Militants with Islamic State are demanding ransom for two men believed to be Japanese. They have released an online video saying they will kill the hostages unless they receive 200 million dollars in the next 72 hours.
It's believed the 2 men in orange jumpsuits are Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa. Goto, who is a freelance journalist, said on Twitter in early October that he was in Syria. Yukawa is believed to have been captured last year.
The masked man says although Japan is located more than 8,500 kilometers away, the country has decided to voluntarily join the crusade against Islamic State. He says Japan's prime minister has pledged 100 million dollars to kill Muslim women and children and destroy houses. He says Japan's leader has also decided to pay 100 million dollars to train soldiers to try to prevent the spread of Islamic State.
The masked man also says the Japanese government has made a foolish decision to fight Islamic State. He says in order to save the two men, the Japanese public has 72 hours to put pressure on the government to make a wise decision and pay the ransom. The man says otherwise his knife will be a nightmare.
The authenticity of the video has not been confirmed.
Japanese government officials are analyzing the video and gathering information through diplomatic channels.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is now in Israel as part of his Middle East tour. He held a press conference in Jerusalem and said this incident is an unforgivable act of terrorism. He added the government demands the release of the 2 Japanese captives.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/worldupdate/20150120.html
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