderful thing for them, their family, obviously

it was a little like north korea today. they wanted to turn back the clock. >> it seeped they might succeed until a late afternoon press conference by the spokesman where he suddenly announced east german citizens would be free to travel right away. it was a mistake, but it was too late. east germans by the hundreds headed here to the bridge check point. >> translator: it was the best day of my life. >> this film maker tells me that as it was for so many. this man remembers a young couple he met that night. >> they came to me. i said i'll show you around west berlin. they said no, we can't. we've got to go home. they said we couldn't find a baby sitter. >> in berlin today, it's difficult to see traces of what was a very frightening place, difficult but not impossible. were you surprised once the wall came down by how seamless and peaceful the city became? >> this resolution was the best political event germany has ever produced. >> i always thought 1968 would be the most memorable journalist year of my career? death of mart

. >> free at last, two americans arrive home after being repleased from detention in north korea. >> a teenager pulled a philadelphia police officer from his burning patrol car and the teen is talking to "action news." >> a wild ride for our weather. temperatures are crashing by the end of the week. let's go outside to meteorologist chris sowers. >> reporter: hi, nydia. it's not too bad out here. temperatures wise, every location above freezing. poconos 33 degrees. allentown, 37. philadelphia, 46. trenton, 41. millville, 42. wilmington, 40 and the 24 hour temperature change is impressive, anywhere from 7 to 17 degrees milder than where we were yesterday at this time. so you do the math where the numbers are right now that means we were down in the 20s and 30s for morning lows yesterday. you can see the numbers starting to improve. we got to get this cloud cover out of here and the sun will shine brightly and the sky conditions improve. we'll see a little bit of moisture toward the top of the scene running through the great lake states and the western portions of new england. that sho

to improve relations with north korea now that the north koreans have freed those three americans? >> well, i think it's a good sign. but the real test is whether or not they're willing to come to the negotiating table with the support and participation of china because the united states and china both have been trying to push north korea to halt its development of a nuclear weapon which would really destabilize the region and poses a threat to the security of the united states. so this is an area in which both china and the united states have common interests. i'm sure it's a topic that the president of the united states along with the president of china will be discussing, along with many other topics from trade, cybersecurity to climate change issues and really cooperation on security matters all across the world. >> very important meetings that the president is having in china right now, not only with chinese but other leaders including the russian leader, vladimir putin, they have a good opportunity to at least start some sort of dialogue under enormous strain right now. ambas

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 318 days. mohamed fahmy, bader mohammed, and peter greste are falsely accused of helping

. >>> joyous reunion, two americans held prisoner in north korea back home this morning on american soil and reuniting with their families. >> thank you all for supporting me and lifting me up and not forgetting me. >> inside the top secret mission that set them free. >>> bear attack. a hunter finding himself in the jaws of an angry bear. >> i was being tossed about like a rag doll. >> airlifted to safety from the remote alaskan wilderness and only on "gma" he's now speaking about the horrifying attack from his hospital bed. >>> and caught on camera. fireballs lighting up the sky. the incredible images zipping across the horizon and leaving behind a trail of mystery. >>> hey, good morning. and brace yourself. much of the country is about to get hit by bitter cold and in some parts the first big snow of the season. >> whether we like it or not, which means if you haven't done so already, it's time to dig around, get that snow shovel ready and your heavy coat too. the arctic blast is on the way is there so is meteorologist rob marciano with your full forecast. keep it here for that. >>> fi