Hamas Forces Children To Bomb

Latest Bombers Are Unwilling Children

Published on March 26, 2004 By Larry Kuperman In Current Events

Terrorist attacks by Hamas have taken a new and ugly turn, with unwilling Palestinian children having bombs strapped to their bodies.

In two separate incidents in Israel, the bomb carriers have been teenage boys who were terrified at what they were being forced to do. Near Nablus, Israeli soldiers stopped a 14-year old boy with a bomb vest strapped to his body. The entire incidenet was caught on videotape.

To quote the referenced article: "In dramatic images caught on camera, the teenager -- standing in the middle of the cordoned off road -- told soldiers he did not want to die, that he did not want to blow up."

In an earlier and unrelated incident, the article reports: "In the first incident, 11-year-old Abdullah Quran was detained at a checkpoint near Nablus. An Israeli soldier discovered he was carrying between seven and 10 kilograms of explosives in a bag.

Israel Defense Forces said the boy did not know that the bag contained explosives. He said he was given five shekels -- the equivalent of about one U.S. dollar -- to carry it through the checkpoint and to give it to an old woman at the next checkpoint."

It has always been assumed by many Westerners, myself included, that the bombers used by Hamas were religious fanatics, motivated by promises of Paradise in the after-life from clerics such as Sheikh Yassin. Even if this was true in the past, it no longer seems to be the case. These children were no more than pawns, unwitting in one case, unwilling in the other, whose young lives Hamas is willing to sacrifice.

I can't help but speculate that the assassination of Yassin was more effective than I thought it would be.

Comments

Solitair

on Mar 26, 2004

The use of children is very sad and unacceptable to any modern society.

There are quite a few unanswered questions though. Exactly who gave the child explosives to carry through a check point? Why was the 14 year old boy being used as a suicide bomber? Most people agree that Hamas has no lack of adults willing to die for the cause so why a child? And why use a child to smuggle explosives through a checkpoint when the chance of being caught is so high. Hamas must be extremely stupid to allow two propaganda blunders on the same day. Especially considering the worldwide condemnation against eh Israeli assassination a few days earlir. it all sounds far to neat and tidy for the Israelis. Far to well timed.

Paul.

shadesofgrey

on Mar 26, 2004

It's important to note that there was a backlash in the Occupied Territories about using children as well...it wasn't simply Westerners who were outraged. There's a NY Times article today that discusses the disgust that the Palestinian community feels over the use of teenagers and children to accomplish Hamas' goals.

The article also mentions that 60 prominent Palestinians, including the internationally respected Hanan Ashrawi, took out an ad in the local paper saying that Palestinians should not respond to Yassin's killing with violence. It's a minority that are pushing for this, but a well-respected minority and the push to peace has to begin somewhere.

I would have to disagree with the idea that Hamas are religious fanatics--in my opinion, suicide bombing has less to do with the rewards in the here-after and more to do with the despair and digust with the here and now. I don't think they view it as a religious issue, but rather an issue of survival--there's nothing left to live for in Gaza so committing the horrific act of blowing themselves up seems like a reasonable response--it will draw attention to their cause and maybe change things (note: that is me speculating their view, not my own).

Unfortunately, they haven't yet figured out that the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people is undermined by the violence of Islamic Jihad and miltant Hamas.

Also, while it doesn't change anything, I thought you might like to know that the NY Times has stated that even though Hussam Abdo initially told reporters that he was 14, they have verified his birthdate and he is, in fact, 16. Still a child, mind you, and thus Hamas using him like a pawn is still disgusting!

shadesofgrey

on Mar 26, 2004

And why use a child to smuggle explosives through a checkpoint when the chance of being caught is so high.

When I was in the West Bank it was very apparent that Palestinian men under forty when through a more rigorous "screening" process at checkpoints than women, children and foreigners did. At the time, newspapers speculated that this was the reasoning behind the intial female suicide bombers--they were less likely to be caught because they weren't profiled as suspects.

I'm not justifying--The use of children is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. I'm simply trying to provide a glimpse of the "logic" (I hate to call it that, but will for lack of a better word) of the new Hamas leadership.

Larry Kuperman

on Mar 26, 2004

Thank you both for commenting.

Regarding the use of children and women (usually young as well) the first thought that comes to mind is that both groups are not held in the same esteem in the Muslim world as is the case in Western society. In many Islamic countries, it is fairly common for women to be brutalized or killed for bringing "dishonor" to their husbands. An article dealing with the role of women in Islamic society is at http://members.ozemail.com.au/~irgeo/islamic.htm and states "It is quiet common for women in Islamic countries to be employed in jobs which are considered too dangerous for men simply because society regards their lives as being less valuable than men's."

The decision to now use children may serve to remind us that the real struggle in Israel is for the hearts and minds of the West. Had Israel forces been forced to, for example, shoot the 14 or 16 year old boy at the checkpoint, what would have been the reaction in the West? Certainly it would have been exploited as yet another example of Israeli brutality.

Regarding the point made by shadesofgrey in the first post, I agree that there are many Palestinians that oppose Hamas' methods. To this point, the opposition has not been strong enough to stop the terrorists long enough for meaningful negotiations to commence. That change is still a way away.

It does appear that Hamas is becoming more desparate. In my earlier post on the bombing at Ashdod, the failed attempt to initiate a chemical holocaust, I included a comment that the Al Aqsa arm of Arafat's Fatah and Hamas are working together. The reason being that both organizations have had their infrastructures weakened by Israeli efforts.

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