Japan defies Iraq terror threats

Militants freed a Filipino truck driver after the Philippines government gave in to their demands to withdraw troops from Iraq to prevent the beheading of the 46-year-old father of eight who had been held captive for two weeks.

Apparently emboldened by their success, insurgents promptly took aim at Japan, threatening in a website message to send “lines of cars laden with explosives” to kill its troops in Iraq if they did not leave. Japan rejected the demand.