Vice President Dick Cheney conferred Monday with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in a session overshadowed by new violence and the holding of foreign hostages in Iraq, including three Japanese civilians. Cheney was expected to urge Koizumi to stand firm in pressing ahead with plans to double Japan's noncombat forces despite the furor over the abductions. The captors had threatened to kill the Japanese hostages by Sunday if Japan did not pull its forces out by Sunday. The deadline came and went. The kidnappers had indicated they had decided to release their captives, but early Monday in Tokyo Japanese officials said there was still no word on them. Japan has refused to pull out its troops, but the nation is deeply divided on their presence in Iraq. Cheney was "keeping in close touch with the White House and Bush administration officials, monitoring the developments in Iraq and elsewhere," spokesman Kevin Kellems said. The vice president is asking Japan and South Korea, which both have troops in Iraq, to stay the course.
Meanwhile, a report by the Arab TV station Al-Arabiya that insurgents kidnapped seven Chinese north of Fallujah on Sunday evening, citing Chinese diplomatic sources, could further complicate Cheney's trip. Cheney was to be in Beijing on Tuesday. U.S. officials said they had no information on the report, and that Iraq already was expected to be high on Cheney's agenda in China. |