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Israel/Palestine
In reply to the discussion: Palestinian Child Soldiers: The Horrifying Silence [View all]Little Tich
(6,171 posts)41. It's not necessary to make this an issue about only HRW.
The United States State Department has also left out Hamas from their list of users of child soldiers. If it's a conspiracy it runs really deep...
Dispatches: A Mixed US Report on Child Soldiers
Source: Human Rights Watch, July 28, 2015
Yesterday the United States State Department released a new snapshot of how governments around the world are doing in ending their use of child soldiers. Its 2015 list names eight governments Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for recruiting or using children in their armed forces, or supporting militias or other armed groups that use child soldiers.
There are a few hopeful developments. The number of countries named is down from a high of 10 in 2013, and the State Department notes that child recruitment is decreasing in several countries, including Burma, Congo, and Somalia. In fact, in Congo, only a single new case of child recruitment by government forces was reported last year a huge change from years of child soldier use though some military commanders reportedly provide financial and military support to armed groups still using children.
But theres bad news too. Nigeria was added to the list for the first time this year because a government-affiliated militia, the Civilian Joint Task force, has recruited and used child soldiers sometimes by force in the fight against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. In Yemen the Houthi armed group increased recruitment of children after overthrowing the government in September 2014; UNICEF, the United Nations Childrens Fund, has estimated that one-third of all fighters in the country were children. Perhaps most discouragingly, South Sudan has reversed its progress in ending use of child soldiers. As the country plunged back into conflict in December 2013, some army commanders conducted large-scale recruitment of children.
President Barack Obama now has about two months to decide whether to let congressionally imposed military sanctions go into effect against the five named governments that are slated for US military assistance next year. His decision in the past to withhold key military assistance from Congo almost certainly contributed to the notable progress by that country. But in too many other cases, he has invoked national interests to waive the law and allow governments using child soldiers to continue receiving US military aid.
There are a few hopeful developments. The number of countries named is down from a high of 10 in 2013, and the State Department notes that child recruitment is decreasing in several countries, including Burma, Congo, and Somalia. In fact, in Congo, only a single new case of child recruitment by government forces was reported last year a huge change from years of child soldier use though some military commanders reportedly provide financial and military support to armed groups still using children.
But theres bad news too. Nigeria was added to the list for the first time this year because a government-affiliated militia, the Civilian Joint Task force, has recruited and used child soldiers sometimes by force in the fight against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. In Yemen the Houthi armed group increased recruitment of children after overthrowing the government in September 2014; UNICEF, the United Nations Childrens Fund, has estimated that one-third of all fighters in the country were children. Perhaps most discouragingly, South Sudan has reversed its progress in ending use of child soldiers. As the country plunged back into conflict in December 2013, some army commanders conducted large-scale recruitment of children.
President Barack Obama now has about two months to decide whether to let congressionally imposed military sanctions go into effect against the five named governments that are slated for US military assistance next year. His decision in the past to withhold key military assistance from Congo almost certainly contributed to the notable progress by that country. But in too many other cases, he has invoked national interests to waive the law and allow governments using child soldiers to continue receiving US military aid.
Read more: https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/07/28/dispatches-mixed-us-report-child-soldiers
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More crocodile tears about Palestinian children from those who cheer on the IDF when
geek tragedy
Oct 2015
#3
not every kid who picks up a rock is a 'child combatant' recruited by adults
geek tragedy
Oct 2015
#12
So because folks don't believe those raising the issue really care about kids.....
shira
Oct 2015
#13
They don't ignore it. Amnesty International and others have been condemning the practice
geek tragedy
Oct 2015
#17
You think you're rather clever in this game you play, but the actual Democrats
geek tragedy
Oct 2015
#21
No, you want to accuse people of not condemning it becaues you want to whitewash
geek tragedy
Oct 2015
#18
Learned anything yet? Denial of child human shields goes hand in hand with this....
shira
Oct 2015
#49
Congresswoman Asks For Investigation Into Israeli Shooting Of Two Palestinian Teens
azurnoir
Oct 2015
#24
a decade ago during the second intifada it seems that history is being used here to justify killing
azurnoir
Oct 2015
#38
That amateur blogger has as much cred as Jame's O'Keef on DU. They should keep it up since
R. Daneel Olivaw
Oct 2015
#42
My point is that the claims in the OP about Palestinian child soldiers are outrageous.
Little Tich
Oct 2015
#54
I'm sorry, it doesn't feel as if Palestinian child soldiers is a real issue.
Little Tich
Oct 2015
#40
I don't think a single case constitutes a whole brigade of mentally disabled children. n/t
Little Tich
Oct 2015
#55
I think that when it comes to human rights issues, it's always good to see what
Little Tich
Oct 2015
#39
Thanks - and anyone who wants to challenge the facts in my post can feel free....
shira
Oct 2015
#53
Deaths of 160 Palestinian Children (child soldiers) Forced to Work on Terror Tunnels
shira
Oct 2015
#60