Hostage takers threaten to kill 3 Japanese (w/photo from Japan)

[The Sushi Bandit]

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20040408p2a00m0fp012001c.html

Qatar-based satellite broadcaster Aljazeera said Thursday that three Japanese nationals have been taken hostage by a group in Iraq.

The group, who calls itself "Mujahedeen Brigades" in English, threatens to kill the three Japanese unless Japan's Self Defense Forces (SDF) leave the country within three days, Aljazeera said.

When a reporter asked whether Japan would withdraw its SDF troops from Iraq during a hastily called press conference in Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said, "We are sending the SDF for (non-military) humanitarian reconstruction efforts, and therefore there is no reason to call them back."

[democracyindanger]

1. Is Asahi Shimbun

a weekly? I went to their site (one of the hostages is an Asahi reporter) and didn't find anything.

[The Sushi Bandit]

2. I dont know.. havnt seen it (the paper) in years

[noahmijo]

3. Okay call me ignorant

But what are they doing there? did I misread where they are special civilian workers or something? did those bastards sneak into Japan and pluck them out or something? how did this happen???

[boobooday]

4. They are part of the coalition of the reluctantly willing

They have sent some people -- very few, but are trying to support Bush without really supporting him, which is what everyone else is doing too.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[lightbulb]

5. divide and conquer

Looks like they are doing their best to terrorize the smaller, more vulnerable, and less determined factions of the "coalition" in order to get them to pull out, which will further isolate the US and its agenda in the eyes of the world. Pretty sneaky.

[Moderator]

6. locking

discuss here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=472734