News Letter
Weather
Community
English home Forum Photo Gallery Features Newsletter Archive   About US Help Site Map
China
World
Opinion
Business
Sci-Edu
Culture/Life
Sports
Photos
 Services
- Newsletter
- News Archive
- Feedback
- Weather Forecast
 Search
Advanced
 About China
- China at a glance
- Constitution
- CPC & state organs
- Chinese leadership
- Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping

Home >> World
UPDATED: 14:04, June 25, 2004
Japanese PM refuses to meet hostages' relatives
font size    

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has no plan to meet relatives of three Japanese abducted in Iraq while insisting there will be no withdrawal of the Self-Defense Forces, Kyodo News reported Saturday.

"There will be nothing to talk about," the premier told family members through the Foreign Ministry. He also denied chance of direct talks in the future.

Qatar-based al-Jazeera satellite TV broadcast a video footage Thursday taken by an Iraqi armed group that demanded Japan pull the troops out of Iraq within three days, otherwise, the hostages will be killed.

The families of Soichiro Koriyama, 32, Nahoko Takato, 34, and Noriaki Imai, 18, came to Tokyo on Friday. They are pleading the government to pull troops out of Iraq, even if temporarily, in exchange of the release of their beloved.

Koizumi and senior Japanese officials have pledged the government will do their utmost to save the three while reiterating refusal of retreat. Koizumi is expected to appear on al-Jazeera to call for the release.

So far, no contact has been established with the kidnappers, the government said.

Source: Xinhua

Print friendly Version Comments on the story Recommend to friends Save to disk


   Recommendation
- China Forum
- PD Newsletter
- People's Comment
- Most Popular
 Related News
- Japan has few options for Iraq hostages

- US to locate Japanese hostages


Copyright by People's Daily Online, all rights reserved