Japanese families beg for pull-out of troops to save kidnapped trio

THE families of three Japanese nationals kidnapped in Iraq and threatened with execution, tearfully begged the government to pull its troops out of the country as Tokyo reiterated there would be no withdrawal.

Television networks repeatedly aired dramatic video of militants holding aid workers Noriaki Imai, 18, and Nahoko Takato, 34, and photojournalist Soichiro Koriyama, 32.

"We want to do everything we can to see that he comes home," said Naoko Imai, whose son, Noriaki, was among the captives. "I want the government to pull the troops out."

"Please bring back the three unharmed. If circumstances allow, I ask (the government) to withdraw the Self-Defence Forces (military)," one family member was quoted by Jiji Press as telling Kawaguchi.

Another family member asked in desperation: "I want you to solve this now. Why can't the Self-Defence Forces withdraw."

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside Koizumi's office. But as the drama unfolded and tested Japan's commitment to the US-led coalition along with potentially threatening Koizumi's political future there was little he could do except remain defiant.

Koizumi called an emergency meeting of his cabinet and created a task force to co-ordinate a response as the drama unfolded and tested Japan's commitment to the US-led coalition.

"We cannot give in to the cowardly threats of terrorists," he said. But he added: "We don't know who this group is. Right now what we need to do is gather accurate information and bring them (the hostages) home safely."

Yasuo Fukuda, the cabinet's chief spokesman and head of the emergency task force, confirmed the government had "absolutely no contact" with the captors, a previously unknown group calling itself the "Mujahedeen Squadrons". He stressed the withdrawal demand was not under consideration.

"That would be doing just what the terrorists want," he said. "We can't be beaten by them."

Amer al-Husseini, a senior aide to radical Shi'ite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, denied yesterday that his militia was involved, saying "we condemn such acts and we pray for their release." The three were seized in southern Iraq, where al-Sadr's militia, the al-Mahdi Army, has been fighting coalition forces.

In a video obtained by Associated Press Television News, four masked men threaten the blindfolded captives with guns and knives as they lay on the floor of a room with concrete walls. Al-Jazeera also received a copy of the video and said on Thursday it came with a statement saying the three would be burned alive if Japan's troops were not removed.