American held by N. Korea gets tearful reunion in Ohio

After nearly six months in detention in North Korea, Jeffrey Fowle returned to his rural Ohio home Wednesday, flanked by his family and tossing a thumbs up to the media huddled in his front yard.
The 56-year-old Fowle, from West Carrollton, Ohio, was released suddenly in Pyongyang on Tuesday and whisked away in a U.S military jet to a tearful reunion with his family at Ohio's Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Fowle, who went to North Korea as a tourist in April, had been awaiting trial for leaving a Bible at a Pyongyang nightclub. Christian evangelism is treated as a crime in North Korea.
The U.S. welcomed his release and called on North Korea to free two other Americans -- Kenneth Bae and Mathew Miller -- who have been sentenced to years in prison.
The family reunion was particularly emotional because Fowle's three children only found out about his release when he stepped off the blue and white Air Force C-40 jet at 6:42 a.m. They were accompanied by Fowle's wife and other relatives.
The group arrived at the Fowle home in West Carrollton about three hours later in a small motorcade.
Fowle, sometimes wearing a bemused smile, declined to speak to reporters, but did walk up the long gravel driveway to pose for photos with his arms around his family.
"Jeff is home," said attorney Tim Tepe, reading a statement on behalf of the family. "We would like to thank God for his hand of protection over Jeff these past six months, providing strength and peace for his family in his absence,"
Fowle, according to Tepe, said he was "treated well" by North Korea and was in good health.
"Although we are overjoyed over Jeff's return home, we are mindful that Kenneth Bae and Mathew Miller continue to be detained by (North Korea) and understand the disappointment their families are experiencing today that their loved ones were not returned with Jeff," the statement said.
Tepe said the past 24 hours had been a "a whirlwind" for Fowle and his family that he "needs some time right now to get adjusted to his life at home."
"We're thrilled; we're overjoyed," said Jim Shihady, assistant pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, which the Fowle family attends in Miamisburg, Ohio, speaking to WHIO-TV.
In announcing the release, the U.S. State Department seemed unsure what prompted the move by North Korea.
A report released by the Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday said Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, took "a special measure" by releasing Fowle, and took "into consideration the repeated requests of U.S. President Barack Obama."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says there was "no quid pro quo" involved in North Korea's release of Jeffrey Fowle. Kerry says he hopes that denuclearization talks with Pyongyang could start again soon. Rough Cut (no reporter narration). Newslook 

 In Berlin, Secretary of State John Kerry said "there was no quid pro quo" for the release of Fowle.

"We are very concerned about the remaining American citizens who are in North Korea, and we have great hopes that North Korea will see the benefit of releasing them also as soon as possible," Kerry told reporters.
"We're in constant touch with their families, we're working on their release, we've talked to the Chinese and others, and we have a high focus on it," he said.
The United States has no diplomatic relations with North Korea and strongly warns American citizens against traveling to the country.
State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf thanked the government of Sweden, which has an embassy in Pyongyang, for its "tireless efforts" in winning Fowle's release.
Relations between Washington and Pyongyang, never warm, are at a particularly low point, and the U.S. has sought unsuccessfully for months to send a high-level representative to North Korea to negotiate acquittals for all three men.
Harf would not say whether any American officials had intervened directly with the North Koreans.
Fowle returns home without a job. His position at the streets department in Moraine, Ohio, was terminated last month when his leave officially ran out.
"We're delighted to hear the news and look forward to him returning to the community and his family," David Hicks, Moraine's city manager, said Tuesday.
The Dayton Daily News reported last month that the city said Fowle's termination included $70,000 in severance pay and the ability to be reinstated.

 From USATODAY.COM