- Reuters

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan scrambled on Friday to check a report that an Asian body had been found in Iraq after a deadline expired for the beheading of a Japanese youth whose captors had demanded that Tokyo withdraw its troops.

Al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s militant group said in an Internet video early on Wednesday Japanese time that it would behead 24-year-old Shosei Koda within 48 hours if the government did not meet its demand. Japan has said its troops will stay put.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told journalists the report about a body being found had not been confirmed.

“We are aware of the report and are looking into it,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hatsuhisa Takashima told Reuters.

It was not clear exactly when the deadline expired, but media quoted Japanese officials as saying they believed it passed at 2 a.m. Tokyo time on Friday (1300 EDT on Thursday).

Clearly horrible news. Hopefully the report is mistaken and this isn’t the body of Koda, though in all liklihood it is. Koda was taken hostage by Tawhid wal Jihad sometime Tuesday, the last group any hostage would want to be taken by. Tawhid wal Jihad has made many threats in the past concerning their hostages and to my knowledge, every single threat they have made has been carried out.

Background on Koda

Update:
The Jawa Report . . . reports . . . that the body was a Pakistani. Rusty has however confirmed that Koda’s body has been found and he is indeed dead.

Ramblings' Journal linked with Sky News: Japanese hostage beheaded in Iraq by monsters
Diggers Realm linked with Shosei Koda, Japanese Hostage, Found Dead