COME PLAY WITH US? Islamic State teaching their kids how to behead yours

There are a lot of tragedies in Islamic State held territory because tens of thousands of people have been brutally killed. There have been other tragedies too, such as the rape of women and forced marriages. But one tragedy that is barely being noticed is the impressment of children into the ranks of the Islamic State's brigades, and the destruction of their childhood that it requires.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Children are being trained and prepared to fight for the Islamic State, often without the approval of their horrified parents. According to Syria Deeply, a Syrian child in Raqqa, 13-year-old Mohammad, was forced by Islamic State fighters to attend a summer camp in which he was indoctrinated and taught how to behead people.

His parents complained that when he returned from camp he had in his backpack a knife and a blond-haired, blue-eyed doll, representing the likeness of a western child.

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According to Mohammad's parents and others, children were compelled to attend an ISIS summer camp where they were indoctrinated in their brand of Sunni extremism, then they were taught how to behead people.

The beheading lesson involved laying the victim on their belly, holding their head up by the hair or eye sockets, and sawing through the neck with a sharpened blade. The dolls they used for practice were blonde with blue eyes.

The Islamic State has done more than force kids into summer camps. They have also outlawed traditional children's games, severely punishing children who break the rules.

Images of younger children have also appeared in the internet, posted by the terrorists themselves to glorify their exploits and terrorize others. Children are often posed with AK-47 assault rifles, taller than they are.

The children cannot physically operate such weapons, but the implications are clear. As soon as they are able, they will join the fight, and the fighters of the Islamic State have no scruples over sending children into battle either.

Older male children are sent to adult training camps since they are close to fighting age.

The Islamic State is training fighters to directly confront the combat forces of the Syrian, Iraqi, and Allied armies. These are not casual, part-time, fair-weather militiamen or guerrillas. The Islamic State is fielding expert fighters whose skills match those of primitive special forces units.

The advantage the world has over the Islamic State is air power and technology, which counts for much on the modern battlefield. There is little doubt as to who would win a modern battle between the Islamic State and the massively well-equipped armies of the west. Still, what the Islamic State lacks in technology, they make up with elan, and a utter disregard for prisoners, civilians, and the children they brainwash and gang-press into service.

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