Posted on 05/20/2008 7:35:04 PM PDT by SmithL
UNITED NATIONS, (AP) -- The top American envoy at the U.N. slammed terrorists and insurgents for using children to carry out violence, but said Tuesday that the U.S. tries to provide special treatment when it detains those young people.
U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad's comments followed the release of a U.S. report that 2,500 people under age 18 have been detained, almost all in Iraq, since 2002 during the war on terror. Some had been held for periods up to a year or more.
"We are heartbroken that terrorists and extremists use kids for their campaign of violence," said Khalilzad, a former U.S. ambassador to both Iraq and Afghanistan who has been close to the scenes of the detentions.
The report said the exact age of the juveniles is not known. The majority are believed to be 16 or 17 years old. In the United States a 17-year-old can enlist in the U.S. army, with parental consent.
It said that the U.S. military is currently holding about 500 juveniles in detention centers in Iraq, and has about 10 detained at the U.S. base at Bagram, Afghanistan.
"It is very unfortunate that insurgents, terrorists use children, young people, in their campaign of violence," he said. "Because of that we've had to detain young people who should be in school learning and preparing for a productive life but are being used for these purposes."
The envoy said the American government understands the needs of children. "We do our best to have special treatment of them in terms of their psychological need, their educational needs, and keep them apart form adults, and work with their communities and their families."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
The Nazis tried this crap too, with the Hitler Jugend, and Wolverines— young terrorists— who were active in occupied Germany until 1947.
Meanwhile, more silence at the U.N.
What a worthless tribe of P.O.S. tinhorn dictator lap dogs and useful idiots.
There is a video on You Tube of a 14 year old suicide bomber. It was on today’s Smackdown list.
I was thinking I’m disgusted.
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