ISIL hostages' parents beg governments to save their sons
An online message purportedly from the extremist group on Tuesday warned that Japanese journalist Kenji Goto and Jordanian pilot Mu'ath al-Kaseasbeh would be killed unless Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi woman sentenced to death in Jordan for involvement in a 2005 terror attack that killed 60 people, was released within 24 hours.
The deadline expires late Wednesday night Japan time.The Islamic State, also known as ISIL or ISIS, warned it would be the group's last message and that any delay tactic would result in the hostages' deaths.
Goto's mother, Junko Ishido, read to reporters her plea Wednesday to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.Please save Kenji's life," she said, begging Abe to work with the Jordanian government to try to save Goto. "Kenji has only a little time left."
In Jordan, the pilot's father, Safi al-Kaseasbeh, beseeched the government "to meet the demands" of the group.
"All people must know, from the head of the regime to everybody else, that the safety of Mu'ath means the stability of Jordan, and the death of Mu'ath means chaos in Jordan," he said.
Abe earlier expressed outrage at the latest threat.This was an extremely despicable act and we feel strong indignation. We strongly condemn that," he said. "While this is a tough situation, we remain unchanged in our stance of seeking help from the Jordanian government in securing the early release of Mr. Goto."
In Jordan, about 200 of the pilot's relatives protested outside the prime minister's office in the capital Amman, where they chanted anti-government slogans and urged the government to meet the captors' demands.
Al-Kaseasbeh was carrying out airstrikes against the ISIL last month when his warplane crashed near the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the militant group's de facto capital.
A member of Jordan's parliament said the country was in indirect talks with the militants to secure the hostages' release.
Bassam Al-Manasseer, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, told Bloomberg News the negotiations are taking place through religious and tribal leaders in Iraq, adding that Jordan and Japan won't negotiate directly with ISIL and won't free al-Rishawi in exchange for Goto only.A prisoner exchange would be contrary to the policy of Jordan's main ally, the U.S., which opposes negotiating with extremists. Manaseer's comments were the strongest suggestion yet that Japan and Jordan might be open to a prisoner exchange.
Japan's Deputy Foreign Minister Yasuhide Nakayama was in Amman to coordinate hostage-release efforts with Jordan, but refused comment on details of the talks early Wednesday.
Goto was abducted after entering Syria to search for Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa, the 42-year-old founder of a private security firm who was taken captive in August, according to reports on Japanese television.In a video released Jan 20.,ISIL demanded a $200 million ransom for the release of Goto and Yukawa within 72 hours. Abe refused to pay a ransom.
Another video released Saturday showed a still photo of Goto holding a photo that apparently shows the dead body of Yukawa. In the video, Goto said the militants had changed their ransom demand and wanted the release of al-Rishawi.
USA TODAY could not independently verify either video.
Although many in Japan are critical of the two men for going to Syria, Goto's friends and supporters have launched a social media campaign calling for his release.
This is the first time ISIL has publicly demanded the release of prisoners in exchange for hostages. Previous captives may have been released in exchange for ransom, although the governments involved have refused to confirm any payments were made.
The mother of another Jordanian prisoner, Ziad al-Karboli, said her family was told ISIL also wants his release as part of a swap, but it is unclear if that was related to a possible deal involving the Japanese hostage.
Al-Karboli, an aide to a former al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, was sentenced to death in 2008 for killing a Jordanian citizen.
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