The Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, has said his country has no plans to withdraw its troops from Iraq, despite the kidnapping of three Japanese civilians and a threat to kill them.
A previously unknown Iraqi group released a video of the two men and one woman yesterday and vowed to burn them alive if Japanese troops did not leave Iraq within three days.
Mr Koizumi said the most important thing was to ensure the safety of the victims and for them to be rescued.
Japan sent about 550 ground troops to Samawa in southern Iraq on a non-combat mission to help rebuild the country.
A spokesman for the country's Foreign Ministry said the kidnapping tactics would not lead to a change of policy.
