After hostage execution, Japan devotes ‘all efforts’ to rescue second from ISIS

HARI SREENIVASAN, PBS NEWSHOUR ANCHOR:

For more about today's beheading of one Japanese hostage and Japan's efforts to free the second, we are joined now by Hajime Ozaki. He is the New York bureau chief of the Kyodo News Agency.

So, what steps did the Japanese government take to try and free this particular hostage? Or what are they still doing to try to get the next one?

HAJIME OZAKI, KYODO NEWS:

I believe that the Japanese government is trying all its effort to release Mr. Kenji Goto, the second hostage, so there are channels, including neighboring countries, countries to ISIS, and then Jordan and so on.

HARI SREENIVASAN:

Uh-huh. And there's been some concern that this is in retaliation to the prime minister's visit to the Middle East region, pledging another $200 million for countermeasures against ISIL, but also humanitarian support.

HAJIME OZAKI:

Correct. Prime Minister Abe last week visited Cairo and issued that statement that the Japanese government is trying to help the refugees and neighboring countries to ISIS, which are fighting the threat of ISIS. Apparently, ISIS seized the moment of Prime Minister Abe's statement, and the ransom that they demanded coincides with the amount of the money that Prime Minister Abe pledged to humanitarian assistance.

HARI SREENIVASAN:

So, is there any chance Japan would pay the ransom? I mean, back in the late '70s, there was an incident in Bangladesh and there was some question about an incident in the late '90s in Kyrgyzstan. Was there an official government policy that said they wouldn't pay?

HAJIME OZAKI:

The official government policy is to comply with the kind of international norm, that not to bend to the threats of the terrorists. So, it is understood that the Japanese government is not ready to pay the ransom.

But everything may be possible. But, on the other hand, now ISIS changed their demand from the ransom to the release of the hostage taken in Jordan.

HARI SREENIVASAN:

So, what has the reaction been in Japan over the past few days? Obviously, this news broke so late at night that most Japanese were asleep and they won't know until tomorrow morning and & that will be the reaction to this hostage's assassination. But over the past several days, as this story has been building in Japan, what's it been like?

HAJIME OZAKI:

Yes, of course, most of the Japanese population are very much concerned and worried about the fate of the two hostages, and there was a press conference by one of the — the mother of one of the hostages the other day, and it — her appeal to free the — free her son was widely appreciated and a lot of compassion grown in Japanese society.

HARI SREENIVASAN:

All right.

HAJIME OZAKI:

On the other hand, there are some sentiments in certain people in Japan that the guys went to Syria knowing that there are risks, and there are some voices that blame the behavior —

HARI SREENIVASAN:

That they engaged in risky behavior.

HAJIME OZAKI:

Right, correct.

HARI SREENIVASAN:

OK, Hajime Ozaki, the New York bureau chief of Kyodo News Agency, thanks so much.

HAJIME OZAKI:

Thank you very much.