Al Qaeda In Iraq Exploits Desperate Women As Suicide Bombers After Getting Their Men Killed
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) - A girl strapped with explosives approaches an Iraqi army captain, who dies in the suicide blast. A woman posing as a mother-to-be to disguise a bulging bomb belt strikes a wedding procession as part of a coordinated attack that kills nearly three dozen people.
The attacks last month were among the latest blows by female suicide bombers—and further evidence of shifting insurgent tactics amid an overall drop in bloodshed around Iraq.
U.S. military figures show the number of female suicide attacks has risen from eight in 2007 to at least 16 so far this year—not including a suicide bombing Friday near Ramadi that Iraqi police believe was carried out by a woman. That compares with a total of four in 2005 and 2006, according to the military.
Some female bombers appear motivated by revenge, like the woman who killed 15 people in Diyala province on Dec. 7. She was a former member of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party whose two sons joined al-Qaida in Iraq and were killed by Iraqi security forces.
Activists and U.S. commanders also believe al-Qaida in Iraq is increasingly seeking to exploit women who are unable to deal with the grief of losing husbands, children and others to the violence started by al-Qaida itself.
“Al-Qaida is preying on those who don’t have jobs, who don’t have education and who are feeling despair,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a conference this week on women’s issues.
The use of women as suicide bombers is a relatively new phenomenon in Iraq, although it has been used by militants elsewhere, particularly in Sri Lanka.
Farhana Ali, a terrorism expert with the RAND Corp. who has studied the issue extensively, said al-Qaida’s efforts to recruit women reflects its desperation after recent crackdowns.
“Al-Qaida and insurgents are now desperate and want to ensure that their cause (and) organization stays alive,” she said. “Women’s participation in violence keeps the cause alive for many reasons: Women, like men, also share similar grievances, especially women who have suffered a loss.”
“Women control their families and communities and when that structure is broken down, women are vulnerable, weak, easily exploited by insurgents,” she added.
Faiza Sayyid Alwan, a Sunni provincial council member from Diyala province who has escaped three assassination attempts, says vulnerable women need to be given more options.
“We must intervene,” she said at the conference in Irbil, the largest city in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region. “While the enemy is trying to reach her with negative influences we must reach in faster and rescue that woman by giving her better ideas, by helping her, by training her and giving her a better opportunity.”
The rise in female suicide bombings comes as the U.S. military says violence is down to its lowest levels in more than four years. The reasons include last year’s U.S. troop buildup, a Sunni revolt against al-Qaida and a cease-fire by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
American commanders claim al-Qaida in Iraq is seeking out women and children to evade stepped up security measures and checkpoints.
Iraqi women often are allowed to pass through male-guarded checkpoints without being searched and they traditionally wear flowing black robes that make it easier to hide explosives belts.
Hertling, who commands U.S. forces in northern Iraq, said five of seven suicide attacks in the past three months in Diyala have been carried out by women.
They included a double bombing on May 17 in which a woman blew herself up outside an office for a U.S.-allied Sunni group and a female suicide car bomber killed one person in an attack on a police patrol.
“They do look for those three categories of illiterate, poor and able to manipulate religious fervor,” he said.
In many cases, recruiters have promised the women that they will provide for their families after their deaths, then failed to follow through, Hertling said.
He also said at least two of the recent suicide bombers were the wives of an al-Qaida in Iraq leader who was killed in U.S. military operations, although he declined to give more further details.
Omayah Naji Jubara, the head of the Iraqi and Arabic Women’s Organization for Salahuddin province, said Iraqi women outside major cities often find that “all the doors are closed to them” for jobs and education.
“Those terrorists come to poor people who are hungry and frustrated with the lack of government support,” said Jubara.
In the meantime, the military is increasing the number of women in the police force.
Hertling said 112 women have enrolled in a police class in the volatile northern city of Kirkuk and the military is trying to set up a similar training program in Diyala, northeast of Baghdad.
“Just the fact that you’re going to have Iraqi policewomen—that will help with security, help with searches, deal with female crimes that aren’t well dealt with by male police officers,” he said.
Alwan said insurgents will try to exploit women’s misery as long as the Shiite-dominated government struggles to improve their lives.
“Religion has been used in a very violent way to pressure the women to do certain things,” she said. “Women in Diyala have been widowed, they have no support. They’re unemployed. Many have been displaced, their houses demolished, their property gone, destroyed. Where can she go, a woman like that? What can she do?”
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“Religion of Piece(s)”. Indeed.
June 6th, 2008 at 5:45 pmTHOU SHALL NOT KILL, PERIOD.
All followers of the three (3) great Abrahamic religions, Judaism,
Christianity and Islam believe in the Ten (10) Commandments. In our humble
opinion, if anyone killed another innocent human being or himself, he is neither
a Jew, nor a Christian, nor a Muslim, because he disobeyed one of the
most important Commandments of Almighty God (Allah): Thou Shall Not Kill.
……..
Given below are some of the verses from the Holy Qur’an in support
thereof, referring to the number of Surah (Chapter) first followed by
the number of Ayah (Verse), later (from an English translation of the
Holy Qur’an by Mr. Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall).
Yet ye (Children of Israel) it is who slay each other and drive out a
party of your people from their homes, supporting one another against
them by sin and transgression, and if they came to you as captives ye
would ransom them, whereas their expulsion was itself unlawful for you.
Believe ye in part of the Scripture and disbelieve ye in part thereof?
(2:85)
Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah (God Almighty), and
slay the Prophets wrongfully, and slay those of mankind who enjoin
equity: announce them a painful doom. (3:21)
O ye who believe! eat not up your property among yourselves in
vanities: but let there be amongst you traffic and trade by mutual good-will:
nor kill (or destroy) yourselves (commit suicide): for verily Allah hath
been to you Most Merciful. (4:29)
Never should a believer kill a believer; but (if it so happens) by
mistake (compensation is due): if one (so) kills a believer, it is ordained
that he should free a believing slave and pay compensation to the
deceased’s family, unless they remit it freely. If the deceased belonged to
a people at war with you and he was a believer, the freeing of a
believing slave (is enough). If he belonged to a people with whom ye have a
treaty of mutual alliance, compensation should be paid to his family
and a believing slave be freed. For those who find this beyond their
means (is prescribed) a fast for two months running: by way of repentance
to Allah: for Allah hath all knowledge and all wisdom. (4:92)
If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to
abide therein (for ever): and the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him
and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him. (4:93)
For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever
killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the
earth, it shall be as if be had
killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if
he had saved the life of all mankind. Our messengers came unto them of
old with clear proofs (of Allah’s sovereignty), but afterwards lo!
many of them became prodigals in the earth. (5:32)
They are losers who besottedly have slain their children without
knowledge, and have forbidden that which Allah bestowed upon them, inventing
a lie against Allah. They indeed have gone astray and are not guided.
(6:140)
Say: “Come I will rehearse what Allah hath (really) prohibited you
from”: join not anything as equal with Him; be good to your parents: kill
not your children on a plea of want; We provide sustenance for you and
for them; come not nigh to shameful deeds whether open or secret; take
not life which Allah hath made sacred except by way of justice and law:
thus doth He command you that ye may learn wisdom. (6:151)
O Prophet! when believing women come to thee to take the oath of fealty
to thee that they will not associate in worship any other thing
whatever with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit
adultery (or fornication), that they will not kill their children, that
they will not utter slander intentionally forging falsehood, and that they
will not disobey thee in any just matter then do thou receive their
fealty and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins): for Allah
is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. (60:12)
Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance
for them as well as for you: verily the killing of them is a great sin.
(17:31)
And slay not the life which Allah hath forbidden save with right. Whoso
is slain wrongfully, We have given power unto his heir, but let him
not commit excess in slaying. Lo! he will be helped. (17:33)
And those who cry not unto any other god along with Allah, nor take the
June 6th, 2008 at 6:02 pmlife which Allah hath forbidden save in (course of) justice, nor
commit adultery and whoso doeth this shall pay the penalty; (25:68)
No, your liars, WE are the bad guys, they are the FREEDOM fighters.
June 6th, 2008 at 8:25 pm