Japan PM Says Won't Pull Troops Out of Iraq -Media
Tue Oct 26, 2004 07:12 PM ET


TOKYO (Reuters) - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has said Japan will not pull its troops out of Iraq despite threats by a group led by an al Qaeda ally to behead a Japanese hostage, Japanese media reported on Wednesday.
Kyodo news agency and public broadcaster NHK said Koizumi told the top government spokesman that Japan's Self-Defense Forces will not be withdrawn. The kidnappers has given Japan 48 hours to withdraw its troops from Iraq.

you guys are so ruthless your going to enjoy this unfortunate situation just becuase he is japanese..

anyways, wasn't there a japanese hostage before? what happened then, btw tat hostage is handsome,

Body found in Iraq resembles Japanese hostage
CTV.ca News Staff

A Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman admits that a body found in Iraq resembles that of a Japanese civilian taken hostage by militants, but the government has not yet positively confirmed that.

Hatsuhisa Takashima said the body was being flown to Doha, Qatar, so that experts can determine if the corpse belongs to Shosei Koda, 24. Koda was taken hostage on Tuesday.

His captors have demanded that the Japanese government withdraw their troops from Iraq.

But Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, a close ally of U.S. President George Bush, rejected any possibility of withdrawing his country's 550 troops. The contingent has been conducting humanitarian missions in Iraq.

The body was found by American troops in Tikrit. "We've been told by the U.S. military that several parts of the body, such as the height, weight and part of the head, resemble Koda," Takashima said at a news conference.

An al Qaeda-linked group led by Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said in an Internet video it would behead Koda within 48 hours if Japan rejected its demands.

It wasn't clear when the group's deadline expired, but Japanese officials reportedly believed it to be 2 a.m. Tokyo time on Friday -- or 1 p.m. ET.

Members of Koda's family have begged for the young man's life. They said he had no military ties, no political agenda and wasn't in search of personal gain.

Japan sought help to get Koda out of Iraq from 25 countries, including the United States and Britain.

Since April, militants in Iraq have kidnapped and beheaded dozens of foreigners. It's part of a campaign to drive coalition troops and any foreign workers out of the country.

At least he seemed pretty brave unlike that Korean guy who screamed his head off.

At least he seemed pretty brave unlike that Korean guy who screamed his head off.

Iraq body 'not Japanese hostage'
Saturday, October 30, 2004 Posted: 3:14 AM EDT (0714 GMT)

(CNN) -- A body found in Iraq first thought to be that of 24-year-old Japanese hostage Shosei Koda is now likely to be someone else, according to Japanese officials.

"The medical officers at the (Japanese) embassy in Kuwait examined the body and they concluded that it is not likely that it is the remains of Mr. Koda," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told Japan's Kyodo news service.

"His dental structure is completely different," Hosoda said.

Hosoda said experts also determined that the body was of a man who died some time ago, adding that other features, such as height, did not match Koda's.

The body had been sent to Kuwait on Saturday after being airlifted by the U.S. military for final identification.

It had been found in Balad, north of Baghdad, and was originally believed to be that of Koda, who was taken hostage earlier this week by armed militants who threatened to kill him unless Japan pulled Self-Defense Force troops out of Iraq.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi had rejected any possibility that Tokyo would withdraw its 550-troop contingent from Iraq where they have been conducting humanitarian missions.

An Islamist Web site used by the group led by wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had shown video of Koda shortly after the abduction. Koda was seen kneeling in front of three masked militants dressed in black and calling for help from Koizumi.

At one point, Koda looked down, and one of the militants grabbed him by his hair to force him to look up at the camera.

"We grant the Japanese government 48 hours to withdraw its troops from Iraq or this infidel will be beheaded," one of the militants said.

The group that issued the statement called itself the Qaeda of Jihad, a new name for al-Zarqawi's group following a recent pledge of loyalty to Osama bin Laden. His group had previously been known as Unification and Jihad. The network has carried out numerous abductions and has beheaded many of its captives.

Al-Zarqawi's group issued online warnings in recent months that citizens of Japan and other countries would be at risk if they were to come to Iraq.

Koizumi has been one of the strongest backers of the U.S.-led effort in Iraq, with his country contributing about $500 million in aid to Iraq and also playing host to a donor's conference to try to garner more financial support for reconstruction.

However, that position has put him at odds with much of his country, where a majority of Japanese people polled opposed his decision to send troops to Iraq. Japan's constitution doesn't allow troops to take part in combat, so they have been working in southern Iraq on humanitarian missions.

At least he seemed pretty brave unlike that Korean guy who screamed his head off.

I am a Japanese . 
I know very few Japanese here.
I want to say you all of you on this thred .
I do love you !
We do must understand eachother do open heart discuss for construction
peaceful  asia.
              I do hate animal who has human face.

 
We Japanese never did this kind in WW2 .
Because I realy know what is Japanese and our blood is beautiful too.
You all must study what is " Propaganda "
See general and dont point it only a part.
Dont believe FAKE PHOTO  it can done by  edit.
Do not believe only one side.
I never agree if someone saying b!tch to us.

Help urself to create beautiful asia and world .
and help us.

goodbye japboy 2

I am a Japanese . 
I know very few Japanese here.
I want to say you all of you on this thred .
I do love you !
We do must understand eachother do open heart discuss for construction
peaceful  asia.
              I do hate animal who has human face.

 
We Japanese never did this kind in WW2 .
Because I realy know what is Japanese and our blood is beautiful too.
You all must study what is " Propaganda "
See general and dont point it only a part.
Dont believe FAKE PHOTO  it can done by  edit.
Do not believe only one side.
I never agree if someone saying b!tch to us.

Help urself to create beautiful asia and world .
and help us.

Japanese hostage has been confirmed dead.

It's really sad how stupid one man could be.

Japanese people are embarrassed with the situation.

You should be happy, his death was beneficail to Japanese nation. Koizumi will surely use this as a step towards japanese remilitarization.

I am a Japanese .
I know very few Japanese here.
I want to say you all of you on this thred .
I do love you !
We do must understand eachother do open heart discuss for construction
peaceful asia.
I do hate animal who has human face.


We Japanese never did this kind in WW2 .
Because I realy know what is Japanese and our blood is beautiful too.
You all must study what is " Propaganda "
See general and dont point it only a part.
Dont believe FAKE PHOTO it can done by edit.
Do not believe only one side.
I never agree if someone saying b!tch to us.

Help urself to create beautiful asia and world .
and help us.

I'm borrowing words from a Korean proverb when I say that you're just a wolf in a sheep's mask. Your benign attitude fools no one, stop trying to hide your atrocities.

wow, you have a lot of time on your hands. where do you go? a community college?

wow, you have a lot of time on your hands. where do you go? a community college? 

I reckon you must be no older than 12.

Kang Xi - Well, I must say I'm not surprised by your latest comment. I hope the mods will ban your racist, Chinazi @$$ out of here

I'm borrowing words from a Korean proverb when I say that you're just a wolf in a sheep's mask. Your benign attitude fools no one, stop trying to hide your atrocities.

We Japanese never did this kind in WW2.

Oh, that's very pacifist all right Denying the hideous, inexcusable war crimes that your ancestors committed ever took place. NOBODY in Japan knows about the Rape of Nanjing, the Chinese do have a tendency to blow things out of proportion, but THIS is not one of them. Ever heard of Unit 731? I doubt it, they don't teach you guys any of this stuff in high school. Any evidence we present, and you people simply wave it off as American or Chinese fabrication. Your whole country is in denial, your people are living in a dream world of lies and deception and it scares me.

Where did you get the idea that I was racist?! He is a Japanese, we cannot co-exist forever, for as long as they live...the 30 million chinese people that died in WW2 will never rest in peace.

Save it. I don't need to read your excuses. Remember, you're a Chinazi. Your words will never have any value. You people can only sprout out racist bull$hit. Any attempts to carry out a reasonable and civilised conversation will be thrown out the window with "China is master race and everyone else must die" and "Japanese race must be wiped out by slow and painful death".

I mean, if you're really that delusional (not thinking you're a racist), then I might add in "stupidity" to the already long list of adjectives associated with Chinazis