ISIS executes Japanese reporter Kenji Goto.

A screencap from the video released by ISIS showing Kenji Goto. Yahoo/AP.

ISIS has released a video showing the execution of Japanese reporter Kenji Goto. Yahoo/AP. The video came after days of negotiation to release Goto, and a Jordanian pilot captured by ISIS, in exchange for a terrorist held by Jordan. The Prime Minster of Japan, Shinzo Abe, condemned the murder calling it a "heinous act of terrorism". Goto has been praised as a kind and compassionate man who was in Syria to cover the war and help rescue another Japanese prisoner, Haruna Yukawa. Yukawa was executed by ISIS a while ago. The fate of the Jordanian pilot held by ISIS, Lt. Mutah al-Kaseasbah has not been revealed though ISIS claimed that his fate would be the same as Goto. Negotiations to release Goto and Kaseasbah went nowhere. 

My Comment:

I can't say that I am shocked at this point. I knew that Goto was essentially doomed the second I found out he was being held by ISIS. Though I held out hope that negotiations with ISIS could end in Kenji Goto's release I never thought it was a serious attempt by ISIS. Their first demand for $200 million was so huge it was essentially saying that there was no chance of a deal happening. They never wanted Goto to be released. They just wanted to kill him as a political statement. 

Kenji Goto was by all accounts a good person. He went to Syria to try and rescue Haruna Yukawa because he felt that he was responsible for him being captured by ISIS. Going to the heart of ISIS to try and rescue a friend who made some very bad choices may not have been a wise decision, but it was a brave one. Ultimately, the two friends would share the same tragic fate. Kenji Goto died because he felt that he couldn't abandon a friend. Whatever his flaws, that makes Goto a good person in my book. 

The article doesn't know what happened to the Jordanian pilot but I am assuming that his fate will match Goto's. Jordan is active in the fight against ISIS in Iraq and aren't likely to give up the fight. ISIS has demanded the release of a terrorist, but her release isn't nearly as valuable as an execution would be. ISIS has, so far, been unable to punish Jordan and this would be a good way to do so. ISIS doesn't seem to have the capability to attack Jordan, so this is probably the only way they can hurt Jordan. 

As for Japan's reaction to this, I am not sure. I don't see them changing their foreign policy all that much. If anything does change it will be to push Japan away from pacifism, but that would only be adding to a trend that already exists. The people of Japan are shocked and disgusted by this and might be for the first time considering how big the threat of radical Islam is.