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Bill Richardson rides to the rescue, yet again

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Put another notch on Gov. Bill Richardson's diplomatic attach‚ case.

In short order last week, Richardson jetted to the Sudan and won the release of New Mexico resident and Chicago Tribune reporter Paul Salopek, as well as Salopek's two colleagues from Chad.

Richardson, who went to the Sudan on Thursday following an appeal from Salopek's wife, Linda Lynch, announced on Friday that Salopek would be released.

By Sunday morning, Salopek was back in Albuquerque for a news conference with his wife and Richardson.

The remarkable turn of events - Salopek's espionage trial was scheduled to begin Sunday - surprised even Richardson, who is no stranger to the diplomatic circuit, including international hostage negotiations. A former New Mexico congressman, Richardson also is a former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and a former secretary of the Department of Energy.

Richardson told reporters that Sudan President Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir agreed to the release Salopek and colleagues after only 30 minutes of discussion in Khartoum.

Salopek, who has a home in the southern New Mexico community of Columbus, had been held by Sudanese authorities since Aug. 6. He was arrested in the chaotic and violent Dafur region - where thousands have perished in tribal revolt and warfare - and was charged with spying, writing "false news," passing information and entering the country without a visa.

Salopek, who also works for National Geographic and was filming a documentary in Chad along the border, said the decision to go into Sudan was made at the last minute. But he denied doing any spying.

Richardson said he made the case for release to al-Bashir on humanitarian grounds and praised Salopek as a "respected journalist" who was doing "his job telling the story of the people, culture and history of the sub-Sahara region known as Sahel."

Salopek and his wife expressed their gratitude to a beaming Richardson, who has an undeniable knack for diplomatic rescues.

This latest chapter certainly won't hurt his already well-greased campaign for re-election to a second term in Santa Fe, or his designs on the White House as a potential Democratic nominee in 2008.

Richardson has become a kind of diplomatic ace - called on to negotiate the release of several Americans in overseas difficulties. His talent extends to talking with North Korea officials (five times in North Korea, once in Santa Fe) on nuclear weapons issues as well.

Most pertinent for Salopek was Richardson's previous Sudanese success story. In December 1996, while serving in Congress, Richardson arranged for the release of Albuquerque pilot John Early and two Red Cross workers who were held hostage for 38 days by Sudanese rebels. Al-Bashir played a prominent role in those events as well.

Like the old TV Western character Paladin, whose trademark was a chess knight and the motto "Have gun, will travel," perhaps Richardson should adopt a dove with an olive branch and the slogan: "Have attach‚ case, will travel."

Notches and politics completely aside, the country and New Mexico are fortunate to have a statesman like Richardson, willing and able to negotiate.