Holding mothers hostage isn't just a U.S. military tactic in Iraq. Federal prosecutors have been doing it at home for years.
It's being reported that occupation forces in Iraq have seized suspected insurgents' wives to "leverage" the wanted men.
As with the Abu Ghraib torture scandal, the parallel to civilian law enforcement and criminal justice procedures is immediate and compelling.
Very large numbers of the women under federal conviction in drug conspiracy cases got in their pickle by being wives or girlfriends of, or having children with, alleged dealers. The tactic is old and well-known. Former federal prosecutors talk about it and the federal defense bar loathes the practice.
This practice in civilian use is only slightly different. The main goal is to obtain testimony against the men. As reported today, the practice in military use is primarily to coerce the men's surrender, and secondarily to pump the women for intelligence.
A similarity of outcomes is probable: No or negligible reduction in the targets' activity (dealing dope, planting IEDs); widespread alienation from and disrespect for the authority using the tactic; and, obviously, an unknown toll on the children.