Freed Journalists Return to US

Laura Ling and Euna Lee are back on US soil, CNN reports. The freed journalists touched down with Bill Clinton this morning in Burbank, Calif., where they were met by their families before a swarm of journalists and dignitaries, including Al Gore. Lee embraced her 4-year-old daughter for the first time since March before Ling took to the microphone and quickly broke into tears recounting their meeting with Clinton: "We knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end."

Gore then spoke, thanking his "friend and partner" Clinton, and the Obama administration, which he said had been "deeply involved" in the effort to free the journalists. Hillary Clinton said earlier she was "extremely excited" by the journalists' release, and denied reports that Bill offered Pyongyang an apology. “It is just a good day to be able to see this happen,” she said. Ling's father agreed, calling it "one of the best days of my life."
(More Laura Ling stories.)