Japan Won't Pull Troops Over Kidnapping

[Barrett808]

The apparent kidnapping of a Japanese man by a militant group in Iraq won't affect Tokyo's troop deployment there, Japan's defense chief said Tuesday, and the captive's family urged the government to stay the course.

The Ansar al-Sunnah Army claimed on its Web site that it had kidnapped Akihiko Saito, 44, after ambushing a group of five foreign contractors. It said Saito was "seriously injured" in the fighting and that the others had died.

The incident won't affect Japan's deployment of 550 troops on a humanitarian mission in southern Iraq, defense chief Yoshinori Ono said.

"We are hurrying to confirm Mr. Saito's whereabouts, and if his reported seizure or serious injury turns out to be true, we must move urgently," Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said. "For now, our top priority is to gather accurate information."

(more)

http://www.xposed.com/headline_news/49_ds_2011398.aspx

[rumpel]

1. The last time it was an independent man, who was shamed upon

return, because he had caused trouble to the government and society by going there in the first place on his own. This is called "meiwaku", troubling someone, being a burden to or even nuisance to others.
This time, as it appears if he is working for some corporation, I hope there will be public outcry.

[Kagemusha]

2. Well that other guy said he wanted to go back.

While the troops were still deployed. While insurgents knew who he was. I'd have bonked him on the head myself.