Japan promises not to give up on 2 men held by IS
Print Edition
TOKYO yesterday promised not to give up “until the very end” on efforts to free two Japanese hostages threatened with beheading by Islamic militants demanding a US$200 million ransom, after a deadline passed with no word from the captors.
Militants affiliated with the Islamic State group posted an online warning on Friday afternoon that the “countdown has begun” for the extremists to kill 47-year-old Kenji Goto and 42-year-old Haruna Yukawa.
On Tuesday, the extremists set a 72-hour deadline for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to pay the ransom, or the hostages would be killed. Friday’s posting, which appeared on a forum popular among Islamic State militants and sympathizers, did not show any images of the hostages, who are believed to be held somewhere in Syria.
Yasuhide Nakayama, a deputy foreign minister sent to Amman, Jordan, said he was working round the clock to save the hostages.
“We will not rule out any possibility, and we are verifying all information thoroughly. We will not give up ... it is my duty to ensure we will definitely get them back home, and I will do my utmost to do so,” he said.
Top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Japan was analyzing the second message.
“The situation remains severe, but we are doing everything we can to win the release of the two Japanese hostages,” Suga said.
Japan is using every channel it can find, including local tribal chiefs, to try to reach the captors, he said, while adding that there has been no direct contact with the captors.
Abe on Friday met with his National Security Council to discuss the crisis.
Government spokesman Kenko Sone said Japan had no plans to dispatch troops on a rescue mission, saying its pacifist constitution bans a pre-emptive strike.
Japan has scrambled for a way to secure the release of Goto, a journalist, and Yukawa, an adventurer fascinated by war. Japanese diplomats had left Syria as the civil war there escalated, adding to the difficulty of contacting the militants holding the hostages.
Worshippers at Tokyo’s largest mosque on Friday offered prayers for the two hostages.
“All Muslims in Japan, we want the Japanese hostages to be saved as soon as possible,” said Sandar Basara, a worker from Turkey.
Goto’s mother made an appeal for his rescue.
“Time is running out. Please, Japanese government, save my son’s life,” said Junko Ishido.
Suga said earlier that the government had confirmed the identities of the two hostages despite discrepancies in the ransom video that suggested it might have been altered.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
