Iraqi teen arrested after being caught wearing suicide vest

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Iraqi teen arrested after being caught wearing suicide vest
By Sean Kimmons, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, August 26, 2008

BAQOUBA, Iraq — The 14-year-old girl sounded bold as she sat in Diyala province’s Iraqi Police headquarters, awaiting further interrogation Monday after being caught wearing a suicide vest the day before.

"I’m not scared," the Sunni girl said through a translator, referring to possible punishment that could include execution. "Two women forced me to wear it."

The young girl, who later gave her first name as Rania, was confident she had nothing to do with an alleged suicide attack attempt. She claimed her husband’s family drugged her and fitted her with a C4 explosive vest packed with nails.

Iraqi Police painted the incident as a continuation of an al-Qaida in Iraq tactic that has plagued the Diyala region: More than 20 women have become suicide bombers in the past few months, killing scores of people. This was the first bomber to be captured alive, police said.

After questioning the girl and her mother, the police chief of Diyala province, Maj. Gen. Abdul al-Kareem Khaleef, said he believed the mother is a local al-Qaida leader who recruits girls to be suicide bombers.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56983