Left Flank

Update: Stand down the expeditionary forces and netizens!

Original (Correct) Post: The alleged kidnapping of five South Korean nationals (via TMH's «Five Koreans in Mexico Released… But Questions, Questions»)Yonhap and TV, have run like a national affront. However, AP characterizes it a bit more seedily.

Mexican authorities said the South Koreans were kidnapped on July 14 while driving in Reynosa, across the border from McAllen, Texas, and their captors had demanded $30,000.

Herrera said the four men and one woman were not in Mexico on business but instead were here looking to cross into the U.S. illegally.

«They were held so (their kidnappers) could profit for crossing them to the United States,» Herrera said.

He said investigators tracked several phone calls that led to the names of people-smugglers involved in the kidnapping. Herrera did not say if anyone had been arrested.

He said the released captives would be interviewed by federal investigators.

According to Yonhap, the five were not even all South Korean. One is supposedly Chinese. And, all this when ROK is set to receive visa-free travel privileges to the US.

A shout-out to the brave boys (and girls) of the Mexican press corps!

This is what happened: The traveling Mexican press corps was invited into the Great Hall of the People Friday for the beginning of a meeting between Hu and Calderon. As is customary before such encounters, the Chinese Foreign Ministry informed the Mexicans of the protocol. The press corps would be invited in only for the first five minutes or so of the meeting for what is vernacularly known as a «photo op,» then ushered out.

But Los Pinos, as the Mexican presidential palace is known, apparently didn't tell the Mexican press corps that it wouldn't be allowed to witness the whole meeting.

When Chinese security guards began trying to usher the 20 or so Mexican reporters, photographers and television cameramen out of the salon, they resisted – mightily. The two sides began grappling, pushing and even tussling in front of the leaders.

According to the Spanish language report from the EFE news service, «the altercation made President Hu arch his eyebrows in a clear gesture of disgust, while functionaries of the Chinese foreign ministry felt clear irritation at a type of behavior seen as 'not very polite' in this Asian nation.»

The security guards finally pushed and shoved the journalists out of the room, but not before a reporter tore the sleeve off one guard's jacket. The injured Mexican reporter took a hit by a tape recorder on her mouth.

Oh, that's right, we have to make Beijing feel like one of the boys now! Sssh! (Two thumbs up!)