A Shocking Number Of Kids Are Fighting And Dying For ISIS

The use of child fighters creates a horrifying dilemma for forces battling the militant group.

The so-called Islamic State group is recruiting children and sending them to die on the battlefields of Syria and Iraq at an “increasing and unprecedented rate,” according to a new study of the group’s propaganda.
The survey from Georgia State University academics analyzed 89 images of children and youth who the extremist group said had been killed while carrying out militant operations between Jan. 1, 2015 and Jan. 31, 2016.
These children were among some 1,500 young people that the militants have enlisted to fight, said Mia Bloom, one of the study authors. She estimated that there are likely thousands more children who are being indoctrinated by the militants and could serve as potential recruits. 
"This study is hinting at the fact that the problems are much greater than we ever imagined,” Bloom said of the report, published Friday by CTC Sentinel, the journal of the military academy West Point's Counter Terrorism Center.
The study finds 21 children died in suicide attacks using explosive-packed vehicles in the first seven months of 2015 -- two and a half times the previous estimate. In fact, the rate of child casualties seems to be accelerating. Last January, six children died in suicide operations for the militant group. This January, the toll rose to 11 children, and the number of suicide bombings involving children tripled from a year ago.
 
This disturbing trend is likely to continue, say the study authors. As it loses territory, ISIS may resort to more suicide attacks and ambushes, two of the most common causes of child deaths in the survey, they said. Militant groups tend to use these types of attacks when on the defensive, either out of desperation or as a form of psychological warfare.
The militant group has forced, intimidated and recruited children into its ranks since its early days in Iraq, according to the United Nations. As the group expanded into Syria, split from al Qaeda and seized a wide stretch of territory in the region in 2014, its use of child fighters has swelled.
ISIS captured hundreds of children, especially Yazidis, during its advance. In territories under the group’s brutal control, fighters indoctrinate and recruit children through the school system and by desensitizing them to violence with public beheadings and crucifixions. Foreign fighters who have flocked to the region from Europe, Africa and the Middle East sometimes bring their children along to fight, too. 
While an exact figure is hard to assess, one group reported that 1,100 children were recruited as fighters between January and August last year. Bloom estimates that at least 1,500 children are currently part of the core group of fighters. Friday's study sheds some light on who these young recruits are.
Of the 89 children killed since January 2015, 31 percent were Syrian and 11 percent were Iraqi. A further 25 percent came from one of those two countries but it wasn’t clear which. Others came from Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Libya, the United Kingdom, France, Australia and Nigeria.
Most of the children -- 60 percent -- were determined to be between the ages of 12 and 16. Six percent were under 12 years old. The United Nations previously reported that children as young as 8 were trained to fight in ISIS military camps.
Children who escaped the group's clutches have described long, grueling months at military camps. "I saw a lot of people being tortured," a 14-year-old former child fighter told The WorldPost last year. "Every day they whipped people, even the children. Nobody was allowed to leave." 
The use of child soldiers is a global problem -- and one that is on the rise in war-torn countries like Yemen and South Sudan.
But ISIS differs from other militant groups in the way it uses children as fighters, the study found.
While other groups have deployed children to make up for a shortage of adult fighters or for specific tasks (like attacking civilian targets), ISIS uses kids in a very similar way to adult fighters. The study found child fighters were dying in broadly the same locations and types of attacks as adults were.
“Children are fighting alongside, rather than in lieu of, adult males,” the study says. “The use of children and youth has been normalized under the Islamic State’s rule.”
This poses a horrifying dilemma for local and international forces fighting to combat ISIS. 
U.S. forces fighting the militant group “need to be able to make a nuanced distinction between a child, and a child who might be dangerous," Bloom said. "American police can’t even do that in our cities... The possibility for error is great, and the backlash could be horrific."
Further, the scale and methods of ISIS' youth recruitment make it even more complicated to help children who escape -- either during combat or in a future where the militant group is defeated. In other conflicts, religious institutions and children’s families play a critical role in reintegrating them into society, Bloom said. But with ISIS, the families are often implicated in their recruitment and the religious indoctrination runs very deep. 
“We’re talking about taking children away from their parents, who have exposed them to this ideology and put them in danger, which is very challenging,” she said.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/isis-child-soldiers_us_56c779b9e4b0ec6725e28d90?ir=UK§ion=uk_uk&utm_hp_ref=uk

Interesting the phrase used quite frequently in that article; "ISIL recruitment"...ya, right!!!

This terrorist group don't 'RECRUITE' they kidnap and steal those young male children...and should those unfortunate Kurds just switched over to becoming 'CHRISTIANS' then those young boys are beheaded - the little girls taken as sex slaves and their mothers raped and then killed - their fathers & grandparents hung! RECRUITMENT MY ARSE!

I've read quite a lot about the problem that the Shite/Kurds/Sunni have...trying to survive between all of the waves of roving terrorist groups that will sweep through a region: one day it's Al Qaeda - then the Taliban - then the ISIL!
And if that' not horrific enough the national guard/law enforcement from the Iraq's very own will sweep into a community and pull any young boy that they deem worthy into their tents for a night or two of male sexual rape and abuse that none of our own military are 'supposed to interfere/stop that abuse' {I've got links and articles when I'm able to supply those again} but not only were the 'locals' abusing those young boys many incidents from the British & American forces were being reported --- the media was just be suppressed and we weren't being told. Abu Graib prison {circa 2004}...there's audio and several video's proving our American soldiers sodomizing those unfortunate young boys who were turned in and locked up with their mothers!

Abu Ghraib remains an example of corporate crimes going unpunished:
“Private corporate contractors, hired by the US government to interrogate detainees, played a key role in directing and encouraging the acts of the low-level soldiers in those photos. … Yet, despite universal outrage and demands for justice when the photos were released, 10 years after the scandal came to light and many years after low-level soldiers were court-martialed for their role, the contractors have not faced any form of punishment. Instead, they continue to operate, continue to receive multi-million-dollar government contracts and continue to profit off of US taxpayers.”
http://www.mintpressnews.com/evidence-of-alleged-sexual-abuse-against-underage-boys-by-us-soldiers-at-abu-ghraib-remains-classified/207812/

And as our 'MILITARY MIGHT' form of Democratic thinking is put to use around the globe---humanity suffers greatly from the very exposure and presence that we show those whom we are there to 'LIBERATE'!

aspca4ever wrote:Interesting the phrase used quite frequently in that article; "ISIL recruitment"...ya, right!!!  

This terrorist group don't 'RECRUITE' they kidnap and steal those young male children...and should those unfortunate Kurds just switched over to becoming 'CHRISTIANS' then those young boys are beheaded - the little girls taken as sex slaves and their mothers raped and then killed - their fathers & grandparents hung! RECRUITMENT MY ARSE!    

I've read quite a lot about the problem that the Shite/Kurds/Sunni have...trying to survive between all of the waves of roving terrorist groups that will sweep through a region: one day it's Al Qaeda - then the Taliban - then the ISIL!
And if that' not horrific enough the national guard/law enforcement from the Iraq's very own will sweep into a community and pull any young boy that they deem worthy into their tents for a night or two of male sexual rape and abuse that none of our own military are 'supposed to interfere/stop that abuse' {I've got links and articles when I'm able to supply those again} but not only were the 'locals' abusing those young boys many incidents from the British & American forces were being reported --- the media was just be suppressed and we weren't being told.  Abu Graib  prison {circa 2004}...there's audio and several video's proving our American soldiers sodomizing those unfortunate young boys who were turned in and locked up with their mothers!

Abu Ghraib remains an example of corporate crimes going unpunished:
“Private corporate contractors, hired by the US government to interrogate detainees, played a key role in directing and encouraging the acts of the low-level soldiers in those photos. … Yet, despite universal outrage and demands for justice when the photos were released, 10 years after the scandal came to light and many years after low-level soldiers were court-martialed for their role, the contractors have not faced any form of punishment. Instead, they continue to operate, continue to receive multi-million-dollar government contracts and continue to profit off of US taxpayers.”
http://www.mintpressnews.com/evidence-of-alleged-sexual-abuse-against-underage-boys-by-us-soldiers-at-abu-ghraib-remains-classified/207812/  

And as our 'MILITARY MIGHT' form of Democratic thinking is put to use around the globe---humanity suffers greatly from the very exposure and presence that we show those whom we are there to 'LIBERATE'!

Wrong, wrong, wrong wrong on so many levels. Its the above kind of incorrect nonsense that plays into the narrative of hate that many Muslims believe around claims to the west are out to destroy Islam, as well as many of off the charts conspiracies they follow. This is again both extreme and non-extreme Muslism that have been taken by such false propaganda. It is this narrative, which branches out to form hates against others that is driving the extremist movements. So to claim young boys who are already there being forced there by their families and willingly being deceived based on some outlandish claims to rape committed by some US soldiers. Nearly half a million casualties have been caused by all sides in the Syrian civil war and this hardly makes many Muslims act at all. so clearly civilian casualties and persecution are not top of the list that draws people to ISIS. Let alone we do not see any rise of extremist Christianity or druze in the area, when they face constant persecution. So thanks for all your woeful and inane views which literally have zero top do with children being abused with indoctrination. Let alone I am sure you can tell why after so many years of civil war within Syria and as already explained hundreds of thousands dead and yet see very little formed in opposition to ISIS, let alone take it on. 

Clearly already many Muslims are bought into a narrative of hate. Hence why its easy to turn Muslims to their extremist doctrines and ideologies. In Islam where they perceive a land to be transgressed, Muslims believe this allows lawful sanctioned executions that we see at present in Israel. In fact you barely here a whisper from the Muslim authorities to condemn these terrorists attacks. Now ISIS follow the same belief and view point on transgression. The only difference here though is who they classify as innocent or guilty. Some poor western decisions hardly factor into why the rise of extremists groups. Most liberated nations build upon their freedom, not throw it away. Which both Saudi and Iran ensured happened by their continued proxy war. The Islamic world is going through changes as the West once done, and it fears most of all losing its religious control over societies. ISIS take the most literal way of reading Quran and the hadiths and follow an extremist form of Wahhabism, which means they do not need the Kurd's to change to Christian, which again was daft. As under Wahhabism, it views many Muslims as non-believers.  hence why they already have Kurdish girls as sex slaves and that they have already executed Kurds


Doh

Well this suffering has been cause by warring factions on opposing Islamic sides.
Or maybe you can explain why when both Japan and Germany were defeated, liberated and occupied, how they grasp the opportunity with both hands and rebuilt thier countries again to being ultimately economically strong. Either you hold some racial poor view that takes the stance the Arabs and Persians are inferior to you, hence why they waged sectarian violence against each other denying any chance of peace? If removing a tyrant is now some how wrong, because both Islam nations used this as a battle ground in their proxy war denying any chance of Iraq rebuilding. Then you do not cut and run, but stay the course to ensure a return of stability. Sadly Obama has ceded advantage and control to Putin within the area now, which was the worst decision possible. So after all these terrorist groups, Assad and some minor criminal soldiers who would make next to zero impact on this. just brush aside as you have done the decades of persecution, murder, violence and war that the Iraqi people suffered under Saddam


Maybe you are just confused over what country you hail from.

So thanks for all your woeful and inane views which literally have zero top do with children being abused with indoctrination

Oh, hail the all anointed 'ONE' for his single POV about how the "RECRUITMENT" of young male children is done so efficiently and appropriately that they long to stay in servitude and never try to run away!

Your simplistic POV regarding the methods and reasoning behind the horror of what: first the Taliban - then the Al Qaeda - then now the worst of the worst = ISIL have done to the locals {regardless of their beliefs and desires} is absolutely/certifiable bizarre!
So I'll leave you to dwell in your utter willful ignorance and pleasure yourself with your fortified stupidity! ENJOY~~~

Well considering you fail to understand thatt here has been terrorism from Wahhabi sects for the last few centuries shows how out of touch with history you are. So how do you explain the terrorism conducted against the Ottoman Empire by the Wahhbists?
As seen by your poor attempt to reply, its seems you are the one left found wanting Bee

Didge wrote:Well considering you fail to understand thatt here has been terrorism from Wahhabi sects for the last few centuries shows how out of touch with history you are. So how do you explain the terrorism conducted against the Ottoman Empire by the Wahhbists?
As seen by your poor attempt to reply, its seems you are the one left found wanting Bee

The inability to stay on POINT {of your very own topic}...the "RECRUITMENT/poor treatment of the male youth" and you run your very own thread off into the ditch!

Congrats...yet again your angry method of attempting to discuss another topic has brought this one to a screeching halt; at least for me. You just can't focus but are quite able to just flame and attack others!

aspca4ever wrote:

Didge wrote:Well considering you fail to understand thatt here has been terrorism from Wahhabi sects for the last few centuries shows how out of touch with history you are. So how do you explain the terrorism conducted against the Ottoman Empire by the Wahhbists?
As seen by your poor attempt to reply, its seems you are the one left found wanting Bee

The inability to stay on POINT {of your very own topic}...the "RECRUITMENT/poor treatment of the male youth" and you run your very own thread off into the ditch!  

Congrats...yet again your angry method of attempting to discuss another topic has brought this one to a screeching halt; at least for me.  You just can't focus but are quite able to just flame and attack others!  

So that two replies you have made Bee without actually countering a single one of my points

You can only use so any excuses and deflections

Nobody is bringing this to a halt and you know you are completely out of your depth here, hence the lame excuses you keep making. I also have made no attack on you here either

So on all counts you have been weighed, measured and left found wanting


All the best, may catch you later.

Is there a suggestion that asp is in fact wolfman from down under?

So it is.