Japanese troops react to hostage
(10 May 2005)
1. Japanese troops and vehicles
2. Various of the soldiers in front of reconstruction project
3. Men putting up a sign which reads (Arabic) "For the future of Iraq"
4. Soldiers with children
5. Japanese soldier with vehicle
6. Various of the soldiers
7. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Deputy Commander Fukumasu, deputy commander of the Japanese troops in Samawah:
"As far as we are concerned, our operation is not particularly affected by this incident (the alleged kidnapping of Japanese national Akihiko Saito)."
8. Translator translating what Fukumasu has said
9. Various of soldiers and locals in front of reconstruction project
STORYLINE:
Japanese troops in the southern Iraqi city of Samawah said on Tuesday the recent alleged kidnap of Japanese national Akihiko Saito would not affect the work they were doing there.
Japanese troops were carrying on as usual with their reconstruction activities in the area.
An Islamic militant group said it was holding a badly wounded Japanese man after an ambush near a US base in Iraq.
The group, called Army of Ansar al-Sunna, posted a picture on its Web site of a Japanese passport bearing the name Akihiko Saito and an identification card saying he was a security manager.
Japan's Foreign Ministry said a British security company that employs Saito as a consultant had reported him missing after a convoy of vehicles was ambushed in western Iraq.
Several people appeared to have been killed in the attack, the ministry said.
Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said no demands had been received from kidnappers, while Defence Minister Yoshinori Ohno said the incident would not affect the work of Japan's 550 non-combat troops in southern Iraq.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, a staunch ally of U.S. President George W. Bush, has previously resisted demands by militants that Tokyo withdraw its troops from Iraq.
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