Hostage families in limbo with no word from Islamic State

Whatever the outcome, ISIS face PR damage on the Arab street from this whole episode, with a prisoner swap the 'less worse' option.

I wonder if Islamic State is just dragging this out to inflict mental torture on everyone, especially Goto's mother, before killing him.

"Jordan’s participation in the U.S.-led airstrikes is unpopular in the kingdom"

Jordanians need to get with the program.

To Kenji, al-Kassasbeh, and all of the hostages, I can only imagine the horrors from their points of view. They probably don't see their loved ones pleading for them on TV or online or their governments searching for answers and never know when they wake up if today is the day they die.

Those who became hostages may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time or maybe they made wrong decisions to get them where they are, but whether Kenji lives or dies, I hope people remember there are others like him still being held and that won't change until we beat IS.

Defeating IS should be the goal, not just freeing one man but preventing others from living in the hell hostages have to from ever happening again.

Pure bribery and corruption...

Serrano: "Jordanians need to get with the program."

Tell that to the brother and family of the pilot waiting for word and likely in agony. Tell that to Goto's wife and two daughters. Better yet get out from behind the computer and go over there and fight if you believe that's what needs to be done to 'be with the program'.

And the agony goes on and on with each JAPANTODAY mail. As a parent, I feel for the families involved as well as for the hostages. I hope I have a happy ending comment tomorrow!

I am so shook up by these events, Sitting here feeling tear freely forming. Just imagining the desperate pleas and position these families have been forced into. I pray for the families.

this has gone on too long , this is mental terrorism, these isis goons and the goverments are one of the same, come home goto san screw the pilot he was a coward just flying around killing people, goto wasnt , if he dies ,expect all hell to break lose

this has gone on too long , this is mental terrorism, these isis goons and the goverments are one of the same, come home goto san screw the pilot he was a coward just flying around killing people, goto wasnt , if he dies ,expect all hell to break lose

And just where is "all hell " going to break loose? You have to be living in a dream world if you think Japan is going to do anything, and the EU, US, and all the other countries aligned against the IS are going to keep on doing what they are, up to this point.

It's rather ignorant to think that this situation is going to change ANYTHING in the long run.

Like it or not, one or the other, the pilot or Goto are probably already dead, and IS is just playing this out for all it's worth. IS wants to be treated as a nation/state, but because they can not keep up with their promises they are continually beeing seen as asshats plain and simple.

The IS either seem to have inner discrepancies or are very undetermined about what they actually want. Or - worse case - the pilot is already dead. I don't think Goto is dead as the captors still can use him. In any case, from any angle, this is a very tricky situation for Jordan. I hope IS keeps to their words and they better do if they don't want to lose even more face.

Never negotiate with terrorists, exterminate them. They don't play by rules and neither do cockroaches. Time to get out the can of RAID.

Farmboy: "Jordan is now threatening to fast track ALL IS executions if their pilot is harmed."

Sadly, the pilot is probably already did if IS seriously wants this woman released but refuse to give proof of life. Even more unfortunate is that, while I doubt very much Jordan is bluffing with the threat you post, that's the only leverage they have, and once IS says, as they likely will, that the prisoners will be with Allah and martyred or some such garbage Jordan will never again be in any position to negotiate with these terrorists. Not that there's really any negotiating with them or anything. Also, if the pilot has not already been harmed and yet Goto is somehow still alive, this kind of threat seals his fate as well.

SenseNotsoCommon:

" Whatever the outcome, ISIS face PR damage on the Arab street from this whole episode, with a prisoner swap the 'less worse' option. "

No, they don´t. Yes, the tribe that the pilot comes from is powerful and upset, but they don´t represent the "Arab street". ISIS style Wahabis, has a huge following in the area.