Child abuse. “Iraq police nab 10-year-old suicide bomber,” from AFP, April 7 (thanks to all who sent this in):
A 10-year-old Iraqi boy allegedly recruited by Al Qaeda was about to blow himself [sic! AFP left out the “up”] in a suicide attack on Wednesday just east of Fallujah when police spotted and arrested him, a senior officer said….
‘The 10-year-old boy had been used by Al Qaeda in the past to place bombs,’ Issawi said, adding that the child disappeared from his family home in Amariyat Al Fallujah four days ago.
‘Three men aboard a van drove him to the isolated village of Shitsher (75 kilometres west of Baghdad) to prepare him for the suicide operation,’ the officer said, quoting the boy’s own testimony….
‘The boy said he followed the instructions and when he saw people gather he approached them (ready to blow himself up) but a policeman saw him and shouted for him to go away.
‘He panicked and fled but we caught up with him and found that he was wearing an explosives vest,’ the officer added….