Increase In Female Bombers Raises Concern

3 Recent Female Suicide Bombings Suggest That Al Qaeda Is Trying To Recruit More Women

(AP)  It goes against religious taboos in Iraq to involve women in fighting, but three recent suicide bombings carried out by women could indicate insurgents are growing increasingly desperate.

The female suicide attacks come as U.S.-led coalition forces are increasingly catching militants suspected of training women to become human bombs or finding evidence of efforts by al Qaeda in Iraq to recruit women, according to military records.

With coalition forces pushing extremists out of former strongholds and shrinking their pool of potential recruits, the militants are being forced to come up with other methods to penetrate stiffened security measures, said Diaa Rashwan, who follows Islamic militancy for Egypt's Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

"There's a sense that this is an act of desperation," said Col. Donald Bacon, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad.

Female suicide bombers are a small part of the insurgents' battle to force U.S. troops from Iraq and rattle Shiites from newly acquired power. Women have been responsible for 14 of 667 suicide attacks since May 2005, or 2 percent. They have caused at least 107 deaths, or 5 percent of the 2,065 people killed during this time period, according to Associated Press statistics.

But those attacks appear to be increasing.

In November and December, women carried out three suicide bombings in Diyala province, one of Iraq's most violent areas, where al Qaeda in Iraq has a stronghold. The last female suicide bombing had been in July.

On Nov. 4, a woman detonated an explosives vest next to a U.S. patrol in Diyala's regional capital, Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, wounding seven U.S. troops and five Iraqis. On Dec. 7, a woman attacked the offices of a Diyala-based Sunni group fighting al Qaeda in Iraq, killing 15 people and wounding 35. Then, on Dec. 31, a bomber in Baqouba detonated her suicide vest close to a police patrol, wounding five policemen and four civilians.

Devastating attacks continue in Iraq even as Iraqi casualties are down by 55 percent nationwide since June 2007, according to an AP count. American and Iraqi forces, and thousands of Sunni tribal groups who turned against al Qaeda in Iraq, have pushed the extremist group from Baghdad and Anbar province west of the capital. The al Qaeda fighters have moved into Diyala northeast of Baghdad and farther north into Mosul, 225 miles northwest of the capital.

The tightening noose - at least for now - appears to be prompting the militants to turn to women attackers, Rashwan said, noting that extremist Muslim groups use women only when they see no alternative.

"Women should be in the last rows" of fighting, he said. "So to see women (suicide bombers) shows an abnormal situation - the absence of men."

Women have acted as suicide bombers for other causes. The first known female suicide bomber was Sana Mheidali, a Lebanese who killed two Israeli soldiers in 1985. Female Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka have carried out at least 60 suicide bombings in 24 years. Palestinian Muslim militants send out women suicide bombers, as does the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has waged a guerrilla war since 1984 for autonomy in Turkey's southeast.

Because of Muslim cultural sensitivities, women can be excellent candidates for suicide attacks when there are no female security guards. Most Iraqis are conservative Muslims who believe physical contact is forbidden between women and men not related by blood or marriage. As a result, women are often allowed to pass through male-guarded checkpoints without being searched. In October, the U.S. Army trained 20 women to work as security guards in a Baghdad suburb after a female suicide bomber entered a nearby building without being searched.

"We know it's a tactic that al Qaeda in Iraq is trying to use," Bacon said.

At least twice in December and once in August, al Qaeda members suspected of training women to use suicide belts were captured, the U.S. military has said. There are no military reports before August indicating suspicion of al Qaeda in Iraq training women attackers.

Some female bombers appear to be 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 Qaeda in Iraq and were killed by Iraqi security forces.

But other women may be ideologues, just like their male counterparts, said Mohammad Hafiz, a University of Missouri professor who focuses on Muslim extremism.

Still others are influenced by relatives and spouses, "especially those dependent on them emotionally or materially," Hafiz said.

One of them, Sajida al-Rishawi, was married to a suicide bomber. The Iraqi woman tried unsuccessfully to detonate her explosives belt in an Amman, Jordan hotel on Nov. 9. 2005. Her husband and their other accomplices succeeded in blowing themselves up, however. Three hotels were bombed, and 60 people were killed.

Although use of women can be a sign of desperation, female suicide bombers also help extremist groups attract male recruits. Militants exploit the image of desperate women fighting because there aren't enough brave men, taunting would-be male suicide bombers into action, Hafiz said.

"Women," Hafiz said, "make great propaganda."

[speakinup]

The way I intrepret this is, Al Qaeda can''t find any more males that are willing to be stupid enough, so now they are recruiting females that are willing to be stupid enough.

Do you suppose they get 72 virgins too ?

[underdogus]

"Women should be in the last rows" of fighting, he said. "So to see women (suicide bombers) shows an abnormal situation - the absence of men." KEEP killing innocent women and children, and more women will volunter to FIGHT!!! capice?
BLACKWATER!!!!

[jn122736]

Bush apologist%u2019s efforts and subterfuge never ceases.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait they were invading a sovereign country and was dealt with via the United Nations.

The Kurds were/are a part of Iraq, also a sovereign nation, and the United Nations did not sanction invasion because of turmoil within a sovereign state.

If the United Nations interfered in civil unrest/wars they would have kicked us out of Iraq by now.

If Bush had thought he could get congress to agree, he would have used the Kurds as an excuse to invade Iraq, instead of his false claims and scare tactics about a %u201Cmushroom cloud%u201D.

Iraq invaded Kuwait because it is a small defenseless country which they could simply march/walk into, where as, any child could see that Iraq was not a serious and direct threat to this country.

[hwy71so]

"The only desperate thing here is Amerika''''s insane occupation of a defenseless country.

Posted by joyous88 at 06:31 AM : Jan 05, 2008"

Have you already forgotten the Kuwait and the Kurds? UN directive violations? What? Do you think that just because they didn''t find WMDs that Iraq was not an aggressor? Dude. Do some research!

[lewiston14]

Jn: I agree with you. The forum was based on female bombers so I tried to stay on topic. Armageddon will come and you know who is going to sponsor it RELIGIONS.

[jn122736]

Interesting how they change the rules of their so called religion when it suits their needs.
Posted by lewiston14 at 08:46 AM : Jan 05, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interesting you should ask!

How many times has the bible been interpretively altered as people%u2019s tolerances changed?

How many different versions of the bible exist, and are in use today?

How many churches of differing persuasions deny the relevance of the Old Testament, while quoting it chapter and verse to justify their ridiculous claims or actions?

[lewiston14]

I support Blackwater because it''s the only thing that seems to work in that nut house.

[lewiston14]

Interesting how they change the rules of their so called religion when it suits their needs.

[lewiston14]

Re enter Blackwater: They would search a male a female a kid or a tomato plant. Don''t matter to them. A Blackwater mentality is what is needed over there.

[payasyougo]

Religion has been used as an excuse to kill people for years. It is just an excuse. The attack on America on Sept. 11 was unprovoked. The people that died in the assult on the World Trade Center and its civillian workers had nothing to do witih any country religion.

The women look at the men and see there is nothing to live for just as the men look at the women and see the same.

[joyous88]

The only desperate thing here is Amerika''s insane occupation of a defenseless country.

Why use women, because they will do ANYTHING to get rid of the Amerikans. These people are the only weapons the poor countries have to defend themselves with. Defending themselves from the amerikans.

[abdoul_pasha]

They also must be involved in thr battle.

[seezero]

I thought women could not be used for suicide-bombing because the award for suicide-bombing was always 72 virgin women. As Jay Leno remarks, what do the women get when they suicide-bomb. I never see what they get mentioned anywhere. If the Islam equivalent of the Bible does mention the virgin women but nothing else, how do the terrorists truthfully know what the women are going to get when they suicide-bomb? If they tell the women that they know what they get, they are probably lying.

[Con Mohrat]

...but three recent suicide bombings carried out by women could indicate insurgents are growing increasingly DESPERATE.

"There''s a sense that this is an act of DESPERATION," said Col. Donald Bacon, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad.

Although use of women can be a sign of DESPERATION, female suicide bombers also help extremist groups attract male recruits. Militants exploit the image of DESPERATE women fighting because there aren''t enough brave men, taunting would-be male suicide bombers into action, Hafiz said.

~~~~~~~~~

From the number of times that word was used in this story, it is evident WHO has become desperate.

It is the invaders and occupiers who thought stealing oil would be like taking candy from a baby.
They brazenly went in like a bull in a china shop, thinking military power was all that was required. No widespread knowledge or customs has been evident. For instance, their relationships and families are much more cohesive than in Western countries. Kill one member, and like Hydra, other members automatically will take up the cause.

So don''t act surprised (or desperate) that some are women.

[ajmarine1]

Most Iraqis are conservative Muslims who believe physical contact is forbidden between women and men not related by blood or marriage.

Can''t check the women and the men dress like women to move around the country undetected;.....great set up.