Obama: Child Soldiers Restrictions Easing?

The Cable:

On Monday, the Obama administration waived sections of a law meant to prevent the recruitment of child soldiers in Africa, paving the way for new military cooperation with four countries with poor human rights records -- despite their use of underage troops.

Read the whole story: The Cable

Comments

[Extraordinary Gentleman]

07:46 PM on 10/29/2010

This is rather crazy. What reason does he have to ease these restrictions? It is a major violation of human rights to recruit children into soldiers who very well may kill someone. I really hope I see this reported on some major news networks and someone tells us why this happened.

[GeniusForHire]

03:19 PM on 10/29/2010

The United States recruits troops under the age of 18. We just might not send them to battle right away but we definately recruit them under 18... We are just more sophisticated about it. Check out the online game America's Army. I highly doubt that many of the people playing this game are 18 or older... http://goo.gl/ybhH

[Voting citizen]

03:16 PM on 10/29/2010

From the day Obama returned from the world leaders conference he has been a changed man. I can't see where this kind of action is anywhere near moral or justifiable. What happened at the leaders conference? What changed this man from someone we believed in to what he is today? I am so disappointed .... He seems like more of a puppet than a free thinker and a bold change maker. What insider information was he given at the conference that change him?

[zaggy]

02:25 PM on 10/29/2010

I will not vote for Obama again !

[Cranmer1549]

02:25 PM on 10/29/2010

Again I ask - is anything different than it was 2 years ago?

[disintaGreatNation]

10:45 AM on 10/29/2010

Remember when CNN went into overdrive to protect children from Craig Newmark's supposed profiteering? Will CNN devote equal coverage to Uncle Sam's cozy relationship with countries who exploit children militarily?

[noladebby]

06:19 PM on 10/28/2010

I 'm reserving judgment until I hear further from the President and Secretary Clinton. Not that I expect them to call me lol but I hope they speak about this more.

[Progressneeded]

12:37 PM on 10/29/2010

Don't hold your breath. I have a feeling they are hoping this will go unnoticed. Change? Some days I can't tell the difference and it has gotten to where, when Obama speaks, I do the same thing I used to do during Bush times, change the channel. I guess that is the CHANGE I can control.

[loki]

04:45 PM on 10/28/2010

I just dont understand why he would even do this. Unless the people who work for him never informed him this was a side effect of this deal. If he was a republican I could see it, but he just didnt appear to be the type. Then again, he has done a lot of things since becoming president I didnt expect from him.

[jmpurser]

05:49 PM on 10/28/2010

As long as you assume that on some basic level Obama is a "good guy" these things will continue to baffle you.

He's REALLY not.

He's a corporatist. He's in office to serve wealth and the status quo. Everything else is window dressing for the mobs.

[noladebby]

06:19 PM on 10/28/2010

Why won't Nader voters go away?

[Json]

04:21 PM on 10/28/2010

Obama is willing to compromise and work with just about anyone to achieve his goals.
Kind of puts his inability to find common ground with the GOP in perspective.

[Staxx]

03:38 PM on 10/28/2010

Yes it's disgusting to engage governments and/or organizations that might do such things, but I have a different take on this. My father put it this way sometime ago:

If your neighbor beats his wife and you say you are never going to speak to him again, you are only serving yourself, you've not helped the wife or the neighbor or society. If you remain on speaking terms and even go fishing with him every once in a while, you keep the chance of being able to convince him of his folly. Of course the key thing here is to let him know that it's totally unacceptable to you, and that you do whatever you can to get him to stop.

The "Cheney way" doesn't work. Someone does something you don't like, and immediately you declare him an enemy, and go on to say that you don't talk to your enemies. All you've done is boxed yourself into inaction or inability to do anything about it. If you are so concerned about the well being of children then show it for all children not just the child soldiers. I haven't heard anyone complaining about the many Palestinian children being locked up in Israeli jails for trivial things. The US tortured a child and brought him to Guantanamo concentration camp at the age of 15, and have now convicted him of all kinds of charges. All children should be protected, all of them!

[MMRDO]

07:30 PM on 10/28/2010

The kid was shooting at our troops. He is dangerous, and needs to remain locked up.

[healthanalyst]

08:50 PM on 10/28/2010

In your town he'd be in juvie lock up and out at 21 or 23.

[Lefty83]

02:55 PM on 10/28/2010

How is this our problem? It's not.

[Staxx]

03:39 PM on 10/28/2010

It's the problem of all human beings, I don't know if you include yourself in that.

[noladebby]

06:17 PM on 10/28/2010

Aren't we all on the same planet? We cannot save everyone but we can at least have compassion.

[vinny]

12:36 PM on 10/28/2010

"In each of these countries, we are working with the governments to stop the recruitment of child soldiers or demobilize those who may already be in the ranks," Crowley explained. "These countries have put the right policies in place, but are struggling to effectively implement them. These waivers allow the United States to continue to conduct valuable training programs and by working with these militaries help them meet international norms.
------------------------------------

whoa, "continue to conduct valuable training programs"???

somebody apparently was ignoring the law anyway.

[Murphdogg]

11:41 AM on 10/28/2010

Shameful.

[ontariogirl]

10:51 AM on 10/28/2010

Where does Omar Khadr fit in all of this???

[gwinegarden]

12:23 PM on 10/28/2010

Well, if you are going to imprison 15 year old "soldiers", you had better, officially, recognize them, as such.

[MMRDO]

07:31 PM on 10/28/2010

He's not a soldier, no uniform, no ID, he's an illegal combatant.

[PadriVeum]

10:40 AM on 10/28/2010

and how many fools are going to vote for this joker again? his hypocrisy is yours if you're still fooled into thinking he has any real character or hope to offer.

[chavo]

04:08 PM on 10/28/2010

So what would you propose then? Vote for Palin?

[PDXTransplant]

04:50 PM on 10/28/2010

Me.