Kozo Okamoto, a former member of the Japanese Red Army, died on July 23 [1] at the age of 78 [1].
Okamoto was a central figure in one of the most notorious acts of international terrorism in the 1970s. His death marks the end of a man who remained an ideological fugitive for decades, never apologizing for the violence he unleashed.
Okamoto was buried in a cemetery on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon [1]. The site is known for housing Palestinian fighters who died in combat with the Israeli military [1].
He gained international notoriety as a perpetrator of the 1972 Lod Airport attack, an event that resulted in approximately 100 casualties [1]. After the attack, he was imprisoned but was released in 1985 as part of a prisoner exchange [1].
An individual who maintained a relationship with Okamoto for 40 years provided testimony regarding his final days. This source said that Okamoto expressed a desire to "take further action" before his death [1]. According to the witness, Okamoto offered no words of apology or regret for his past activities [1].
Abu Yusuf of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine commented on the difficulties of Okamoto's life in exile. "For security reasons, he was unable to lead a human life," Abu Yusuf said [1].
Throughout his later years, Okamoto lived in the shadows of Lebanon's complex political landscape. His refusal to renounce his militant past continued until his death this week [1].
“"take further action"”
The death of Kozo Okamoto closes a chapter on the era of state-sponsored and transnational militant activity that defined the Cold War. By choosing burial in a cemetery reserved for Palestinian combatants and maintaining his ideological stance until the end, Okamoto's legacy remains tied to the violent struggle of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine rather than a reconciliation with the Japanese state.
