Iraq: Al-Qaeda creates teenage terror cell, says report


Baghdad, 27 May (AKI) - A new al-Qaeda cell has been created for Iraqis under 16 years old, according to a report in the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat.

Known as the "Youths of Heaven", the report said that the cell has been active for some days in various suburbs of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

In an interview with Al-Hayat, Sayd Aziz Salman, the head of the Awakening Council in Taji, north of Baghdad, said that the cell was the latest danger in the country.

Awakening Councils are US-allied Sunni militia movements fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Salman said that after al-Qaeda suffered major losses in battles with the Iraqi military and members of his Awakening Council, the terrorist group decided to reorganise itself and are hoping to target the top leadership of the Awakening Councils.

In order to do this, they have formed a cell of aspiring suicide bombers who range in age between 11 and 16 years old.

It's these suicide bombers who have attacked various Iraqi suburbs and some Sunni areas north of Baghdad in the past few days.

"It was a member of this new cell of attackers who hit one of our councils on Monday in Tarimiya," said Salman.

"The bomber was in a car when he detonated the explosives killing six people and wounding 18. A large number of the suicide attacks that hit our offices are now carried out by al-Qaeda through these young people who have recently been recruited," he said.

Last week, the military stopped six adolescents who were allegedly part of the "Youths of Heaven".

"After interrogation, we discovered that the head of the group, who gave them the economic and logistical support, was 16 years-old," said Salman.

"We found out that they used certain camps outside Taji and Tarimiya for training, with the help of some local farmers.

"Every cell in this new group has five members. In some of these groups, the young people are between 11 and 13 years old," he said.

..................................
This article is failing to mention these 'aspiring' kids are being 'recruited' against their will with death,rape and pillaging of their families being threatened as thier payment.Seems like if the US intervention is formenting more 'recruits' and they are not developing and implementing successful COIN procedures AQ wouldnt need children and mentally challenged women/old men to get the job done.All of which was once forbidden by AQ in early manifestos but NOW okie dokie by all accounts.

__________________

A new low! Nice to know the enemy really IS scum!