Japan envoy says 'only purpose' is to bring journalist home alive

Japan and Jordan scramble to find out what has happened to two of their nationals being held by Islamic State, after a deadline passed for the release of a would-be suicide bomber being held on death row in Amman...

On Friday evening Japanese deputy foreign minister Yasuhide Nakayama told reporters in Amman, where he is anchoring Japan's on-the-ground response, that saving journalist Kenji Goto was Japan's "only purpose".

"As everyone knows quite well, the time has become, has become what it has. It is indeed true that we have passed the deadline set by ISIL and some time has passed. We hope to continue to gather whatever information we can. For now we hope to do whatever from start to end so that we can have Mr. Goto come home alive. That's our only purpose, we will do our best," said Nakayama in Japanese.

"We are doing our best effort to bring back Mr. Goto to our nation," he added in English.

Jordan said on Thursday it was still holding the Iraqi woman prisoner as a deadline passed for her release set by Islamic State militants, who threatened to kill a Jordanian pilot unless she was handed over by sunset.

An audio message purportedly from Goto said the pilot would be killed if Jordan did not free Sajida al-Rishawi, in jail for her role in a 2005 suicide bomb attack that killed 60 people in the Jordanian capital Amman.
 [jpost.com by Reuters]
 31/1/15
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•  Japan vows to 'never give up' search for IS hostages ...

• US-led coalition twice fails to rescue Jordanian pilot held by ISIS, Arab media reports 

• Jordan ready to exchange would-be-suicide bomber for captured pilot ...

• The Islamic State (IS) jihadist group ­threatened Tuesday to kill a Japanese journalist and a ­Jordanian pilot within 24 hours unless Jordan frees a jailed female militant...

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• Japan says efforts to free Islamic State hostage deadlocked...

A top Japanese diplomat says efforts to free a captive journalist from the militant Islamic State group have reached a “state of deadlock”. 

The fate of veteran war reporter Kenji Goto has been linked to that of another hostage, Jordanian fighter pilot Lt. Muath Kaseasbeh, whom the extremist also have threatened to kill.

Jordan and Japan are reportedly conducting indirect negotiations with the militants who control a third of both Iraq and Syria. 

A purported threat by the militants to kill the pilot at sunset Thursday unless an al-Qaida prisoner was released by Jordan has passed without word on the fate of the two hostages.
Japan’s deputy foreign minister, Yasuhide Nakayama, told journalists in Amman late yesterday (Jan 30) that “the situation is in a state of deadlock”. 
 AP
 [todayonline.com]
 31/1/15