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| Israel-Palestine |
| Teenager Recruits Other Teenagers for Suicide Bombings |
| 2004-06-13 |
| From The New York Times .... In November, a 16-year-old from Nablus blew himself up near Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, killing no one else. Another 16-year-old carried out a nearly identical action in January, with the same result. In March, Hussam Abdo, 16, was captured on videotape when he was confronted and arrested by Israeli troops at a checkpoint with a bomb belt cinched under his red sweater. In early May, Israel arrested two Nablus residents, ages 18 and 19, who are accused of planning a bombing. Not all the cases are directly linked, but Israel says that it also has arrested a teenager it accuses of recruiting several youths in Nablus to become bombers. He is Nasser Awartani. Nasser, 15, a good student with no previous record of trouble, is one of four youths from the same 10th-grade class who are in Israeli custody, suspected of links to attacks emanating from Nablus. "In his interrogation, Nasser admitted recruiting and attempting to recruit suicide bombers," says a report of his questioning, conducted by Israel’s Shin Bet security service. The report was made available in response to a request from The New York Times. Nasser’s family members say they do not believe the accusations. .... Some Palestinian leaders have condemned the use of teenagers, and opposition to the practice is widespread among ordinary Palestinians, but it is not clear that the practice has stopped. Palestinian factions say that women and youths are more able than men to slip past Israeli security checks. The number of young bombers coming out of Nablus has raised questions about their recruitment. Israel says Nasser’s case shows that the factions have used teenagers to lure other teenagers. ... According to the Shin Bet report, Nasser joined Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades last year. He also had links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the report said. Initially, Nasser’s role was limited to such activities as putting up the "martyr posters" that are produced when Palestinians are killed. But last October, two students in Nasser’s class at the Abdel Hamid Assayeh school asked him if he wanted to be a suicide bomber, the report said. Nasser refused, but he agreed to recruit potential bombers, the report said, adding that his first choice was his friend and relative Sabih Abu Saud, a 16-year-old who lived nearby. .... |
| Posted by:Mike Sylwester |
| #2 And American kids think that they have a rough time with peer pressure! |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-06-13 9:27:25 PM |
| #1 "C'mon... all the cool kids are doing it. And did I mention sex, sex, sex? But ya gotta blow up first. After that it's all sex all the time. Whaddaya say?" |
| Posted by: eLarson 2004-06-13 9:06:52 AM |