Hostage Saito Maybe Fatally Injured

[Mulboyne]

Kyodo via Japan Today: Saito may have suffered 'fatal' injuries: Hart Security

Akihito Saito, a Japanese man believed to have been taken captive by an Islamic militant group in Iraq, may have suffered "fatal" injuries in Sunday's ambush, British security firm Hart Security Ltd said Wednesday. "We have not given up hope that Akihiko Saito may still be alive," Hart Security said in a statement on its website. "However an eyewitness report indicates that wounds sustained at the time of the incident may have proved fatal."

Reuters: Japan scrambles for information on Iraq captive

[Captain Japan]

This is pretty interesting...
Security demand rises-as do dangers
Asahi

AMMAN-They are hired guns who travel from far away to provide protection for unarmed civilians and diplomats. Their special skills keep them in high demand for bodyguard duty, and the financial rewards are handsome.

But in war-ravaged Iraq, the dangers are increasing for these security workers. They are now finding themselves under more frequent attacks from insurgents and other groups.

The number of people involved in reconstruction work in Iraq who have been killed since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003 is at least 234, according to a Web site.

Among the casualties, 85 were security workers employed by major security firms, such as Blackwater and Global Risk.

Akihiko Saito, a Japanese citizen abducted by a militia group in Iraq, is one of those hired hands....more...