Japan ISIS Hostage Situation Intended To 'Humiliate' Over PM Abe's Anti-Terrorism Pledges

The Islamic State group in the Thursday issue of its English-language magazine Dabiq detailed its motivations behind the hostage-taking and subsequent killing of Japanese civilians Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa, as well as Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh. The terrorist group stated in the magazine's seventh edition that it had intended all along to “humiliate” Japan and had no expectations that Japan would pay the ransom it had asked for the two Japanese civilians.

The group known as ISIS reported that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had already known about Goto’s and Yukawa’s hostage situation when he pledged $200 million in nonmilitary aid to the Middle East for fighting ISIS. “What begot him into ‘forgetting’ that the Islamic State had two Japanese prisoners inside its jails awaiting the blunders of Japanese leadership?” said the paper in its foreword, writing of its demands for ransom for that same amount, which Abe had said he would not pay. “The [caliphate] was not in need of the money and knew fully that the Japanese would never provide the sum, but it had decided – by this demand – to humiliate the arrogance of this Japanese government…“

The publication also criticized Jordan for “complicating the process for the Japanese” by attempting to include the release of the pilot al-Kaseasbeh in ISIS’ exchange deal. Goto was supposed to be released in exchange for detained Iraqi terrorist Sajida al-Rishawi, after Yukawa was allegedly beheaded when the ransom was not paid initially. Goto and al-Kaseasbeh were also killed by ISIS, and Jordan has executed al-Rishawi and another al Qaeda prisoner Ziad al-Karbouli in response.

Upon the news that Goto had been beheaded as well, Japanese lawmakers unanimously passed a resolution to increase nonmilitary aid to combat terrorism. “We declare that Japan and its people resolutely denounce terrorism, and will stand firm in our pledge never to tolerate terrorism,” the resolution stated.

“Prior to Abe Shinzo’s thoughtless pledge of support for this crusade, Japan was not on the list of priorities to be targeted by the Islamic State,” wrote the magazine. “But through Abe Shinzo’s foolishness, all Japanese citizens and interests – wherever they may be found – are now a target for the soldiers and patrons of [ISIS] everywhere.”