under-aged Teens deployed to Iraq
~
‘More than half of those who joined the forces
last year were under 18’
Where’s UN/ Geneva Convention/ Amnesty International/
voice on this ! ! ? ? Just goes to show that these organisations are selective when it comes to human rights abuses usually focussing on those countries which the west wants an excuse to invade or blockade due to them being a threat to western interests. So dont be surprised that if one day they focus on the many honour killings in Pakistan as an excuse to invade or blockade.
LONDON, Feb. 2 (UPI)
– The British Ministry of Defense has acknowledged that
at least 15, 17-year-old soldiers have been deployed to Iraq,
violating a UN protocol.
Four of the teenagers were female, The Scotsman reported.
Britain signed the Optional Protocol to the
‘Convention the Rights of the Child’ on the
Involvement of Children in Armed conflict in 2003 –
the year it joined the coalition invading Iraq.
Under the protocol, no one under 18 should be deployed in
combat unless there are exceptional circumstances.
“Unfortunately, these processes are not infallible and the
pressures on units prior to deployment have meant that there
has been a small number of instances where soldiers have been
inadvertently deployed to Iraq before their 18th birthday,”
the ministry said in a statement.
Teenagers, especially 16- and 17-year-olds have become
a major source of recruits for the army.
More than half of those who joined last year were under 18.