Japan has also become a direct target for ISIS, since the visit of the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe to Jordan where he made a $200m donation to the anti-terror campaign. This was quickly followed by two Japanese hostages being taken by ISIS and a call for a $200m ransom to set them free. ISIS has tried to stir confusion in Jordan by linking the release of the Japanese hostages with the release of Sajida Al-Rishawi, a terrorist who was arrested in Jordan in 2005, rather than to the release of the Jordanian pilot. This places direct pressure on the alliance between Japan and Jordan. It is clear that ISIS understands the important role Jordan plays in the region and the opportunity it has to use the capture of a Jordanian pilot in untraditional ways. They understand this situation can be used very pragmatically as leverage and pressure in the fight against the coalition. From the beginning, as expected, they used media, videos, interviews, leaks and rumor to create chaos in Jordan. More broadly, the risks to Jordan are increasing, but there is a distinct failure to communicate and demonstrate to the population, the extent of these risks and dangers facing the country. From the point at which Iraq first fell and the common border became a channel to export terrorism to Jordan, there has been a continued and growing risk. The greatest risk today is the apathy and the failure to understand the risk and the need to band together and make the sacrifices that are necessary to win wars. 

Jordan does not have the time to address the fragmentation that is appearing or the sense of alienation that some are trying to reinforce. Without creating a sense of national identity and pride for Jordanians to identify with and bond together, there is a real danger in entering a long-term conflict with terrorism. Meanwhile, this kind of confrontation also needs targeted strategies, tactics, people and mentalities in order to meet the challenges and ensure success. As such, in order to face the coming challenges, there may be a need to review and refresh tactics, strategies and even personnel who may otherwise seem to be indispensable.

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