The noble mujahideen in Iraq (the people the far left calls the “Iraqi resistance”) have kidnapped three Japanese citizens and are threatening to burn them alive. And eat them.

Al Jazeera has been showing their sickening videotape—savages capering around and holding knives to the hostages’ throats—on a continuous loop for the Arab masses. The air of celebration is palpable.

Al Jazeera television aired a video tape showing the three Japanese, including a woman, who are being held by a group calling itself the Saraya al-Mujahideen (Mujahideen Brigades). They were in civilian clothes.

“We tell you that three of your children have fallen prisoner in our hands and we give you two options — withdraw your forces from our country and go home or we will burn them alive and feed them to the fighters,” the group said.

But the Japanese are standing strong (so far): Japan insists violence, kidnappings will not force withdrawal. (Hat tip: Kragar, who makes this important point: “The other day, someone was trying to argue NOT to rebuild Iraq. If we had felt that way after WWII, then Japan wouldn’t be there for us today.”)

TOKYO (AP) The Japanese military encouraged by its American ally to send a non-combat force to Iraq in Tokyo’s largest mission abroad since the end of World War II said Thursday the kidnappings of its citizens and what it termed terrorist attacks on its troops would not prompt a withdrawal.

Three Japanese two aid workers and a journalist were taken captive by insurgents even as the Japanese military force in Samawah, in southern Iraq, investigated a series of mortar or rocket attacks on its base overnight.

”Terrorists just want to create confusion. They are trying to make the Self-Defense Forces withdraw,” Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters. ”I think this was part of such scare tactics.”