Not really surprising, they're playing on the same public sensitivity that keeps female soldiers from combat MOS's (Miltary Occupational Specialities, ie jobs like infantry, fighter pilot, etc.)
Quote:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/natio...2456-6466r.htm
Terrorists in the Abu Musab Zarqawi network in Iraq are specifically trying to kidnap an American female service member to further horrify the U.S. public.
Two senior defense sources said the word is being passed within the network on the importance of taking one or more women hostage. "We have heard through intelligence channels that several extremist organizations are attempting to capture coalition servicemen and women," said a senior military officer in Iraq. "We have instituted additional force protection methods to thwart these attempts."
Another defense source said there is an "edict, either on paper or as an order," within terrorist networks to capture an American female service member.
Of the 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, about 11,000 are women. They perform a variety of jobs, serving as drivers, medics, aviators, police and clerks. By law, they are banned from land combat, but they can still come into close contact with the enemy.
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there's more, but that's the meat of the article.