Japan considering all available channels to seek release of IS-held hostages(2)

The prime minister has said that Japan's support has and will continue to be humanitarian and not military and confirmed Japan's position on the matter in talks earlier Thursday with British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose office confirmed to local media that Abe stood resolutely behind a pledge made by Group of Eight leaders in 2013 to not pay ransom demands to free hostages.

Along with Britain, foreign ministries of the United States, France, Italy and Iran have also offered Japan their unwavering support to help secure the early release of the hostages, with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, currently in London with Defense Minister Gen Nakatani for bilateral security talks, confirming to the press there and British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon, that Japan would deal with the situation " resolutely," while, and, as advised by Fallon, bracing for future "incidents."

The foreign ministry here also said that Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also offered his support to Japan by telephone to Abe, with Abbott saying in a statement that Australia, "stands with Japan as it faces this horrifying situation." Abbott also called on the captors to release the two men and "all other hostages," adding that Japan and Australia, "will never sacrifice our values and our freedom in the face of terrorism."

Ko Nakata, 54, an expert on Islamic law and former professor at Kyoto's Doshisha University, who in a briefing at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan earlier Thursday, urged IS leaders to extend the deadline, offering himself as a mediator between both sides.

"Seventy-two hours is just too short. Please wait just a bit longer, and do not try to take action immediately. If there is room to talk, I'm ready to go and negotiate," Nakata, a former Islamic specialist at the Japanese Embassy in Saudi Arabia, said at the press club in Tokyo, in both Japanese and Arabic.

He went on to ask the militant group to better explain to Japan its intentions and to allow the Japanese government more time to consider its response and make a counter proposal. Nakata also suggested that Japan could make a 200 million U.S. dollar contribution to humanitarian initiatives in IS controlled areas, through the Red Crescent Society.

Along with Nakata, Kosuke Tsuneoka, a journalist and former hostage in Afghanistan, said he was prepared to go to Syria to negotiate with IS, but the situation is a complex one as the pair have both been questioned by police here for their connections with IS, and on suspicions of trying to help a college student gain passage to Syria to fight with the group.

Nakata said he was in touch with Umar Grabar, a spokesperson for IS, but communication had been hampered by police surveillance.

On Nagata and Tsuneoka's offer to negotiate with IS, Suga in spite of the controversy surrounding the pair, said Japan would, " consider all available options."