Muriel Degauque, who grew up near the industrial city of Charleroi, entered Iraq from Syria last month and carried out a suicide bombing against U.S. troops. She was the only one killed in the blast.
Never let it be said again that Belgians won't fight for their friends overseas.
Muriel Degauque--Belgian Expeditionary Force.
UPDATE: It occurs to me that this episode is more than just a chance to beat up on the Belgians.
First, how desperate must the terrorists be for cannon fodder that they opted for a Belgian woman who was married to some Algerian guy? Not exactly the stuff to inspire little proto-jihadis. I mean, if they feel threatened by women who drive what must this do to their already shaky cojones? And really, maybe a native Moslem woman might shame some into joining but a Westerner?
And more importantly, what does this tell us about our ability to negotiate with the jihadis to settle our differences peacefully? This man marries a lovely young lass who he has the power to convince to to anything for him and he chooses that she charge at the US military?
Any reasonable, rational man with that power would start with dinner on the table at 5:30 sharp. Or maybe a little starch in the shirt collar. Or a love of football (either our kind or the silly European version). Or one night out with the guys every week with no complaints. Or maybe even--if he is really good at persuasion--some of the more unfashionable kinky love practices that he reads about in Belgian porn.
But no, he sends her off to die in Iraq. We seriously can't reason with these nutjobs.
