The Al - Qaeda in Iraq is recruiting children to carry out their operations. The US and Iraqi forces recently released a footage showing children under the age of 11 participating in terrorist activities. We discussed in class that terrorists tend to recruit individuals who can be easily persuaded to carry out their operations. Children of that age are easily brainwashed and ask little if any questions. Besides that, these children are recruited for attracting other young children and teenagers. Also, since children raise very little suspicion by their activities, it is easy for them to carry out any operation as long as they have the proper training.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
A New Generation
The Al - Qaeda in Iraq is recruiting children to carry out their operations. The US and Iraqi forces recently released a footage showing children under the age of 11 participating in terrorist activities. We discussed in class that terrorists tend to recruit individuals who can be easily persuaded to carry out their operations. Children of that age are easily brainwashed and ask little if any questions. Besides that, these children are recruited for attracting other young children and teenagers. Also, since children raise very little suspicion by their activities, it is easy for them to carry out any operation as long as they have the proper training.
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8 comments:
unfortunately this indoctrination is not only happening through Al-Qaeda sponsored media. it also happens at home. in many areas where terrorist cells are common, the expectation that children will join the 'noble cause' is prevalent and often produces a generation of ideology-imbued youngsters. the al-qaeda tapes only put the ideology into action.
As was discussed in class in regard to the media influence on terrorism, individuals are most influencible at young ages. By reaching and recruiting children at young ages terrorist organizations are able to ensure support for many generations and they are able to carry out attacks without a lot of suspicion. Most people would not think twice when they see a child walk into a crowded market, they would not expect the child to be a suicide bomber. However, if a middle aged individual walked in looking suspicious people would be more hesitant of the individual's intentions.
I think it is smart for terrorist organizations to indoctrinate new recruits at younger ages. The preservation of terrorist organizations depends on the sustained support of different publics. Young people are an impressionable public, and it would seem they are more likely to form lasting and loyal ties to terrorist groups because of their age.
Regarding the indoctrination of children you may want to view a recent bunny which declares on Gaza TV: "I will eat the Jews!"
All I can say is that this is disturbing and wow...
Check out this article. You can also watch the video of Assud the Hamas bunny...it really is something to think about when kids are exposed to this type of teaching through the media.
I agree with Braidy. Why wouldn't terrorist groups recruit the youngest possible kids? The youth are the next generation of terrorists, so it makes sense that terrorist organizations would try to indoctrinate them as young as possible so that when they grow up, or even when they don't grow up, they can engage in terrorist activities. Just as elementary school-aged kids learn the Pledge of Allegiance in order to give them a sense of national pride, terrorist organizations socialize the youth in such a way as to make them sympathetic to the organizations' ideas. Seems pretty smart to me, especially when they use TV. Seems like a brilliant use of media to me. Naturally, I don't agree with it, but you have to admit, it's a pretty smart strategy.
Smart? Yea, very much so. Completely evil? I would say so. I think we get a little... dispassionate about some of these things some times. As we have learned, terrorism is rational and often times follows a strategic, goal-oriented approach, but we must also condemn it for the morally reprehensible thing that it is. Are my views colored by my background/nationalality? Yes, of course, but this to me seems pretty clear-cut. Sending out small boys to the slaughter is reprehensible.
I do not think that the distinction between evil and rationality has to be as black and white as some may want it to be.
In this class, as we are trying to objectively study this topic, I cannot help but agree that it is indeed an extremely smart strategy.
Calling it evil, is a subjective choice which may or may not be colored by one's background. It is true that they have been indoctrinated with the propaganda and are taken advantage of,but what seems evil to our eyes,is rationality at its height to the child who is carrying out the attacks.
We have to realize that these children are no different from adult Jihadists. They believe in their mission, and are indeed fighting for a cause, which is more important than anything else in the world. It would be very naive to think that the adults have not been brainwashed too.
This strategy is rational as well as evil,the debate does not have to end here.
Unfortunately the recruting of kids are very easy. The enviroment they are raised makes it easier. All the kids know is war and how they can help the nobel cause by embracing the cause. All their role models and conect with terrorism in some way and what seems unthinkable for us is just natural for them.
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