Akihiko Saito
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Akihiko Saito
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Akihiko Saito (Japanese: 斎藤昭彦, Saitō Akihiko; born January 5, 1961 in Tōkyō, Japan – captured May 8, 2005, died May 11, 2005 in Iraq) was a Japanese security guard, who was taken hostage by the Jaish Ansar al-Sunna in Iraq in 2005, and later died in captivity of wounds he had received in the earlier gunbattle in which he was captured. Video of a dead body was posted online May 27, purportedly by the group, along with his identification papers and passport; his identity in the video was visually confirmed by his brother Hironobu Saito[1] and later by the Japanese Foreign Ministry. He was 44 years old; he was survived by his father and two brothers.[1]
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JGSDF career
Prior to entering the French Foreign Legion, he served in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) in the 1st Airborne Brigade in 1979[2] before he left in 1981.[3]
French Foreign Legion career
He was a 20-year veteran of the French Foreign Legion[4] who had the rank of Sergent-Chef (Staff Sergeant) before his departure.[3]
Post Legion career
Akihiko Saito had been working for Hart Security Ltd.,[4] a Cyprus-based[5] British firm as a security specialist since December 2004 until his abduction by armed Jaish Ansar al-Sunna militants.[6] The other four foreign and twelve Iraqi convoy personnel were killed during the ambush.
He was the sixth Japanese worker in Iraq to be taken hostage; two others had been killed and three released unharmed.[1] While about 600 JGSDF personnel were in Iraq at any time, none had been killed when they withdrew in July 2006; all other Japanese workers in official Coalition support roles left by December 2008.
References
- ^ a b c "Insurgents kill Japanese hostage, but unintentionally". www.earthtimes.org: EarthTimes. May 29, 2005. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/2997.html. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
- ^ Kidnapping reveals a Japanese warrior. Retrieved on April 25, 2008.
- ^ a b Saito just one of many Japanese in French Foreign Legion: ex-legionnaire. Retrieved on April 25, 2008.
- ^ a b Burns, John F. (May 11, 2005). "Iraq Legislators Set Up Panel to Draft a Constitution". www.nytimes.com: The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/11/international/11iraq.html. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
- ^ Roberts, Joel (May 10, 2005). "Iraq Militants Strike Back". www.cbsnews.com: CBSNEWS WORLD. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/11/iraq/main694382.shtml. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
- ^ Security specialist kidnapped in Iraq. Retrieved on April 25, 2008.
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