Jordan ready to swap terrorist for pilot held by Islamic State
The announcement from Amman came just ahead of an IS deadline to kill a captured Jordanian pilot if a sought-after suicide bomber is not released. The fate of a Japanese journalist held under threat by IS remains uncertain.
This still image taken from a video posted on YouTube by jihadists on Tuesday shows a still photo of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto holding a photo of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh. Both are being held hostage by the Islamic State militant group.
YouTube/AP
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Jordan announced Wednesday it is willing to trade an Iraqi prisoner convicted of terrorism in exchange for a Jordanian pilot captured by the self-described Islamic State. The announcement came on Jordanian state television just ahead of a deadline imposed by the IS militant group.
In a video released Tuesday, Jordan was given 24 hours to release Sajida al-Rishawi, a convicted suicide bomber. If not released, the Islamic State threatened to kill a captured Japanese reporter and the Jordanian pilot. Kenji Goto, the journalist, relayed the terrorist group鈥檚 message while holding a photo of Moaz al-Kasasbeh, the pilot.
鈥淛ordan confirms that it is completely prepared to release the prisoner Sajida al-Rishawi if Moaz al-Kasasbeh is released and his life is intact,鈥� a government statement said. There was no mention of Mr. Goto, the captive journalist.
Ms. Rishawi is for her role in a 2005 Al Qaeda attack on three hotels in the capital of Amman聽that killed 60 people, The Associated Press reports. She was arrested after her suicide vest of explosives didn鈥檛 detonate.
The pilot, Mr. Kaseasbeh, was captured by IS after his fighter jet crashed in December over Raqqa, Syria.
Jordan has been under public pressure to negotiate with IS. Many Jordanians role in US-led airstrikes on the terrorist group, the BBC reports: 鈥淭hey want their captured pilot to come home alive and for Jordan to stay out of the fight against IS.鈥�
Late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, several hundred people demonstrated in front of the prime minister鈥檚 office to in support of Kaseasbeh. 鈥淲ho is Sajida to us?鈥� Youssef al-Kasasbeh, the captured pilot鈥檚 father, asked.
鈥淪ajida is a burden on us, let them release her. I am asking for the release of Sajida and all the prisoners, and the return of Moaz to us,鈥� he said.
Kaseasbeh is the to be captured by IS since the coalition, which includes four Arab countries, began airstrikes against the terrorist group, The New York Times reports.
IS聽allegedly killed a聽second Japanese captive earlier this month after聽initially demanding $200 million for his and Goto's release. Last year, the terrorist group, which controls large areas of Iraq and Syria, publicized the beheadings of three US and two British hostages.
In Japan, Prime Minister Shinz艒 Abe called the extremists鈥� threat a 鈥渄espicable act.鈥�
鈥淲ithin this extremely severe context, the government of is requesting cooperation from the government of Jordan to bring about the early release of Mr. Goto,鈥� Mr. Abe said Wednesday. 鈥淭his policy will remain unchanged going forward.鈥�