Friday, April 16, 2004 at 12:00 JST WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell welcomed the release of three Japanese civilians kidnapped by militants in Iraq, saying they should be commended for putting themselves at risk for the "greater good," while he praised Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for not bowing to terror.
"I am very pleased," Powell said in an interview with Tokyo Broadcasting System. He said the three should be commended for their activities in Iraq, "If nobody was willing to take a risk, then we would never more forward, we would never move our world forward." (Kyodo News)