The Story Of Issa, A Boy Making Arms For Syrian Rebels, Will Break Your Heart.This is Issa. He is a 10-year-old Syrian boy.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
He lives in the war ravaged city of Aleppo.
Issa makes mortars to be used by the Free Syrian Army.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
Issa machines his own mortar shells.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
The machining is difficult and dangerous.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
He assembles the mortars by hand.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
Issa also fixes mortar launchers.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
These weapons are many times his size.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
And the work is dangerous.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
Issa works in the factory every day of the week except Friday.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
He does this for 10 hours a day.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
At the end of his long days, Issa walks home with his father.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
He feeds his pet bird.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
And eats dinner with his family in the dark.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
This is Issa’s life.
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| STRINGER / Reuters |
Issa is just one of many young fighters of the Syrian revolution….
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| GUILLAUME BRIQUET / Getty Images |
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