About 68 percent of respondents to a Kyodo News survey released Saturday approved of how the government handled the hostage crisis involving Japanese civilians in Iraq, and more than 60 percent feel Tokyo was right to not cave in to the kidnappers' demand that Japan withdraw its troops from the country.
The two-day nationwide phone survey, which ended Saturday, was carried out after the safe release Thursday of three Japanese civilians who were held hostage by gunmen for a week in Iraq.
The poll ended before Saturday's safe release of two other Japanese civilians who were taken hostage earlier this week near Baghdad.