Uncertainty on ISIS-Jordan Prisoner Swap as Another Deadline Passes

Jordan Continues to Demand Proof Pilot Is Alive

There proposed exchange of a Jordanian female prisoner for two ISIS-held hostages, a Jordanian pilot and a Japanese journalist, remains up in the air tonight as yet another ISIS deadline passes.

Jordan had expressed support for the exchange, and at points on Wednesday there were even reports that their prisoner had been freed, though they later denied this was the case.

Since then, Jordan has started demanding “proof” that their pilot is still alive before agreeing to any trade. ISIS initially set a Wednesday deadline, which they extended to sunset Thursday. That too has passed, and there is no apparent exchange.

ISIS initially had two Japanese hostages, but killed one of them. They had demanded Japan give them $200 million, the amount they contributed to the anti-ISIS war, but later changed it to just wanting the Jordanian woman released.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.