NewsMine — war-on-terror — alqaeda — kidnappings — Viewing Item

Japanese hostages freed { April 15 2004 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apmideast_story.asp?category=1107&slug=Iraq%20Japan http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apmideast_story.asp?category=1107&slug=Iraq%20Japan SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER Thursday, April 15, 2004 · Last updated 5:34 a.m. PT Three Japanese hostages freed in Iraq THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TOKYO -- Iraqi militants freed two aid workers and a journalist from Japan on Thursday, the Japanese foreign ministry said. The three were handed over to the Japanese Embassy in Baghdad at 7:30 a.m. EDT, the ministry said in Tokyo. The Arabic-language broadcaster al-Jazeera reported that the three had been taken first to the offices of the Islamic Clerics Committee, a Sunni Muslim organization that had mediated to end the crisis. Al-Jazeera broadcast footage of the three sitting on a couch apparently speaking with members of the Sunni Muslim organization. The three appeared unharmed. Nahoko Takato, a 34-year-old aid worker who worked with street children in Iraq, was crying into her hands. Noriaki Imai, a recent high school graduate who was in the country trying to raise awareness about the health effects of depleted uranium munitions, shook hands with a member of the clerics' organization. The third hostage, 32-year-old photojournalist Soichiro Koriyama, was also shown. The one-week crisis tested Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's commitment to the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. The kidnappers threatened to kill the hostages if Japan did not withdraw a contingent of troops helping with reconstruction. Koizumi refused that demand, saying he would not deal with terrorists and emphasizing that Japanese troops were in Iraq on a humanitarian mission. The breakthrough was unexpected and came a day after Koizumi said that no progress had been made in negotiations.

berg-beheading Hassoun jill_carroll johnson-beheading 3 kidnapped in kabul { October 29 2004 } 6 egyptians 2 iraqis kidnapped in iraq { September 24 2004 } Afghan militants threaten united nations hostages { November 1 2004 } Aid worker hassan believed slain in video Alqaeda says kills egypt envoy in iraq Alqaeda website shows egyptian diplomat kidnapped { July 6 2005 } Brits rescue peace activists held hostage in iraq Egyptian diplomat kidnapped in iraq { July 23 2004 } Egyptians and iraqis kidnapped { September 25 2004 } Filipino hostage released in iraq after pullout { July 20 2004 } Freed egyptian says treated well by iraqi captors French journalist freed in iraq after 5 months Hostage begs britain to pull its troops out { October 23 2004 } Imprisoned women not freed as tensions grow Iraqi militants free two hostages Italian journalist held hostage pleads for life { February 16 2005 } Italy horror at hostage execution Japanese hostages freed { April 15 2004 } Japanese south koreans kidnapped by iraqis { April 8 2004 } Japanese studying depleted uranium taken hostage { April 12 2004 } Jeffrey ake from indiana pleads for his life { April 14 2005 } Kidnapped aid workers in afghanistan released Kidnapped polish woman freed Kidnappers snatch 2 americans 1 briton from homes Marine in kidnap video charged with desertion { December 10 2004 } Militants release video of japanese hostage { October 27 2004 } Peace group kidnapped in iraq { October 2005 } Philippines troops out of iraq Ransom from italians seen as fueling crisis { September 29 2004 } Second hostage killed in iraq Six foreign truck drivers threatened with beheading Tape of bigley decapitation posted on web Third beheading was south korean who spoke arabic Three headless bodies discovered north of baghdad Three iraqi kurd hostages beheaded Three members of allawi family abducted { November 10 2004 } Video of 11 iraqi soliders executed posted on web Video on web site shows beheading of man Files Listed: 38

Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security Archives

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information, go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purpose of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.