RANSOM – AT 8:21 A.M. ET:  An incredible hostage drama is unfolding in the Mideast.  The potential victims are two Japanese hostages of ISIS.  The action is occurring as the prime minister of Japan is visiting the region.  From CNN:

(CNN) The militant group ISIS has threatened to kill two Japanese hostages unless Tokyo hands over $200 million within 72 hours.

In a video posted online Tuesday, a masked man clad in black and holding a knife stands over two kneeling men in orange jumpsuits against the backdrop of a barren landscape.

The masked man links the threat against the two men's lives to Japan's support for the U.S.-led coalition that's fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

"Although you are more than 8,500 kilometers away from the Islamic State, you willingly volunteered to take part in this crusade," the man says, addressing his comments to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is currently visiting the Middle East.

The international community needs to "deal with terrorists without giving into them," Abe said at a news conference in Jerusalem after the release of the video. But he stopped short of explicitly ruling out the payment of a ransom or negotiations with the hostages' captors.

Abe, who is reorganizing his trip to deal with the hostage crisis, said he had ordered Japanese officials to do the utmost to try to save the two men. The Japanese Foreign Ministry in Tokyo said it was working to confirm the authenticity of the video.

COMMENT:  It should be noted that Japan has pledged $200-million to the crusade against ISIS.  However, that money is earmarked for humanitarian aid to refugees displaced by ISIS, not for military assistance.  It doesn't matter to ISIS.

We hope Japan stands firm.  We'll have to see how much domestic pressure is put on Abe to do business with the murderers.

January 20,  2015