Akihiko Saito
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Saito's abduction and subsequent death came as a shock to the Japanese public who were surprised to find out that a former member of the Japanese Self-Defence Force was operating as a private security officer in Iraq.[2]
Early life
Prior to entering the French Foreign Legion, Akihiko served in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) in the 1st Airborne Brigade in 1979[3][4][5] before he left in 1981.[6] Akihiko was subsequently recruited into the ranks of the French Foreign Legion in June 1983,[7] serving for 20 years.[8] When he left the Legion, his rank was Chief Adjutant (French: Adjudant-Chef).[9] Saito was notably deployed with the French Foreign Legion's 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, serving in numerous combat operations in Africa.[7] During his time with the Legion, he was based at Calvi/Corsica.[5]
Abduction
Akihiko Saito had been working for Hart Security Ltd.,[8] a Cyprus-based[10] British firm as a security specialist (under contract to PWC Logistics at the Abu Ghraib Warehouse Distribution Center near Baghdad International Airport) since December 2004 until his abduction by armed Jaish Ansar al-Sunna militants.[11] He was ambushed alongside five other foreign contractors (most of them South African).[12] However those foreign contractors were part of a convoy including twelve additional Iraqi security contractors along with five Iraqi truck drivers they were hired to safeguard; in total 23 people were killed in the ambush that took place in the town of Hit and in which Saito was abducted.[13]
He was eventually killed by Jaish Ansar al-Sunna militants, as shown in a video released on the internet.[14]
Aftermath
Video of a dead body was posted online on May 27, 2005, purportedly by the group, along with Saito's identification papers and passport; his identity in the video was visually confirmed by his brother Hironobu Saito,[15] the Japanese Foreign Ministry,[16] the Japanese National Police Agency and Hart Security.[17]
According to Al Jazeera, his presence in Iraq may have been used to legitimize the deployment of Japanese troops to Iraqi soil.[2] His death was condemned by the Iraqi government.[18] The Japanese government had condemned his death, saying that it will do little to hamper JSDF deployment to Iraq.[19]
He was the sixth Japanese worker in Iraq to be taken hostage; two others had been killed and three released.[15] While about 600 JGSDF personnel were in Iraq at any time,[15] none had been killed when they withdrew in July 2006.[20]
The Tokyo Stock Exchange was not affected by the kidnapping with traders saying that it did little or nothing at all to affect the stock market.[13] His abduction fueled more opposition against the Japanese government's plans to send JSDF forces to Iraqi soil, believing that their presence would make them a terror target.[19]
References
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- ↑ Saito just one of many Japanese in French Foreign Legion: ex-legionnaire. Retrieved on April 25, 2008. Template:Webarchive
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