This eliminates any doubt I had that we are going into Iraq in the near future
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Iraq Boosts Suicide Bomber Payment
Wed Apr 3, 2:02 PM ET
By MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH, Associated Press Writer

Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) has increased money for the relatives of suicide bombers from $10,000 to $25,000, drawing sharp criticism from Washington. But Palestinians say the bombers are driven by a priceless thirst for revenge, religious zeal and dreams of glory — not greed.
 
Since Iraq upped its payments last month, 12 suicide bombers have successfully struck inside Israel, including one man who killed 25 Israelis, many of them elderly, as they sat down to a meal at a hotel to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover. The families of three suicide bombers said they have recently received payments of $25,000.

The devout Muslims among the bombers, a majority, believe they will go to heaven as martyrs and spend eternity in the company of 72 virgins. In grainy farewell home videos, they often read passages from the Muslim holy book, the Quran, and praise God. Secular attackers know that after the deed, their families will win the adulation of friends, neighbors and strangers.

The other motive seems to be a strong yearning for revenge. Relatives of many of the bombers recall how many of the young men's formative years were spent in Israeli jails. The mother of one bomber said her son once watched Israeli soldiers beating his father.

Saddam has said the Palestinians need weapons and money instead of peace proposals and has provided payments throughout a year and a half of Israeli-Palestinian battles. "I saw on Iraqi TV President Saddam saying he will continue supporting the (uprising) even if it means selling his own clothes," said Safi.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Saddam's payments inspire a "culture of political murder."

"Here is an individual who is the head of a country, Iraq, who has proudly, publicly made a decision to go out and actively promote and finance human sacrifice for families that will have their youngsters kill innocent men, women and children," Rumsfeld said Wednesday.

But Saddam is not the only one giving money. Charities from Saudi Arabia and Qatar — both U.S. allies — pay money to families of Palestinians killed in the fighting, including suicide bombers.

The mother of Jamal Nasser, a 23-year-old architecture student who died trying to ram an explosives-laden car into a bus carrying Jewish settlers, said she received a check for $10,000 from Iraq and another for $5,000 from Saudi Arabia. She said she plans to put the money toward buying an apartment. She wants to move her family from the small place they've been renting for more than 20 years. The money she received is about half the cost of a small apartment in Nablus.

Fifty-five Palestinians have blown themselves up in attacks on Israeli civilians in the past 18 months of fighting.

Under the new Iraqi payscale, decided on March 12 during an Arab conference in Baghdad, the families of gunmen and others who die fighting the Israelis will still receive $10,000, while the relatives of suicide bombers will get $25,000.

Safi and two others from the Arab Liberation Front visit families in the northern West Bank and make the payments. "We go to every family and give them a check," he said. "We tell them that this is a gift from President Saddam and Iraq."

propaganda--the evil people in the Pentagon will do anything to smear Iraq.  

I hope that was sarcasm. If not, then you are sadly misinformed.

This simply shows that Saudi Arabia is NOT our friend.

the only way to deal with suicide bombers (beyond turning all the sand to glass via h bombs) is to kill their families.  kill their mothers, fathers, children, pets, livestock, anyone that you know is related.  let hussein search for someone who will take some of his blood money.[kill]

Man, remind me never to invest in Arab life insurance companies.

raven, that's the funniest post i've read in awhile.

You're a funny little man.  So if facts are disseminated that would tend to paint our enemies in a worse light, then that's propaganda?  The story about the Saudi "martyr" payments circulated yesteday as well, so was that propaganda also?

Forget what the ungrateful Arabs think, we have to kill that son-of-a-bitch.

I have been trying to tell certain other Israel bashers that Saddam was behind the current wave of suicide bombers in order to take heat off himself, but they don't want to hear it.

Trickshot, I hope that was sarcastic.

Here's another story on the same topic:

[url]http://www.msnbc.com/news/733574.asp[/url]

If you doubted for one second that we would be taking our shovels back to that sandbox, this should start to confirm it for you...

I think we have entered the "actively build up support from the uninformed" phase of our next war.  I suspect we will see many more of these types of "this is why we should nuke em" stories in the coming weeks to build support from the clueless majority of our population.

FLAME RETARDENT: I whole-heartedly believe we SHOULD shove $25,000 for each victim of terrorism right up Saddam's sandy anus so don't misunderstand me...

Are you saying that anyone believes that Saddam is paying the bomber's families are uninformed and clueless?

We'll gee... ya think so!?!?!!?!?!

Another place on the map that we need to turn into a friggin parking lot.

pigs!!

Probably because it isn't true. They don't all believe those conspiracy stories.