Militants may have never intended to free journalist
BEIRUT — The Islamic State militants who murdered a kidnapped Japanese journalist over the weekend made no attempts at dialogue with his family in the days before they killed him.
The revelation raises doubts over whether the jihadist group ever intended to release Kenji Goto, despite claims that they were willing to use him for a prisoner swap.
In the past 10 days, Islamic State rapidly and erratically changed its demands for the release of Goto, 47, who was captured by the group in October.
Goto’s family had made contact with the jihadists after the group demanded a $200-million US ransom two weeks ago for the journalist and for Haruna Yukawa, another Japanese hostage.
But without warning, the kidnappers dropped the demand and changed tack, killing Yukawa a week ago and tying Goto’s fate to a prisoner exchange for Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi al-Qaida operative held in jail in Jordan for her role in a series of hotel bombings in 2005.
The Japanese and Jordanian governments had scrambled to negotiate the terms of the swap.
If the deal was not met, Islamic State said, Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, a Jordanian air force pilot also held by the group, would be murdered.
In a bold manoeuvre, but which also complicated the terms of the deal, Amman then demanded that the pilot should be included in any prisoner exchange.
On Saturday night, however, the worst fears of Goto’s family appeared to have been realized, when without further explanation or email contact, Islamic State published a video online appearing to show Goto’s murder.
The footage, which Tokyo believes is genuine, has prompted an outpouring of anger and grief in Japan.
Jordan renewed efforts to negotiate the release of al-Kaseasbeh on Sunday, saying it was still open to a prisoner swap in exchange for al-Rishawi.
So far, though, there has been no response from Islamic State to the government’s demand for proof that the pilot is still alive.