Kurdish officials deport Japanese journalist over IS links

Tsuneoka has been detained in several countries because of his proximity to Islamic militants. Photos of him posing with fighters and even holding a weapon in front of the black flag often carried by IS and al-Qaida are abundant on social media.

An isis wannabe, but he'd be the first to cry for help if he was wearing an orange jumpsuit

Tsuneoka, a Muslim convert who had been kidnapped in Afghanistan, says he is not a jihadi supporter, although he considers some militant leaders as friends.

Right, this may play to the Japanese audience, but I for one find it hard to believe that any sane person would want to openly call these folks "friends".

Keep this guy out of Japan please, don't want him radicalizing the impressionable youth here!

That's a matter of worry, last time we saw a Hokkaido native who was also a converted muslim allegedly attempted to join IS and finally restrained by the authority.

Tsuneoka, a Muslim convert who had been kidnapped in Afghanistan, says he is not a jihadi supporter, although he considers some militant leaders as friends.

Doesn't play well to the absolutist gallery: deaf to others and thus deaf to peace.

I wonder if Japan will detain him as other countries do when a radicalized national returns home? My wager is he will pop up again in Raqqa or Afghanistan.

My wager is he will pop up again in Raqqa or Afghanistan.

Better there than here, just keep him there and revoke his passport, we don't need these kind of folks in our society.

An isis wannabe, but he'd be the first to cry for help if he was wearing an orange jumpsuit

You sound real tough from your computer chair, but he is the one out there in the war zones. If he wanted to join ISIS, I'm sure he could have. Could it be possible he is just smart enough to do what's necessary to stay alive?

The two earlier Japanese victims of ISIS were a delusional self-styled military consultant and a genuine journalist who bravely tried to help him. Neither of them did any harm to ISIS, and yet look what happened. This guy clearly sounds like an actual ISIS supporter, i.e. sworn enemy of the Kurdish group which detained him, and yet they released him unharmed. Good for them. I hope Tsuneoka notices the difference in behaviour between the two, and ceases his foolish support of ISIS.

As a journalist, if he is reporting useful information for the world to read I would give him the benefit of the doubt. It's not easy to penetrate these radical organisations without considerable risk. He'll need to maintain the so called friendship in order to do so. If not, it's even easier getting him killed with false intel then detaining him.

Why wasn't he arrested and jailed?

Held by Kurdish peshmerga fighters equals arrested and jailed, though perhaps not in a 'jail.' Please send further complaints to the Mosul police force, if one exists.

Hmm how radicalized is this guy? Does Japan have any programs for deradicalization or anything like that? If he is showing open sympathy to ISIS, he could potentially be a threat to society here

Looks like a lot of you are unfamiliar with him also known by his Muslim name Shamil. He was a regular friend of ISIS commander Omar Ghrabah for those of you who forgot 2015 when he was in Syria. How about In September 2014 when Isis invited him to be 'witness and interpreter' at the trial of Yukawa, who was subsequently killed alongside fellow hostage Goto. Remember that? Unfortunately he is coming back to Japan as an ISIS trojan horse. Let's hope that Japan's Naicho 内調 keeps track of this guy and prevents him from causing havoc here by influencing young naive Japanese Muslims who can become radicalized. I also find it hilarious the article is calling him a journalist. Since when do journalists take up arms to fight with ISIS see the below link:

https://d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/1424077/kosuke-tsuneoka-says-he-plans-get-touch-his-old-friends-within-isis-again.jpg?w=634

If he a journalist, not a terriorist, we have a right to hear his stories. Do you really trust everything Fox News or BBC say?

Since when do journalists take up arms to fight with ISIS see the below link:

https://d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/1424077/kosuke-tsuneoka-says-he-plans-get-touch-his-old-friends-within-isis-again.jpg?w=634

'As for those photos with me holding a gun under the Al Qaeda banner, let me assure you that I don't know how to use firearms and that these pictures have no political intent. They are amusing souvenirs, nothing more,' he wrote.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2920636/Japanese-journalist-friend-ISIS-posed-souvenir-photo-gun-terror-group-s-flag-offers-help-save-hostages-facing-execution-Jihadi-John.html

My wager is he will pop up again in Raqqa or Afghanistan. Better there than here, just keep him there and revoke his passport, we don't need these kind of folks in our society.

Papigiulio is right, cancel his passport and don't let him back in, ever. That should be the standard response of all countries.