Warmbier was supposed to graduate from the University of Virginia in May.
There was no immediate confirmation from USA officials of North Korea's version of events - notably whether Warmbier was stricken with botulism, a potentially fatal illness that is caused by a toxin but is not usually associated with loss of consciousness.
"Our son is coming home", Fred Warmbier told The Washington Post on Tuesday. "At the moment, we're just treating this like he's been in an accident".
They said: "We want the world to know how we and our son have been brutalized and terrorized by the pariah regime" in North Korea. Tillerson made no mention of Rodman's visit, and said the department would have no further comment on Warmbier and his condition, citing privacy concerns.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons "Asked if he had spoken to President Donald Trump about the visit, Rodman said: 'Well, I'm pretty sure he's pretty much happy with the fact that I'm over here trying to accomplish something that we both need, '" said The Week.
Rodman also did not mention Warmbier or the three other Americans now detained in North Korea when he spoke with journalists in Beijing before leaving for Pyongyang on Tuesday.
Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson issued a statement on Tuesday announcing the release of Mr. Warmbier, 23, who was sentenced to a 15-year prison term for trying to steal a propaganda poster in January 2016.
The U.S. government accuses North Korea of using such detainees as political pawns.
The logistics were in place by Thursday.
"At the direction of the President, the Department of State has secured the release of Otto Warmbier from North Korea".
Justice Department No. 2 assures Congress of special counsel independence
In addition, Comey has said Sessions did not respond when he complained that he did not want to be left alone with Trump again. He told senators during a committee hearing that there would have to be "good cause" for Mueller to be removed from his role.
State Department officials are accompanying Otto Warmbier from Sapporo to Cincinnati. Upon his release, Warmbier's parents were stunned to discover that their son had been in a coma for more than a year.
The announcement on Warmbier's release came as former National Basketball Association player Dennis Rodman was paying a return visit to Pyongyang.
Asked by Business Insider whether the U.S. may have coordinated with Rodman over the visit and release of Warmbier, Frank Aum, a former senior adviser on North Korea for the Department of Defense, said the State Department would "certainly have been notified of Rodman's visit". But State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters Rodman had nothing to do with Warmbier's release. Releasing a United States detainee in a yearlong coma may actually harden USA public opinion against North Korea. "I'm hoping it's not as bad as it sounds and he'll wake up and be okay".
Republican Sen. Rob Portman says North Korea should be "universally condemned for its abhorrent behavior".
June 6-11, 2017 - After consulting the president, Tillerson instructs State Department representative Yun to prepare to travel to North Korea with the intention of bringing Warmbier back to the United States.
It was not immediately clear if Rodman's visit to North Korea was purely coincidental with Warmbier's release.
Republican Sen. Rob Portman of OH said in a statement that Tillerson had confirmed to him Warmbier's release.
Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., meanwhile, said he was "heartened to see the reuniting of the Warmbier family, despite the tragic circumstances".
Three more Americans are detained in North Korea but their fates have been hanging in the balance as Washington does not have a diplomatic mission in Pyongyang.
Previous detainees have been released after visits from high-profile Americans, including former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. He visited Warmbier with two doctors on Monday, and demanded his release on humanitarian grounds.
Comments