New York Times on child martyrdom Iraq v Iran

Routine use of children on suicide missions was reported in the war between Iran and Iraq. Young boys, aged 12 to 17, were recruited and indoctrinated into the Shiite tradition of martyrdom, then sent weaponless into battle against Iraqi armor. They were often bound together in groups to prevent desertion and wore headbands and keys symbolizing their status as divinely designated martyrs. The fanatical blind faith of these teenage martyrs was seen as symbolic of the fanaticism in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The war involved human wave assaults, where tens of thousands of young Iranians willingly sacrificed their lives. The belief in martyrdom was a deeply ingrained and destructive aspect of the conflict between Muslims, having nothing to do with Israel. This madness was described as a cancer for the mind.