Muhammad Hamed/Reuters
Amid rumors of secret talks in Amman, Jordan has agreed in principle to the so-called Islamic State’s terms to release Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi woman who was sentenced to death in Jordan for her connection to a 2005 terrorist attack on a hotel that left 60 dead. The release of al-Rishawi would, according to the terms, allow the two ISIS hostages—a Jordanian pilot and Japanese freelance journalist—to walk free. “Jordan is ready to release prisoner Sajida al-Rishawi if the Jordan pilot Lieutenant Muath al-Kasaesbeh was released and his life spared,” said Mohammad al-Momani, a government spokesperson. There was no mention of the Japanese hostage. The terrorist group had previously demanded $200 million from the Japanese government and executed one of the two Japanese hostages when the ransom wasn’t paid.