Al Qaeda Expanding Recruitment Of Children

Security Officials Tell CBS News Militant Group Reaching Into Former Soviet Central Asian Republics

(CBS)  Written for CBSNews.com by Farhan Bokhari, reporting from Islamabad.

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Al Qaeda has successfully established a network for recruiting boys as young as 12 from across central Asia as it seeks new volunteers to enlarge its team of prospective suicide bombers and militants fighters, senior security officials from the Middle East have revealed to CBS News.

News of al Qaeda venturing into the former Soviet central Asian republics with a population that has a largely Muslim heritage marks a significant addition to reports earlier this year that the hardline group had recruited young boys in the Pak-Afghan border region.

Last May, a senior Pakistani security official showed a rare video clip to CBS News documenting a boy, barely 12 years old, using a machete to severe the head of a middle-aged man whom militants probably suspected as being a spy for the U.S.

In an execution which typified the Taliban brand of quick justice, that boy severed the head of his victim who was completely tied up and thrown on the ground as a crowd of hundreds of spectators cheered.

The mountains visible in the background of the video suggest that it was carried out in the rugged terrain somewhere in the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“The effort to recruit young boys for the cause has been extended to central Asia. We have reports that this effort may now be up to two years old,” said one senior Middle Eastern security official who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity.

He said al Qaeda appears to have had more success in central Asian countries such as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - the two states at the center of Islamic militancy - compared to other central Asian republics.

Though impossible to document the scale on which al Qaeda has successfully recruited young boys, the security official said, "You are looking at maybe a few hundred such cases."

While confirming the report of al Qaeda recruiting boys in central Asia, another Middle East security official said the militant group was eager to build its ranks in the former Soviet republics, which are seen as an emerging important frontier.

“There is too much pressure on al Qaeda in the Pak-Afghan region, so they are looking at others areas to spread their wings,” said the second official who also spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity.

“They (al Qaeda) probably believe that heading out to central Asia would be good for their cause. One big advantage is that, unlike the Pak-Afghan region, there is less focus by the U.S. in central Asia" - a reference to the large presence of U.S. military forces on the ground in Afghanistan.

News of this recruitment pattern comes as Pakistani authorities on Friday braced for the first anniversary of last year’s military attack on the "Lal" (red) mosque in the center of Islamabad, once a nerve centre of Islamic militants.

The late Abdul Rasheed Ghazi, a firebrand Islamic preacher from the mosque, had vowed to establish an Islamic system of justice, and last summer ordered his followers to enforce strict Islamic interpretations. The edict included attacking shops selling music CDs.

The stand-off surrounding the mosque revealed that a number of armed militants who fought the military last year had joined hardline groups when they were still teenagers. The fighting culminated with the killing of Ghazi and his co-militants.

Islamic hardliners have now promised to commemorate the anniversary on Sunday, when many who sympathized with Ghazi’s cause are expected to visit the mosque and pay their respects.

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Farhan Bokhari has been covering Southeast Asia for several large European news organizations for 16 years. Based in Islamabad, he focuses his coverage on politics and security issues surrounding the war against terrorism.

[juwboy]

reptilian96:

When Hitler came to power, his first act was the elimination of his political opponents -- Socialists, Communists, Marxists, Trotskyites, labor leaders and other left-wingers.

Next he turned his attention to the group he considered the greatest threat to the purity of his glorious German master race.

It wasn''t the Jews.

Or the Gipsies.

Or homosexuals.

It was the mentally-retarded and feeble-minded.

Idiots, imbeciles, half-wits, simpletons, morons and cretins.

People just like you, reptilian96.

[libsluv2spit]

Charlie Wilson''''s War
Based on a true story
starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts


A drama based on a Texas congressman Charlie Wilson''''s covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.


Posted by IOWEIGN at 12:50 PM : Jul 05, 2008
+ report abuse

*********

a movie told you????????
i once saw a movie where al franken dressed in dragged and was so insecure that he had to talk to a mirror..

should i believe that??

hollywood is a liberal sh*tbed...

[reptilian96]

FOX NEWS discovered the presence of a massive spy ring inside the United States run by the government of Israel. This seems a harsh gratitude from a nation which obtains 10% of its annual budget from the American taxpayer, $3+ billion a year. Over the years, American taxpayers have been required to send Israel more than four times what the US spent to go to the moon.

question is do we really need Israel? I don''t think so. Israel is a burden on us american tax payers, we could use our money here in USA. we don''t need backstabers. If muslims were not in that part then the battle would''ve been with christans and JEWS in that part of the world. Just like British Jews were doing to IRISH (IRA), see the new perspective. Anyway, we don''t need Israel for the simple fact that they are not in our good interest.

NOW i read that Israel can''t fight IRAN if USA won''t help Israel. I mean come on more American TAX $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

So all of you American Israeli supporters get ready to shell out some more doe without your permission JEWS will take you money like they always did. Us hard working Americans will be homeless for long, long time. ww3 coming soon. under construction by the Israeli JEWS.

[gmond]

Sort of like how you were fed the blind faith of Darwinian evolution and the "Big Bang" and accept the silly theories as the truth. Religion has never been the answer. Truth comes through Christ, not "Religion".

Posted by globalcool08 at 11:28 AM : Jul 05, 2008

I have faith in the belief that if there was a contest for most hypocritical post, globalcool08 would be the winner.

[ioweign]

Your an idiot. We never trained the "Taliban" to fight the Soviets lib.

Posted by hillaryin012 at 07:22 AM : Jul 05, 2008

Charlie Wilson''s War
Based on a true story
starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts


A drama based on a Texas congressman Charlie Wilson''s covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.

[ioweign]

Your an idiot. We never trained the "Taliban" to fight the Soviets lib.

Posted by hillaryin012 at 07:22 AM : Jul 05, 2008

You are wrong - we did help the Taliban.

[sandy19731]

zgoomer it is pretty hard to take you seriously since your grammar and spelling are so horrific.

[formrusmcsgt]

There are more "terrorists" now than ever. Its too bad so many American tax dollars were pissed away.

Posted by hotpaulie at 10:15 AM : Jul 05, 2008

dubya claims to be on our side in the WOT but, considering his policies creat more terrorists rather than diminish the number of terrorists, one has to wonder who''s side he''s really on....

[fixhist]

45 international troops - including at least 27 U.S. forces and 13 British - died in Afghanistan in June 2008, the deadliest month since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion to oust the Taliban.

I think there is a great demand of Stickers coming up.
Two most in demand are 1)Alqaida / Terroris, 2)Fallen Solder.
As usual contract will go to Haliburton.

Your wisdom might Say, it will be more Quantity of type-1 Stickers. I''m sure, by the end of printing contract,you will be surprised to know that type-2 stickers surpassed the type-1.

40,000 Invaders under retreat from Afghanistan get reduced to one Solder & limping a limping Horse.

Lesson to have already been learnt was, it will always be easy to get to Afghanistan, It needs more courage & sacrifices to Leave Afghanistan.

I leave the question of "number of Terrorist before invasion & After retreat from Afghanistan" for your brain storm.

[formrusmcsgt]

Al Qaeda has successfully established a network for recruiting boys as young as 12 from across central Asia....
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Al Qaeda, just like religions, knows that children can be fed any kind of drivel and take it as the truth......

[hotpaulie]

Thanks President Bush. There are more "terrorists" now than ever. Its too bad so many American tax dollars were pissed away.

[barbaraf4]

They have setup a recruiting network seeking to expand their volunteer network. Targetting children. How do you recruit children? How do you make them an offer they cannot refuse?

[tootall10142]

TOUGH WORLD AINT IT?

[tootall10142]

Here is a real group of soldiers with the heart of s lion the cunning of a cougar and killers of thier children.In the u.s we do this before the children are born so they never see war or birds or the faces of thier killers.we baby our killers and kill our babies, for the good of the mothers or the child they say.

[j_flood]

Wouldn''t some think the same of JROTC?

[amberfoxfour]

Wow, can you blame them. the US Sock Puppets kill anything that moves so children shouldnt be a problem. Way to go Dictator Bush! Way to go!

JT
www.FireMe.To/udi

[babooph]

If we can keep up a 10/1 kill ratio,there will be no people left in the States to die & pay taxes.Of course when it came down to only the rich left,the war would of course end.

[swwils]

What else do we expect at this point out of these idiots.They are preparing for the future destruction of the USA.I say" Kill them all ,let God sort them out"So all you cry babies out there sympathize with them kids that would just as soon chop off your head as too eat breakfast.We need to seek and destroy before they are here doing us in!

[juwboy]

cdfoxtrot said:

20 people.....are about to have their lives destroyed by a vengeful and compassionless Israeli government.

WRONG!

20 people are about to have their lives DISRUPTED by the Israeli government.

But ..... since you bring up the subject of lives being destroyed:

In the 1970s, Yasir Arafat and his PLO attempted a coup in Jordan from their base at a Palestinian refugee settlement near the capital, Amman.

The JORDANIAN response was swift and devastating.

The Jordanian Army and Air Force shelled and bombed the Palestinians continuously, relentlessly and mercilessly until no-one fired back.

After 3 days, 20,000 Palestinian men, women and children were dead.

That''s right. Over a 3-day period, 20,000 Palestinian lives were DESTROYED by the vengeful and compassionless government of JORDAN.

Nothing the Israeli government''s done even comes close to such a mass slaughter by JORDAN.

You are complaining about 20 lives being DISRUPTED.

I''ve just told you about 20,000 Palestinian lives DESTROYED by their brother Arabs.

[juwboy]

Al-Quaeda is not only recruiting children, but also the mentally-deficient.

Here are some recent examples:

Two young women with Downs'' Syndrome (Mongolism) simultaneously set off bombs in a crowded Baghdad street market killing themselves and scores of others.

A feeble-minded 12-year-old was fitted with an explosive belt that could be detonated remotely via a cell phone and was instructed to walk towards a Gaza border crossing. Fortunately, Israeli soldiers figured out what was happening and were able to disarm him before anyone was harmed.

A mentally-retarded 20-year-old detonated a bomb in a crowded restaurant in the city of Exeter, England. Fortunately, the device was defective and he injured only himself.

How much additional evidence for the inhumanity of Islam do we need?