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Another 15yr Old Would-Be Boomer
EFL - JPost Reg Reqâd Palestinian terrorists tried to recruit a 15-year-old as a suicide bomber, at one point locking him in a dark room, but also luring him with clothes, a cell phone and promises of paradise, his family said Tuesday. and a pony! The story of ninth-grader Tamer Khweirah, who was extricated by an alert older brother, underscored the growing use of children by terrorists and stoked Palestinian debate over what is permissible in the fight with Israel. Tamer is one of four teens arrested by the Israeli military in the West Bank city of Nablus in the past week on suspicion they were recruited by terrorists. One of the four, Hussam Abdo, 16, was caught at an Israeli checkpoint south of Nablus last week with eight kilograms of explosives strapped to his body. Listen to the howls of outrage from AI and HRW! (crickets chirping) The boys knew each other, relatives said. Tamer, Hussam and a third youngster attended the same Nablus high school. The Israeli military said Palestinian militants are increasingly targeting youngsters, in part because they arouse less suspicion at Israeli checkpoints. The use of youngsters has drawn criticism also from some Palestinian intellectuals and educators, who said the militants are harming the Palestinian cause. The Al-Ayyam daily, which often reflects the views of the Palestinian Authority, on Tuesday ran a story on Tamer, including his parentsâ demand that the recruiters be prosecuted. The article was a rare sign of public criticism of the terrorists. However, Palestinian security officials said their forces have become so ineffective, largely due to Israeli restrictions, that they cannot rein in the terrorists. Itâs the Joooooos fault, I tell ya!
meet? or meat? Tamer was taken to a private home in Nablusâ old city, a militant stronghold, where he met the sheik, who introduced himself only as Ibrahim, Khweirah said. In the first session, the sheik spoke to Tamer about the need to avenge Yassin. In a second encounter last week, the sheik tried to persuade Tamer to carry out a suicide bombing, according to the boyâs older brother. The sheik locked Tamer in a dark room for a while, then took him to a well-lit room, explaining to the boy that this illustrated the difference between eternal damnation and paradise. Paradise and 72 virgins are assured for any bomber, the sheik told Tamer, who is from a well-to-do family and according to his family had a sheltered upbringing. When the youngster expressed concern that his familyâs house would be demolished - standard Israeli reprisal - the sheik said Islamic Jihad would pay 50,000 Jordanian dinar (US$ 35,000) to make up for the loss. When the boy protested that heâd like to be around for the weddings of his two sisters in the summer, the sheik told him that "you will go to paradise and meet them there," according to the older brother. nice Islamic Jihad terrorists gave Tamer a cell phone to enable constant contact, and bought him a new shirt and pants as a purported sign of affection, his brother said. Khweirah said he became concerned about his younger brother, described as a model student, when he skipped school twice last week and was seen loitering downtown, smoking and talking on a cellphone. Khweirah said that last Thursday, he turned for help to the Al Aqsa Martyrsâ Brigades, a terrorist group with ties to Yasser Arafatâs Fatah movement. Al Aqsa itself has carried out suicide bombings, and its terrorists say they have no qualms about recruiting teens, provided they are mature enough to understand their suicidal mission. Still, Khweirah hoped they would agree that his brother was not an appropriate candidate. Later that day, a tearful Tamer returned home and confessed to his family, his brother said. Hashem Abu Hamdan, an Al Aqsa leader in Nablus wanted by Israel, said he was personally involved in getting Tamer back home safely but gave no further details. Posted by: Frank G 2004-03-30 |
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