Samira Jassim

Samira Ahmed Jassim al-Azzawi or Samira Jassam (born 1958[1]), also known as Um al-Mumenin, "the mother of the believers",[2] is alleged to have worked with Sunni militants from the Ansar al-Sunnah group in Diyala province.[3]

Jassim has been detained by Iraqi security forces since 21 January 2009.[2] She is alleged to have admitted, in an apparent video confession, that she identified and recruited potential suicide bombers and helped them carry out missions.[1][3] Additionally, Jassim confessed, in an interview with the Associated Press, how she and insurgents used rape as a "tool" to recruit women suicide bombers—"shamed" rape victims are alleged to have been persuaded to "redeem themselves through suicide attacks".[3][4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Iraq Arrests Woman Tied to Bombings", New York Times, 3 February 2009
  2. ^ a b "Iraqi woman had 80 women raped to recruit suicide bombers", Herald Sun, 4 February 2009
  3. ^ a b c "Iraq's 'female bomber recruiter'", BBC News, 4 February 2009
  4. ^ "Woman set up rapes to 'recruit' 80 suicide bombers" Archived 2009-02-06 at the Wayback Machine, Canberra Times, 5 February 2009