Japanese Hostage Crisis Could Be Prolonged

Tokyo, Jan. 26 (Jiji Press)--A week after the Japanese government confirmed an online video threatening to kill two Japanese nationals, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suggested Monday that the hostage crisis could be prolonged as the government has yet to make direct contact with the Islamic State militant group, which is believed to be responsible for the incident. At a press conference on Monday afternoon, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said that the government "has had no negotiations at all" with the Islamic State. At a meeting with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida the same day, Abe said, "It would not be surprising if a new development occurs immediately in the hostage crisis." But he added, "It could take time to resolve the incident, and the situation could become uncertain as a result." Abe underlined the importance of mental and physical toughness in dealing with the situation. At a separate meeting held later with executives of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Abe said that the government will continue efforts to work with Jordan and other countries although the situation is severe. The government is aiming to realize the release of 47-year-old Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, who is apparently held by the Islamic State group, while believing that a photo of what appears to the decapitated body of Haruna Yukawa, 42, the other Japanese captive, is highly credible. An image of Goto holding the photo of the beheaded body was posted on the Internet on Saturday. The voice in a message attached to the online image is highly likely to be that of Goto as a result of an analysis by institutions including the National Police Agency's National Research Institute of Police Science, according to Suga. Although the government is boosting efforts to gather intelligence, it has been unable to make direct contact with the Islamic State group and has few clues to resolving the crisis. The crisis has been complicated by the group's demand for the release of Sajida al-Rishawi, a failed suicide bomber and death-row inmate imprisoned in Jordan, in exchange for Goto. It appears difficult for Jordan to accept the demand as the top priority for the country's government is the release of a Jordanian military pilot held by the group, critics say. END