Daily Alert Archives

Palestinian Family Voices Furor with Militants Who Sent Their Son on Suicide Mission

(Jerusalem Post) - While many in the West Bank and Gaza Strip still strongly support suicide bombings as a weapon against Israel, they have become critical of the militants' choice of attackers. On Wednesday, 16-year-old Hussam Abdo was detained wearing an 18-pound suicide vest at an Israeli army checkpoint near Nablus. "We have to carry out serious attacks," said Sadia Abdel Rahman, 42. "This is not a children's game. This is an embarrassment." In an interview with Yediot Ahronot, Abdo said he wanted to go to paradise. "A river of honey, a river of wine and 72 virgins. Since I have been studying Quran I know about the sweet life that waits there," the boy said. "But when the soldiers stopped me, I didn't press the switch. I changed my mind. I didn't want to die anymore," he said. (AP/San Francisco Chronicle) Asked whether she would have supported her son had he been older, the mother replied: "If he was over 18, that would have been possible, and I might even encourage him to do it."
2004-03-26 00:00:00
Full Article