Counterterrorism Blog

Steven Emerson on NBC's "Today Show" this morning and later on MSNBC (links to videos): "(W)e are seeing a rise in the last five years- basically a two to three hundred percent rise- in the number of suicide bombers that are female..." Islamic clerics are issuing fatwas asking women to participate, and more are being actively recruited. One-third of Chechnyan bombers have been female, women have a higher success rate because it's more difficult to inspect their clothing, and Palestinian women bombers have been responsible for 80 deaths. But Iraqi women haven't, to date, participated in high numbers - the arrested woman Amman bomber would have been only the third.

On the woman, Safaa Mohammed Ali: "(S)he probably was recruited personally by Zarqawi and knows exactly where his whereabouts were...I think that she is now a walking treasure trove of intelligence. First of all, they retained the suicide bombing vest so they will be able to look at its signature. Number two, she rented an apartment. They will be able to figure out who arranged the renting. Number three, they will figure out who arranged for her to come over the border. Four, they have her passport now, which is the fake passport created in Iraq. So there is a tremendous amount of intel. I think Zarqawi is probably on the move very quickly right now to avoid any potential capture...I think the most surprising aspect of this entire operation was that it was a husband and wife. That, we have never seen before in suicide bombings. That puts a chill now in counterterrorism minds, because the reality is husband and wives were never really looked at as accomplices, carrying out acts together."