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American jailed in North Korea appears before reporters, asks US to help secure his release
• PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) -- An American missionary who has been jailed in North Korea for more than a year appeared before reporters Monday and appealed to the U.S. government to do its best to secure his release.
• The missionary, Kenneth Bae, made the comments at what he called a press conference held at his own request. He was under guard during the appearance. It is not unusual for prisoners in North Korea to say after their release that they spoke in similar situations under duress.
• Wearing a gray cap and inmate's uniform with the number 103 on his chest, Bae spoke in Korean during the brief appearance, which was attended by The Associated Press and a few other foreign media in Pyongyang.
• "I believe that my problem can be solved by close cooperation and agreement between the American government and the government of this country," he said.
• Bae, the longest-serving American detainee in North Korea in recent years, expressed hope that the U.S. government will do its best to secure his release. He said he has not been treated badly in confinement.
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With stakes high and expectations low, Syrian peace talks set to open this week in Switzerland
• BEIRUT (AP) -- With stakes high and expectations low, Syria's government and its opponents are supposed to sit down face-to-face this week for the first time -- muscled to an international peace conference by foreign powers that fear the bloodiest of the Arab Spring uprisings may engulf the entire region in sectarian war.
• But the negotiations, tenuous from the beginning, were again up in the air on Monday as a new U.N. invitation extended to Iran prompted a threat from the Western-backed opposition to pull out of the gathering.
• The international community seemingly agrees on the urgent need to end fighting that has killed more than 130,000 people, touched off the worst humanitarian crisis in decades and unleashed sectarian hatreds that have sent tremors across the Middle East.
• But they do not agree on how -- or who -- can end the war.
• Both the government and the opposition have suffered enormous losses, but (Continued on page 20)
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