At least 10 civilian hostages are also being held by various groups within the Iraqi resistance. The hostages include three Japanese civilians who have been held since Wednesday, seven Chinese civilians who were taken Sunday and an American working for the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown and Root. He was abducted on a road after the truck he was driving was attacked by insurgents. An Australian camera crew filmed him being taken away by armed men wearing traditional Iraqi headdress.

In Japan, the news of the hostages has been the country’s top story for much of the past week. Being held are an 18-year-old who had traveled to Iraq to study the effects of depleted uranium, a 32-year-old freelance journalist and a 34-year-old aid worker. On Saturday Al Jazeera recevied a faxed statement that said the three hostages would be released within 24 hours but they are still being held leading to increased calls for the Japanese to pull its troops from Iraq.

Vice President Dick Cheney is traveling to Japan and South Korea on a previously scheduled trip in part to urge the countries to remain in the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. Cheney will also be visiting China.