Giuliani, administration walks back on Korean American prisoners in North Korea

SCREEN CAPTURE

Rudy Giuliani, right, on 'Fox & Friends.'

THERE'S STILL NO WORD about the imminent release of three Korean/Americans being detained in North Korea.

It is beginning to look more and more like the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

Five days ago, on Thursday, Rudy Giuliani's comments and tweets fron Donald Trump seem to infer that the release of the three Korean Americans was almost a done deal and could occur almost immediately.

Giuliani, who had just joined Trump's legal team to handle allegations of a relationship with stripper Stormy Daniels, said Thursday on Fox & Friends that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be releasing three American prisoners, inferring that it would happen that same day.

Trump seemed to reinforce this announcement. “As everybody is aware," Trump tweeted, "the past Administration has long been asking for three hostages to be released from a North Korean Labor camp, but to no avail. Stay tuned!"

But there was no confirmation from either the Trump administration or North Korea.

By Saturday, the former mayor of New York City was backing off on his announcement. He told reporters, "I don't know the status" of the three men held in North Korea and added, "the less said about it right now, the better."

"I'm praying it will get done," he told reporters. "They're working on it. I'm not privy to what they're doing. I'm reading the newspapers like you are."

“Why is Rudy Giuliani talking about issues of national security?” CBS moderator Margaret Brennan asked Kellyanne Conway on Face the Nation Sunday. “He is speaking about the release of three American prisoners from North Korea whose lives are literally on the line.”

“They are,” Conway replied. “And we are very hopeful, but obviously very anxious about hostages abroad –” Conway, Trump's advisor and former campaign manager, couldn't explain why Giuliani made the premature announcement about the detained Korean/Americans, raising the hopes of their relatives.

The State Department finally had to speak up to answer speculation and the false hope raised for the families of the Korean American political prisoners. Giuliani "speaks for himself and not on behalf of the administration on foreign policy," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Monday.

The three Korean/Americans — Kim Hak-Song, also known as Jin Xue Song; Tony Kim, also known as Kim Sang-Duk; and Kim Dong-Chul — were reportedly moved from their prison to a hotel and getting medical treatment ahead of a possible release. They were arrested on charges against the government of Kim Jong-Un.

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