Iraq and MRAPs in the news (Japan)

A story in Japan's Mainichi Daily News held content relevant to the waging of the Iraq War as well as a report of the successful service of an MRAP vehicle.

First, a reminder of the depravity of the religious extremists trying to foment violence in Iraq, as teenagers were apprehended after information surfaced that they had been trained for suicide attacks:

The youths, who were not identified, began crying as they were led into the police station and said they were forced into agreeing to the suicide attacks.

"The Saudi insurgent threatened to rape our mothers and sisters, destroy our houses and kill our fathers if we did not cooperate with him," one of them told reporters.

Yeah, of course you say that if you're a suicide bomber apprehended by the authorities. In Iraq, however, the story is consonant with the type of barbarity that turned al-Anbar against al Qaeda. The youths' story is plausible on its face.

How I wish MRAPs were mentioned by model and manufacturer in mentions like this one.

Despite a cease-fire by militia fighters loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a roadside bomb struck a U.S. mine-resistant armored vehicle on the southern edge of Sadr City, engulfing the MRAP in flames and smoke. The U.S. military said there were no casualties.

A tool of war trumped. Meh.

Addendum: Just ran across another version of the story. The MRAP involved was the Navistar MaxxPro, if this photo (and caption) is any indication.

clipped from ap.google.com