Word of advice

[play_boy_2000]

If your going to be held hostage in Iraq, make sure that your not japanese.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=535&ncid=535&e=6&u=/ap/20040423/ap_on_re_as/japan_hostages_freed_1

I'm betting that this is a reverse phsycology thing, so no more japs will be held hostage becuase the iraqi's will think that their government won't care.

[mrplow]

They've got a point... hostages are leverage against the army that they really don't need, same goes for any nationality. If you travel to such a godforsaken place without a semi-automatic rifle and 10,000 friends also with semi-automatic rifles, you're gonna have a bad time.

Also your "reverse psychology" thing almost works. The Iraqi's clearly see that the Japanese government isn't gonna go to huge lengths to rescue people!

"We have one of your citizens"
"Oh my gosh, please let us talk to them... hello?"
"I have been captured, government-san"
"YOU DISGRACE US! HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME!! Put me back on with the Iraqis... hello? Arigato Iraqi-san, goodbye!"



"Even though their intentions were good, they should reflect on why they ignored the government's warnings against going to a place as dangerous as Iraq," the conservative Nihon Keizai, Japan's leading financial newspaper, said in an editorial. "They could have compromised Japan's humanitarian mission in Iraq, and this country's foreign policy in general."

The families of the hostages said they received critical phone calls and e-mails, some slamming them for urging the government to bow to the gunmen's demand. The families eased off the pressure and later apologized to the public.

You can't deny it, tha Japanese are a whole different kinda people. I like them, makes me feel really poncy and lame as an Englishman.