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The mother of Jordanian pilot Lt. Mu'ath al-Kaseasbeh holds a picture of her son, who is held by Islamic State group militants, during a sit-in in front of the cabinet offices in Amman calling for his release.(Photo: Raad Adayleh, AP)
Jordan is ready to swap a prisoner convicted of a deadly terrorist attack on a hotel for a Jordanian pilot held by Islamic State militants, a top Jordan official said Wednesday. There was no word on whether a Japanese hostage would be included in any exchange as the 24-hour deadline to secure his release passed.
Mohammed Al Momani, Jordan's minister for media affairs and communications, said in a statement that Jordan "is ready to release the Iraqi prisoner, Sajida al-Rishawi, if the Jordanian pilot, Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, is released unharmed,'' according to Jordan's state-run news agency, Petra.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said on Twitter that Jordan had asked for "evidence about the health and safety" of the pilot, but that it had not received any response.
Al-Kaseasbeh was captured by the militants after his fighter jet crashed last month near Raqqa, Syria, the Islamic State's de facto capital
Al-Rishawi had been sentenced to death in Jordan for her involvement in a 2005 terror attack on an Amman hotel that killed 60 people, most of them attending a wedding reception. She survived after her suicide vest failed to explode.
An exchange would run counter to Jordan's hard-line approach — the same as its U.S. ally — of refusing to negotiate with the Islamic extremists. A swap could also set a precedent for negotiating with a militant group that previously has not publicly demanded prisoner releases.
USA TODAY
Purported ISIL message threatens Japan, Jordan hostages
An online message purportedly from the the Islamic State also known as ISIS and ISIL, warned late Tuesday that al-Kaseasbeh and the other hostage, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, would be killed within 24 hours unless there was a prisoner swap. That deadline expired late Wednesday Japan time.
The video — released on Islamic State-linked Twitter accounts — featured a still photo and audio from Goto, according to the SITE Intelligence group, a U.S.-based organization that monitors extremists' activity online.
"I've been told this is my last message, and I've also been told that the barrier of extracting my freedom is now just the Jordanian government delaying the handover of Sajida," Goto said in the video, directed toward his family. "Tell the Japanese government to put all their political pressure on Jordan. Time is now running very short. It is me for her. What seems to be so difficult to understand?"
Goto also said any delays by the Japanese "will mean they're responsible for the death of their pilot, which will then be followed by mine. I only have 24 hours left to live, and the pilot has even less. Please don't leave us to die."
USATODAY
Hostage's mom begs Japan's leader: Save my son
Junko Ishido, the mother of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto held by the Islamic State group, speaks to the media in Koganei on the outskirts of Tokyo Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: ‚ÏÏŽÁOÎÊ, AP)
The parents of Goto and al-Kaseasbeh appealed for their governments to secure their release Wednesday. Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga reiterated Tokyo was doing all it could to secure Goto's release, NHK TV reported.
"We don't have much time left, it is extremely urgent. I want the government to do whatever it takes," Goto's mother, Junko Ishido, told reporters
"Please save Kenji's life," she said, begging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to work with the Jordanian government to try to save Goto. "Kenji has only a little time left."
In Jordan, the pilot's father, Safi al-Kaseasbeh, beseeched the government "to meet the demands" of the group.
"All people must know, from the head of the regime to everybody else, that the safety of Mu'ath means the stability of Jordan, and the death of Mu'ath means chaos in Jordan," he said.
USA TODAY
Japan seeks help from Jordan to free ISIL hostage
Earlier, Abe expressed outrage at the latest threat. "This was an extremely despicable act and we feel strong indignation. We strongly condemn that," he said. "While this is a tough situation, we remain unchanged in our stance of seeking help from the Jordanian government in securing the early release of Mr. Goto."
In Jordan, about 200 of the pilot's relatives protested outside the prime minister's office in the capital Amman, where they urged the government to meet the captors' demands.
Safi al-Kaseasbeh, father of Jordanian pilot Lt. Mu'ath al-Kaseasbeh, who is held by Islamic State group militants, speaks as he is is surrounded by family members in Amman, hours after militants posted a video purporting to show a Japanese hostage holding his picture with a message that both hostages would be killed within 24 hours.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Raad Adayleh, AP)
Bassam Al-Manasseer, chairman of Jordan's foreign affairs committee, told Bloomberg News negotiations were taking place through religious and tribal leaders in Iraq, adding that Jordan and Japan won't negotiate directly with the Islamic State and wouldn't free al-Rishawi in exchange for Goto only.
Japan's Deputy Foreign Minister Yasuhide Nakayama was in Amman on Wednesday to coordinate hostage-release efforts with Jordan, but refused comment on details of the talks.
Goto was abducted after entering Syria to search for Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa, the 42-year-old founder of a private security firm who was taken captive in August, according to reports on Japanese television.
USA TODAY
Father of pilot captured by IS pleads for release
In a video released Jan. 20, the Islamic State demanded a $200 million ransom for the release of Goto and Yukawa within 72 hours. Abe refused to pay a ransom.
A video released Saturday showed a still photo of Goto holding a photo that apparently shows the dead body of Yukawa. In the video, Goto said the militants had changed their ransom demand and wanted the release of al-Rishawi. USA TODAY could not independently verify the videos.
Contributing: Associated Press
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