Emergency.Blog

Mentally disabled women used to Detonate Suicide/Homicide Bombs

2:30 p.m. EST, Fri. February 1, 2008

U.S.: 'Demonic' militants sent women to bomb markets in Iraq

BAGHDAD, IRAQ (CNN): Two mentally disabled women were strapped with explosives Friday and sent into busy Baghdad markets, where they were blown up by remote control, a top Iraqi government official said. The bombs killed at least 98 people and wounded more than 200 at two popular pet markets on the holiest day of the week for Muslims, authorities said.

In both bombings, the attackers were mentally disabled women whose explosive belts were remotely detonated, Gen. Qasim Atta, spokesman for Baghdad's security plan, told state television. Atta said the women were strapped with dynamite and ball bearings, citing members of the bomb squad. The explosives were detonated via cell phone, he said.

An Atta aide said that people referred to the bomber at central Baghdad's al-Ghazl market as the "crazy woman" and that the bomber at a second market had an unspecified birth disability. The aide said authorities believe the women were unaware of plans to detonate the explosives.

The nationalities and identities of the women have not been released. U..S. military officials referred to the two attacks as suicide bombings, saying both women detonated the explosive devices.

The U.S. officials also gave a much lower casualty toll, with 27 civilians dead and 53 others wounded. The Pentagon attributed the attacks to al Qaeda in Iraq and made no reference to the mental conditions of the women.

"By targeting innocent Iraqis, they show their true demonic character," said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, spokesman for the Multi-National Division-Baghdad.

"They care nothing for the Iraqi people; they want to subjugate them and forcefully create a greater Islamic sharia state," he said, referring to Islamic law.

-- Source/continues: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/01/iraq.main/index.html

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Rice slams 'brutal' Baghdad attacks

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says bloody bomb attacks on Baghdad pet markets overnight prove that Al Qaeda is the most "brutal and bankrupt of movements".

An Iraqi official said explosives strapped to two mentally handicapped women were triggered by remote control in coordinated blasts that killed at least 64 people.

"Both women were mentally impaired. They were wearing belts containing 15 kilograms of explosives," said Major General Qasim Ata, spokesman for the Baghdad security plan.

But the US military, which gave a lower death toll, said both attacks were caused by female suicide bombers and blamed Al Qaeda.

"By targeting innocent Iraqis they show their true demonic character," Lieutenant-Colonel Steve Stover, a spokesman for US troops in Baghdad, said in a statement referring to Al Qaeda in Iraq.

The blasts occurred within 20 minutes of each other, killing 64 people and wounding more than 100, defence and interior ministry officials said.

Other reports said the death toll was 70 or more. President Jalal Talabani reported as many as 70 dead in "brutal attacks carried out by terrorists."

-- Source/continues: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/02/2152875.htm?