Iraqi Army Increasing Number of Female Recruits

The Iraqi Army is accepting women into their ranks.

A new breed of soldier is training in Iraq. These women, donning military hats over head scarves, are Baghdad's "GI Janes."
If the new recruits pass training, they will join just 66 other women now serving in Iraq's army, military officials said.
This group, at an Iraqi army facility in Baghdad this week, is the third class of women to train since the program started in summer 2009.
Iraqi army General Samir Mehdi said he expects his recruits to be confident with a gun and to understand the basics of combat in 45 days.
"A lot of them will work in administrative jobs, but a number of them will be searching women at checkpoints," Mehdi said.
That could be dangerous work. In 2008, the number of female suicide bombers spiked when extremists realized suicide vests could easily be hidden under women's flowing robes. The number of female suicide bombers more than tripled in 2008 -- to more than 24 -- compared with 2007, according to a CNN tally.

Ignore the CNN video at the link, though. It's really not all that great.

By: Brant