When Bombers Are Women

Washington Post ^ | Thursday, December 18, 2003 | Jessica Stern

[presidio9]

This month a woman killed herself and five other people in a suicide bombing in the center of Moscow. Earlier in the fall a female suicide bomber killed 21 others in a crowded Israeli restaurant. These incidents, and many others before, illustrate an important weakness in our counterterrorism strategy. The official profile of a typical terrorist -- developed by the Department of Homeland Security to scrutinize visa applicants and resident aliens -- applies only to men. That profile was developed before the advent of Islamist chat rooms recruiting operatives for a global jihad, before the war in Iraq increased anti-American sentiment worldwide and before women started serving as suicide bombers for Islamist terrorist organizations.

Under a program put in place after Sept. 11, 2001, visa applications for males between the ages of 16 and 45 are subject to special scrutiny. Women, however -- even those from countries known to harbor terrorists -- are not subjected to the program. Likewise, the requirement that resident aliens from countries such as Pakistan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia register with the federal government applies only to men.

Terrorists seek out vulnerabilities in the enemy government's countermeasures. When metal detectors were installed at airports, terrorists found other ways to attack planes. When governments began protecting their embassies with concrete barriers, terrorists turned to larger explosives. Profiling men exclusively, and also focusing so tightly on countries known to harbor terrorists, are significant loopholes that have not been closed despite the FBI's recognition that al Qaeda has begun recruiting women, and despite the discovery last spring that an MIT-trained female scientist may have been providing logistical support to al Qaeda.

[al baby]

P.M.S.?

[putupon]

[RoughDobermann]

Terrorists seek out vulnerabilities in the enemy government's countermeasures

Nice to see that the WP still leads the way in pointing out the f*cking obvious...

[thoughtomator]

Give the WP a break. Seeing the obvious is a vast improvement over their performance during the Clinton years.

[RoughDobermann]

Give the WP a break. Seeing the obvious is a vast improvement over their performance during the Clinton years.

Seeing it is one thing; writing it down is another thing entirely.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Many of the Tamil Tigers suicide bombers were women. (The Tamil Tigers initiated the modern suicide attacks.) Of course, suicide bombings have a long history, one can compare with Conrad's "The Secret Agent."

[BenLurkin]

Oddly worded title. It suggests that only women are bombers.

[Neophyte]

Women, however -- even those from countries known to harbor terrorists -- are not subjected to the program.

What's the problem? Change the programme, or just ban them all. Won't be a big loss, that wenches are either ugly, or cannot be seen under the head-to-toe bags they sport.

[observer5]

Stupidity is not limited to males!

[Nam Vet]

Good find and great points made. Thanks and a bump.

Nam Vet

[squidly]

women could participate in such attacks if there were no men available, provided they were accompanied by male chaperones

I hope I'm not the only one who caught this line.