The Media Line Staff
Baghdad, Iraq TML - Iraqi children are becoming prominent targets for terrorism attacks in the form of kidnappings, rape and murder, Iraqi officials say.
An official at the Iraqi Interior Ministry said there were several cases where organized gangs were carrying out these crimes but warned that many of the criminals had been arrested and brought to justice, according to the London-based A-Sharq Al-Awsat.
Safia A-Suheil, an Iraqi MP commented, "recently the practice of targeting children by killing, kidnapping and raping them has mushroomed."
She went on to say that these kidnappings constituted a "new terrorism tactic" since it was undermining the country as a whole.
In many cases, children are abducted and the kidnappers demand a ransom in exchange for the safe return of the child.
"It's been going on since the beginning of the war," an international aid worker in Iraq told The Media Line. "But it's been getting a lot more attention lately."
Penalties for such cases include the death sentence.
"There's an obvious failure to tackle issues related to children in Iraq," A-Suheil said. "There are several practices which have spread in Iraqi society and that need to be addressed and tackled, including child labor, which has become one of the most dangerous forms of violence that children are facing."
"A high number of Iraqi children look for work on the streets and in markets because of difficult living conditions, which is partially a result of terrorism suffered by those looking after them," she said. "That shouldn't prevent a search for new and alternative means, including allocating part of the Iraqi state budget to provide for them and their families."
A-Suheil recommended a special unit be set up in the Interior Ministry's division for combating terrorism, to tackle this problem by increasing security around schools and public parks, which have become popular spots for families since the security situation began to improve.
The lawmaker asked for more human resources to be invested in gathering information, launching media awareness campaigns and getting civil society involved.
Most of the child abductions take place in densely populated residential areas, and mentally ill children are reportedly most at risk, as they are easy targets for abduction gangs.
Alaa A-Tai, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said "any crime that has to do with the security, safety and lives of the Iraqi people is considered the main sphere of the Interior Ministry, and that includes the abduction of children."
He stressed that a criminal evidence body was focusing on the matter and bringing criminals to justice.
"Abduction is a crime that's listed in the anti-terrorism law," he said. "Kidnapping is an act of terrorism that targets the security and stability of society."
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