The deadline set by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist organization before they threatened to behead Japanese hostage Akio Koda has expired. Internet sites tied to Zarqawi have made no announcement of Koda's impending murder. However, since US forces stepped up their efforts at capturing or killing the terrorist, many of the websites normally used by Zarqawi seem to have been abandoned. Some suggest this is a possible sign that Zarqawi is feeling the increased pressure and may be on the run. In the past six weeks Zarqawi has changed his MO, opting to post messages and videos to an Islamic bulletin board.

The Japanese government, for their part, is taking the lack of any announcement on Koda's fate as a sign of hope. Reuters reports:

"We are making every effort to rescue him on the premise that he is alive," Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said.

In Tikrit, the body of an Asian man was found this morning causing early speculation that the victim was Koda. However, an AFP report in ABC News Australia suggest that the body does not match the description of Koda.

"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 the man had gunshot wounds to the head and body.

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