TOKYO (AP) — Japan was studying the latest message purportedly from the Islamic State group, which extends the deadline for Jordan's release of an Iraqi prisoner, while officials worked feverishly Thursday to try to free a Japanese journalist held by the militant group. The message, read in English by a voice the Japanese government said was likely that of hostage Kenji Goto, was released online late Wednesday after Jordan offered to hand over the al-Qaida-linked would-be suicide bomber to the Islamic State group in exchange for Jordanian air force pilot Mu'as al-Kasaseabeh. Japan has scrambled to deal with the crisis that began last week with the release of a video by the Islamic State group showing Goto and another Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa, kneeling in orange jumpsuits between a masked man who threatened to kill them within 72 hours unless Japan paid a $200 million ransom. Releasing the would-be hotel bomber linked to al-Qaida would breach Jordan's usual hard-line approach to the extremists and set a precedent for negotiating with them. "Public opinion in Jordan is putting huge pressure on the government to negotiate with the Islamic State group," said Marwan Shehadeh, a scholar with ties to ultra-conservative Islamic groups in Jordan. Jordan reportedly is holding indirect talks with the militants through religious and tribal leaders in Iraq to secure the release of the hostages. The Islamic State group broke with al-Qaida's central leadership in 2013 and has clashed with its Syrian branch, but it reveres the global terror network's former Iraqi affiliate, which battled U.S.
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Thu, 01/29/2015 - 12:31am
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