Videos released of Japanese, Italian captives in Syria

Why were you in Syria man? What did you expect? No "journalism" is worth getting your head cut off.

Here we go again. Black clad muslims with their hateful agenda.

Why would anyone visit a war zone, I'm afraid these people really should have traded their cameras for a gun. Orange jump suits and a soon released video I don't want to watch. Yes God is great if your a mentally disturbed person.

What message are they even trying to send? Last I checked, Japan and Italy aren't even involved in Syria.

Dango bong - Why were you in Syria man?

Yep! If you jump into a fire you are bound to get burned.

Allahu Akbar, silly rhetoric, delusions of grandeur etc.

The usual filth.

Who armed these anti-Assad rebels?

america,uk,france,saudis and the sad irony,japan

Who armed these anti-Assad rebels?

The guy on the right is holding an Ak47 or more likely a modern variant, and his comrade seems to have a PKM. Both weapons are Russian.

Judging from previous cases.. These guys are as good as dead now..

No story is worth traveling to a country torn by Islamic extremism. What do they expect? A walk in the park?

The guy on the right is holding an Ak47 or more likely a modern variant, and his comrade seems to have a PKM. Both weapons are Russian.

You might as well talk about how gunpowder is Chinese going by this logic. AKs are mass produced by plenty of countries, not to mention the massive amounts of them floating around on black markets. The US has most definitely armed groups with them before too, since they can easily arrange transfers via third parties which is a lot easier politically. What, do you expect the US to be arming jihadist groups with M16s?

@Illyas, I completely agree.

how pointless given that these "Anti Assad" groups are all but finished now.

They made a stupid move going there, that's for sure! But I still feel sorry for them! To think that all this time (years!) while we've been living our lives they've been stuck there, prisoners of that horrible group. It must be hell on earth! Wouldn't wish that on anyone!

They can not show their face because they are ashamed, their God knows who they are and will punish them. God is great, these people are not and if there is an after life they will suffer eternity. If not guess they are OK.

@Illyas

"What, do you expect the US to be arming jihadist groups with M16s?"

Anti-communist groups in South America and SE Asia have used M16s and other US and western hardware. The Afghans fighting the Soviets in the 70s had mostly British knock-offs made in Pakistan.

So yeah, it is a stretch that Islamists in Syria using Eastern Bloc weapons are in cahoots with Washington. Nice conspiracy theory, tho.

In the middle east, the Russians have been giving away vast amounts of Ak-47s, RPGs and other weapons to insurgent groups for free, like it was candy, since the 1960s. So in answer to the original query: the arms used by the rebels originated from the Russians, possibly others in the Eastern Bloc, but most likely by far the Russians.

This crap again. Hmm, looks like Russia didn't "do the job". Jihadists are still there...

Al-Nusra Front, a former al-Qaida affiliat+IS + rebels who USA and western countries supported are all same? The Japanese freelance journalist Jumpei Yasuda have been abducted in 2015 in in northern Syria? When is this videos that were released by the SITE group, which tracks white supremacist and jihadist organizations. And SITE did not say which group was responsible for the videos? What a confusion this news article, I don't know what to comment if i don't know those guys are alive or not, video of year 2015, 3 years ago? Why now?

So yeah, it is a stretch that Islamists in Syria using Eastern Bloc weapons are in cahoots with Washington. Nice conspiracy theory, tho.

Not a theory, but pretty well established fact supported by many witnesses and a few politicians who bother to care. Not even hard to believe as DC has made it's desire to overthrow Assad plain. The Russians are fighting to keep Assad in power, so it would make zero sense to arm the rebels they are fighting.

Again, all common knowledge. Not hard to learn about if one bothers to read past the headlines.

@commanteer exactly.. but those people are too brainwashed... its the kind that still believes that US brings "democracy" everywhere

Serrano is correct. This is the future of western europe.

@ Serrano

Many countries in Europe are in danger of becoming countries that will be torn by Islamic extremism. Italy has recently taken steps to prevent that. The U.K. had better step up their efforts.

Your agenda is no less hate filled than theirs. You would have the countries of the West open internment camps and make enemies of peace loving Muslims. Understand that Islam isn't our enemy, extremism is. There are plenty of Christian extremists in the world and I am afraid you are just showing your ignorance of the facts here. But the, facts are inconvenient, aren't they? They just get in the way of quick fixes, don't they...?

While I don't believe all Muslims are evil as many others do, comparing numbers of Muslim extremists to Christian extremists is a bit disingenuous. Chirstian extremists are a fringe, Muslim extremists have armies.

I know; I'll go to a WAR ZONE, where THOUSANDS of people have been KILLED

and NOTHING will happen to ME...oh, and if something DOES...I'll be on International TV.

What a GREAT idea...won't that be COOL ?

So this Jihadist group probably wants all foreign forces out of Syria.... so they can set up their own oppressive government. What makes them any different from the current government.

I know; I'll go to a WAR ZONE, where THOUSANDS of people have been KILLED

and NOTHING will happen to ME...oh, and if something DOES...I'll be on International TV.

What a GREAT idea...won't that be COOL ?

This isn't like the case of that airsofter who wanted to be a military contractor. Yasuda is an experienced journalist who has also reported from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Of course it's dangerous, but would you rather have the government be in charge of reporting what's going on in war zones?

Corrected by ExTanker. Yeah, that's what I thought this guy was, another Wanta'be. (or; in this case, Wantan'abe).

Dango bongAug. 1 04:42 pm JST

Why were you in Syria man? What did you expect? No "journalism" is worth getting your head cut off.

Since when did kidnapping journalists or other non-combatants become an OK thing to do where blame should be placed on the abductee?

@WA4TKG

I had to look him up to be sure too, but he does seem to be the real deal.

For the denialists on here, how is it that the 'rebels' capitulated faster than you can say alkaeda once the west and it's lackeys stopped support? I'll wait

@jefflee

So yeah, it is a stretch that Islamists in Syria using Eastern Bloc weapons are in cahoots with Washington. Nice conspiracy theory, tho.

Well, I guess you're just not aware of the history. For example, during the Russian occupation of Afghanistan in the 80's, the US had Egypt manufacture AK's for the Jihadists they were supplying. Double whammy there eh? The US making AK's AND supplying Jihadists. You say it's a conspiracy when it's obviously been done before.

Christian extremists? Dont make me laugh. Extanker nailed it.

Chriatian extremists? Dont make me laugh

Why? Christian extremists cannot be compared to the jihadis who are in a league of their own, but I don’t see killing people at family planning centres or railing against people whose lifestyles they don’t agree with is a laughing matter.

Serrano is correct. This is the future of western europe.

Only if one subscribes to conspiracy theories, far right websites and one's agenda is to demonise Muslim people at every given chance.

Threads like these rapidly become a platform for those with Islamaphobic sentiments. I wonder where that hatred comes from?

The people behind this are filthof course but don't represent the majority of ordinary decent Muslims. In much the same way the IRA and dissident Republican groups who maimed, murdered and blew up people don't represent all Irish people.

And nor do the Orange Volunteers, Pat Jasan, anti-balaka, the MNCA or any Christian terrorist group represent all Christians.

Nor do American terrorists represent all Americans

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/domestic-terrorism-white-supremacists-islamist-extremists_us_594c46e4e4b0da2c731a84df

This needs to be said, especially in times like these where the alt-right feeds off fear and ignorance about Muslims.

Shouldn't we question all the things the media company dictates to us?

How do we know it's not filmed on some set? Final cut pro and photoshop does wonders.. Like the movie 'Wag the dog' Why do all these people have the latest Toyota Landruisers when they have sanctions?

Question everything, or just be controlled with imagery..

Everything is questionable.. The ones in power are at play to the masses, fear is a form of control..

Islamaphobic sentiments

I think the silly word ‘Islamophobic’ needs to be retired. Some progressive Muslims dislike that word as it is used to attempt to shut down debates and fair criticisms, and it often used by people who have repulsive ideas they don’t want to be confronted on. A very nasty get out of jail free card. Criticism of a religion is not bigotry.

Anti-Muslim bigotry exists and needs to be called out. The expression ‘anti-Muslim bigotry’ isn’t as easy on the ear but seems to be better and more honest than ‘Islamophobia’.

Criticism of a religion is not bigotry

Of course! Couldn't agree more but the type of narrative that sneers over Muslims in Europe, celebrates attacks in the UK, promotes falsehoods on the history of Islam/Mohammed, cheers on the slaughter of Palestinians, or decries anything remotely related to Muslims needs to be called out.

It's always the same voices. Some of them being remarkably familiar in tone and delivery.

I have zero problems with people dissing terrorists. I hope by some miracle the hostages are released, unharmed.

@Toasted Heretic

Fair points. It’s also important to be honest about the problems in the Muslim community, the problems in the texts themselves and actual doings and sayings of the founder of this religion. Glossing over them with words like ‘Islamophobia’ whenever someone points them out is very unhelpful.

Of course accuracy is important but you’ll often find the word Islamophobic thrown at people quoting exactly what the text says, citing the findings of reputable polls and quoting what Muslims themselves say.

Honesty goes both ways.

Christian extremists do have armies in America. They are called 'militias' and they mostly exist in rural areas and they hold their rallies there. They have standoffs and they steal, murder and rape. Most of them are hate groups and are anti-government. There's the Westboro Baptist Church which disrupts military funerals, is anti-military and homophobic and inbred. The Branch Davidians were a Christian extremist cult. There are megachurch preachers who swindle and pry into politics. The KKK pretends to have 'Christian' principals

Too much CNN?

@Jimizo, I certainly agree with you on that one. There really does need to be debate on the issue but at every turn its stifled by vested interests (muslims themselves) or champagne socialists and virtue signallers with their knee-jerk cries of 'Islamophobia!'

In the middle east, the Russians have been giving away vast amounts of Ak-47s, RPGs and other weapons to insurgent groups for free, like it was candy, since the 1960s. So in answer to the original query: the arms used by the rebels originated from the Russians, possibly others in the Eastern Bloc, but most likely by far the Russians.

The rifle on the right is an AK-74 which uses the same caliber as the AR-15.

Islamic State wouldn't have existed without the stupidities of the Americans after they defeated Saddam Hussein.

@netgrump

The rifle on the right is an AK-74 which uses the same caliber as the AR-15.

Have to correct you here. The AK-74 uses 5.45x39, not the same as the NATO 5.56. You may be thinking of the AK-101 and -102, which were designed for the international market.

Have to correct you here. The AK-74 uses 5.45x39, not the same as the NATO 5.56. You may be thinking of the AK-101 and -102, which were designed for the international market.

Copy that :)