A Woman To Woman Talk With A Would Be Suicide Bomber

Chandler Thomas
Soc 202 TR 12:30
Blog #11
11/17/2009
9:37 pm

In Baquba, Iraq, a New York Times reporter sat down with numerous Iraqi women who all had one major thing in common. They had all attempted to be suicide bombers. Surprisingly as well, they were confident and angry during their interviews; not what was expected which was to be uneducated and submissive. They were extremely defensive and evasive when it came to answering questions. The New York Times reporter was accompanied by an Iraqi policeman, of course, but it naturally didn't make the women feel more comfortable by any means. They were reassured that they really were only journalists, not detectives trying to get information. Even once their guard came down just enough to talk rationally, the journalist was still shocked at the situation these women willingly put themselves in. For an example of what they attempted, they tried to wear explosive belts in civilian areas where it would be fatal and catastrophic to everybody around them. It amazes me that these women are so angry that they are willing to die like that for their country. And not only are they angry, they're confident and educated; that's almost unheard of for a situation like this. One would naturally think that they had orders to do it without any choice, but no, this was their choice. What an unbelievable experience the New York Times female reporter had interviewing these women firsthand like that.

http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/woman-to-woman/