A report released by the US State Department suggests that militants in Pakistan use children to fight or carry out suicide attacks. In a statement delivered with the Trafficking in Persons report, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: “Every year, we come together to release this report, to take stock of our progress, to make suggestions, and to refine our methods. Today, we are releasing a new report that ranks 184 countries, including our own.” The report stated that non-state militant groups were kidnapping children or forcing parents with false promises into giving children as young as 12 away. It also said that these children would subsequently be used to spy, fight, or die as suicide bombers in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It added that militants often sexually and physically abuse the children. They also pressure the children into believing that the acts they commit are justified.