Here is something that you might not know: the images that you see on Taiwan television of the three Japanese hostages is not the one that the Japanese public has ever seen.
I am talking about the scenes of the kidnappers holding knives to the throats of the hostages, the look of terror in their eyes and the hysterical reaction of the woman.
My reliable sources have called Japanese friends and none of them had even heard of such footage. Interesting to see how the Japanese media (under duress from the government?) is suppressing these disturbing images.
I am sure that there is a conspiracy here and that we should be OUTRAGED.
I see no conspiracy, but it makes me wonder what scenes are filmed in other areas that we never see (which could make us think differently about an issue).
The kidnapping issue could get ugly if a tape is released with hostages being burned alive, for example.
The Japanese freelance journalists, photographers and peace group members who were taken hostage in Iraq, shown on television with knives at their throats and threatened with being burned alive, then subsequently freed have been met upon their return home with vitriolic hate. They have been branded “selfish”, “troublemakers” and been told “you got what you deserved” and have had to go into hiding. The government is billing them U.S. $6,000 for airfare for their return and, “Some politicians … said the hostages should pay the costs incurred by the government in securing their release.”
In today’s IHT:
iht.com/articles/516600.html
To me this really chilling. Does anyone with experience with Japan have any observations?
Simply saying “Oh, so sorry for Rape of Nanjing” would also be shameful. The hostages should simply call it the “Baghdad Incident”, claim it was all exaggerated (and there were alot of lies) and anyway it was settled. No problemo.
[quote=“Interlocutor”]The Japanese freelance journalists, photographers and peace group members who were taken hostage in Iraq, shown on television with knives at their throats and threatened with being burned alive, then subsequently freed have been met upon their return home with vitriolic hate. They have been branded
Very interesting discussion on that Japanese BBS board. Thanks for posting that link lane119, I doubt I would ever have gotten that aspect of the story without it.
I’d like to know what happens in, say, the US when the government issues a formal travel advisory and private citizens ignore it, get into trouble and require rescuing (these Japanese kids went to Iraq ignoring a Japanese govt. warning).
I know that in Britain, if you go into the hills in bad conditions despite being warned not to and subsequently need to be rescued, you have to pay for the manpower and the chopper.
I wonder if the Japanese would have been happier if the 3 hostages died like Quattrocchi and shouted ‘Now I’m going to show you how a Japanese dies’.
I’m happy the government of Japan was willing to help get the Japanese hostages out alive. Quattrocchi case is just too sad.