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Iraq body does not resemble Japanese hostage: hospital
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-10-29 20:35 The
body of an Asian man found in Iraq does not
resemble a Japanese hostage and was shot dead two days ago, well before a
deadline to execute the young traveller expired, forensic experts said.
"The body is for someone with a large build, dark
skin and a black moustache. He was wearing a white shirt and pants and he is
between the age of 35 and 40," said Duraid al-Tikriti at Tikrit general
hospital.
He added that the man had gunshot wounds in the head and body.
Doctor Saad al-Janabi, who also examined the corpse, said the man had been
killed two days ago and, according to papers found on him, had been a lorry
driver.
Shosei Koda, a 24-year-old backpacker from Japan, was shown on a video
Tuesday by Islamic militants after being kidnapped while wandering around
Baghdad.
The Al-Qaeda-linked group threatened to behead the slim-built young man
unless Tokyo pulled its 600 troops out of Iraq by a Thursday-evening deadline --
a demand Japan flatly rejected.
Police Lieutenent Mohammed Ussama said the body of the Asian man was
discovered in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein 's hometown north of Baghdad, on Thursday
morning, several hours before Koda's execution deadline ran out.
Japan, meanwhile, was holding out hope that the Japanese tourist was still
alive, as the hostage's family pleaded to Islamic militants to spare him.
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