Japan pins its hopes on Jordan against IS ultimatum

Tokyo, Jan 28 (IANS/EFE) Japan continued to live through a period of national tension Wednesday as the clock ticked towards the new 24-hour deadline given by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group before carrying out their threat of executing a Japanese reporter if an extremist detained in Jordan was not freed by the ultimatum's expiry.

Japan put all its hopes on the negotiating ability of Jordan, from whom the IS has sought the release of their Iraqi fighter Sayida al-Rishawi in exchange for the lives of Kenji Goto and Jordanian pilot Muaz Kasasbeh.

This is the second ultimatum imposed on Japan, after the IS gave 72 hours to the Japanese government to pay $200 million in exchange for the lives of Goto and another Japanese citizen, Haruna Yukawa.

The IS announced Saturday the execution of Yukawa, 42, but kept the reporter Goto alive in order to continue negotiating.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once again appeared before the media Wednesday and termed the new threat "despicable" while expressing his indignation.

"This was an extremely despicable act and we feel strong indignation," Abe said, after the umpteenth emergency cabinet meeting over the last one week.

From Tokyo and Amman, where the Japanese government sent a special work group to tackle the crisis, Japanese authorities have maintained that they would readily cooperate with Jordan to free both hostages.

Meanwhile, the Japanese and Jordanian press have reported that secret talks were underway between the Jordanian government and the IS to reach an agreement regarding the exchange of prisoners.

Japanese analysts are of the opinion that the ball is in Jordan's court, as they are the ones who have to decide whether to release the Iraqi extremist as demanded by the IS.

Jordan's media has said that the IS had proposed a "2+2" exchange, in which the pilot and the reporter would be traded for al-Rishawi and another jihadi sentenced by Jordan in 2008.

Meanwhile, in Japan, Goto's mother once again appealed to the Japanese government to secure the release of her son as time kept running out.

"Please, save Kenji," said Junko Ishido, Goto's 78-year-old anguished mother, like she did Jan 23 when the IS video threatening the lives of Goto and Yukawa was released.

About 150 people congregated in front of the prime minister's residence in Tokyo, seeking the release of Goto.

They held placards reading "I am Kenji" in Japanese and Arabic, drawing inspiration from a solidarity march and social network campaigns in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo's offices in Paris.

Goto, 47, had entered IS-controlled Syrian territory to cover the conflict and to try and mediate in the case of Yukawa's kidnapping -- held captive since August -- as he knew the latter personally.

This freelance reporter, who is married and the father of a boy, has specialised in covering refugees and children affected by armed conflicts.

He had also collaborated with Unicef and worked as a volunteer in Japanese regions affected by the devastating 2011 tsunami.

--IANS/EFE

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