Gonix Malli
I left a reply for you on Dvladv's page on Child soldiers..May be you missed this article
(New York, December 11, 2008) Under legislation adopted by the US Congress on December 10, 2008, governments involved in the use of children as soldiers may no longer be eligible for US military assistance, Human Rights Watch said today. The legislation, passed unanimously by both the Senate and the House, could affect six countries currently receiving US military training, financing, and other defense-related assistance: Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Uganda.
The measure is part of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. It affects both governments that recruit children directly into their armed forces and governments supporting paramilitary or militia groups that use child soldiers.
Government forces that continue to recruit children into their ranks are going to risk losing US military assistance, said Jo Becker, children s rights advocate for Human Rights Watch. US weapons should not end up in the hands of children, nor should US taxpayer dollars finance the exploitation of children in armed conflict.
In 2008, the six countries received an estimated US$3.5 million in US military training. Sri Lanka and the DRC received over $800,000 in foreign military financing, and Afghanistan received over $6 billion in foreign military sales from the United States.
Edited By - Berty - 20 Dec 2008 01:59:30 GMT |