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| Iraq-Jordan | ||
| 8 Koreans, 3 Japanese Kidnapped in Iraq | ||
| 2004-04-08 | ||
Three Japanese and eight South Koreans were kidnapped in Iraq on Thursday, according to media reports. The Arabic TV station al-Jazeera aired video of the Japanese blindfolded.
The South Koreans were detained by unidentified "armed men" in Iraq but one was later released, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unnamed Foreign Ministry official in Seoul. The report gave no further details. The Foreign Ministry told The Associated Press it did not know who was responsible for the capture of the South Koreans. In Tokyo, lawmakers said the Japanese were kidnapped by a terrorist-related group, according to the Japanese news agency Kyodo. A videotape aired by Al-Jazeera and shown by Japan's NHK television showed three Japanese identified as two journalists and an aid worker. The Japanese were blindfolded and surrounded by gunmen. The video showed the hostages' passports, confirming their nationality. The Al-Jazeera report said the kidnappers had threatened to kill their captives, two men and a woman, unless Japan withdraws from southern Iraq.
Japan has sent several hundred ground troops to Iraq on a noncombat mission to help rebuild the country. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has been one of the strongest backers of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, a stance that has raised concern Japanese troops could be targeted by insurgents in that country. The Japanese were taken by a group identifying itself as the "Mujahedeen Squadrons," which Al-Jazeera said gave a three-day ultimatum for Japan to announce it will withdraw its troops or they would be killed. "Three of your sons have fallen into our hands," the Al-Jazeera announcer said, quoting a statement he said came with the video tape. "We offer you two choices: either pull out your forces, or we will burn them alive. We give you three days starting the day this tape is broadcast." | ||
| Posted by:Steve |
| #10 Whoa, JFM, good post, but I wasn't trying to write a history of the war in the Pacific or an analysis of Japanese culture. Now that you mention it, however, can you think of an example of a WWII Japanese infantry unit being routed? The closest I can come is the "long patrol" by Carlson's Raiders against a Japanese column on Guadalcanal. |
| Posted by: Matt 2004-04-08 7:53:15 PM |
| #9 "We offer you two choices: either pull out your forces, or we will burn them alive. What choice? For every Japanese hostage killed, send in another thousand troops. If the Japanese have Elite Forces, invite them to track and kill the hostage takers. Be sure to get it all on video for the folks back home. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-04-08 5:11:25 PM |
| #8 Matt It is EDUCATION and SOCIETY what makes people brave not genes. Look what a heavy indoctrination of flower power, political correctness and "piss at all costs" has made from the descendants of Cortez. Look at how different the Europeans are from the Americans despite having basically the same genetic pool. Japanese are no longer educated in the ways of Bushido, dying for the emperor and suiciding to avoid capture: they have become a pacifist society: see the recruitment ads for the Japanese Navy: "Seamaship, seamanship, for peace, for love". PS: Don't think that Japanese soldiers never fled, they did. PS2: Japanese Army paid a high price when it faced American fire power for its tendency to defend every yard of terrain and reluctance to tactical retreats. PS: If you read the reports for actions leading to Medal of Honor awards you will see that the instances of someone covering a grenade with his body are a minority. Most are about people displaying not only great courage, but incredible skill and brains to inflict great damage to the enemy. Quite the opposite of Japanese screaming Banzai and being mown down by 50 cal machine guns. |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-04-08 4:46:08 PM |
| #7 (1) I don't interpret kidnapping civilians to be a sign of confidence in an impending Sad'r/Sunni victory. (2) I think Paul Fussell wrote somewhere that if western ideas of heroism were applied to the Japanese army in WWII, every single Japanese soldier would have qualified for the Medal of Honor or the Victoria Cross. Granted that today's Japanese aren't their grandfathers, I don't think that pissing off the Japanese is a good long-term move. |
| Posted by: Matt 2004-04-08 12:07:21 PM |
| #6 Ha'aretz is reporting two Israeli Arab Christians have also been kidnapped. |
| Posted by: Dar 2004-04-08 11:18:08 AM |
| #5 I'd keep 'em away from the cutlery, boys. They may be small, but they're deadly with a blade. |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-04-08 10:55:22 AM |
| #4 If al'Jazeera films a US landmark, how can we be sure they're not scouting for an attack? |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-04-08 10:25:20 AM |
| #3 It will be interesting to see how Japan and South Korea responds. I dont think they will do a 'Spain'. I hope they send even more troops. That Al-jitzz was involved doesn't budge my suprise meter. And Jarhead, these are journalists (i.e. Al-Jitzz betrayed their own) and an aid worker. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-04-08 9:42:01 AM |
| #2 "the kidnappers had threatened to kill their captives, two men and a woman, unless Japan withdraws from southern Iraq." -such brave warriors killing tied-up men & women........pfft, do not negotiate w/terrorist; communicate w/them just long enough to get a gps reading. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-04-08 9:32:44 AM |
| #1 we will burn them alive ROPMA. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-04-08 9:11:10 AM |