Policemen stand guard as protesters stage an anti-war rally in front of the PM's official residence in Tokyo. Three Japanese civilians kidnapped in Iraq are still being held hostage and the government has no information on their release. Photo by AFP
Japan grappled with conflicting information on Tuesday on the fate of three Japanese civilians taken hostage in Iraq. Japan, sharply divided over Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's dispatch of troops to help rebuild Iraq, has been on tenterhooks since kidnappers released a video last Thursday showing the three blindfolded and with guns to their heads. Asked by reporters about the situation, Koizumi said: "The outlook is still unclear".