American detained in North Korea

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American detained in North Korea
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It appears that an 85-year-old American man on an
organized tour of North Korea was pulled off a
departing plane in Pyongyang just minutes before
it was to depart. The family has had no contact
with Merrill Newman of Palo Alto, California,
since he was detained on October 26, according to
his son. The U.S. State Department is working to
resolve the matter with North Korea's top ally,
China. The relationship between North Korea and
Washington has been especially testy in recent
years as the United States and other world powers
have tried to limit the nation's nuclear
ambitions. North Korea has not publicly
acknowledged it detained Newman. But the family
believes the elder Newman's military service
during the Korean War may be related to his
detention. Five minutes before the plane was to
depart, authorities boarded and asked to see
Newman's passport. The authorities then asked the
elder Newman to leave the plane with them.
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