Three Japanese civilians were captured in Iraq on April 8 by a group which calls itself Saraya al-Mujahidin, and through Qatar-based Satellite TV station Aljazeera, has threatened to kill them if Japan does not withdraw its Self-Defense Force units from Iraq within three days.
In a published statement on the same day, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo said as follows:
"It is unpardonable and barbarous to take civilians who are NGO staff or journalists as hostages and threaten to kill them if its demand is not accepted.
"We strongly urge the government to make every effort to ensure that the three Japanese are released without fail.
"From the outset, concerns persisted that the dispatch of SDF troops to Iraq might bring about such consequences. The JCP again demands a speedy withdrawal of SDF units." (end)
