Obama Waives Bush Law Banning Child Soldiers

On October 3, 2008, President George W. Bush signed into law “Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008,” a law that made it a federal crime to recruit or use soldiers under the age of 15. The law also gave the United States authority to “prosecute, deport or deny entry to individuals who have knowingly recruited children as soldiers.”

Over the weekend, while most Americans were too busy spending time with their children and keeping up with the latest sporting events to worry about executive orders, President Obama removed the teeth from this law; effectively making it void in the nations most guilty. The result - thousands of children throughout the Middle East and Africa may be drafted into foreign militaries, with the full blessings of the United States.

www.thelibertybeacon.com...

Making way for the US? Obama Youth lol. I feel this goes against a lot of what the US tries to secure around the world in their "democracy".

I did a search and didn't see much of anything similar posted.

He needs to be able to recruit the kids that have been brainwashed:

I guess KONY2012 didn't do it for him.
So what does this mean, 6 year old draft dodgers?

Originally posted by CALGARIAN
Over the weekend, while most Americans were too busy spending time with their children and keeping up with the latest sporting events to worry about executive orders, President Obama

While rather alarming, the article is factually wrong on many counts.

1. This happened in September 2012, not "over the weekend".
2. Obama didnt waive anything regarding child soldiers. They still remain banned.
3. The Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 has many parts, and the only part waived (section 404(a) ) is in relation to weapon sales, and then only to 3 specific countries.

Sensationalist headline is a lie.

Originally posted by CALGARIAN

On October 3, 2008, President George W. Bush signed into law “Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008,” a law that made it a federal crime to recruit or use soldiers under the age of 15. The law also gave the United States authority to “prosecute, deport or deny entry to individuals who have knowingly recruited children as soldiers.”

Over the weekend, while most Americans were too busy spending time with their children and keeping up with the latest sporting events to worry about executive orders, President Obama removed the teeth from this law; effectively making it void in the nations most guilty. The result - thousands of children throughout the Middle East and Africa may be drafted into foreign militaries, with the full blessings of the United States.

www.thelibertybeacon.com...

Making way for the US? Obama Youth lol. I feel this goes against a lot of what the US tries to secure around the world in their "democracy".

There was this word the was big in the 30's through the 50's. It was called nationalism.

In order for Obama to form a "Obama Youth" he has to abolish any law that would prevent him from doing so. This law would stop him from doing so. With that in mind, take your paranoia glasses off for a minute and let's play a game.

Let's say Obama was secretly a patriot that was caught up in a power struggle against the powers that be. In this struggle he has to compromise. And in order to compromise he has to give the PTB some of what they want. But, Obama, being a patriot, wanted the people to fight the PTB. So, in order to do so, he taught every little child how to excerise their bodies and practice survival skills and learn to use guns so they too could fight the PTB. If that were the case... Wouldn't this current situation be EXACTLY how that would play out? Think about that for a moment... Maybe Obama wants to teach every kid to have a fighting chance to allow their families to survive during an all out crisis... Now that's deep my friend...

I would say Obama is Bush 2.0 but he has gone beyond anything we ever thought he would....for those who voted for him..has he fulfilled all your promises? If he has then you are some really messed up people...

reply to post by CALGARIAN


While doing a search I came across this.

Dear President Obama,

We are writing regarding US implementation of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008, and specifically, the failure of your administration to fulfill its pledge to secure concrete progress by the governments of Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), (South) Sudan, and Yemen in ending their use of children as soldiers.

In October 2010, you decided to grant blanket national interest waivers and allow all forms of US military assistance to Chad, the DRC, Sudan, and Yemen, despite their continued use of child soldiers in violation of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 (Title IV of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act). At the time, the White House stated that it was committed to working with these countries to reduce their recruitment or use of child soldiers.  

Since that time, we have been deeply disappointed to see no discernable progress by any of the four governments concerned as a result of US action.

In the DRC, government forces retain hundreds of children in their ranks and have promoted military officers that have been charged or convicted of using child soldiers to high-ranking positions. Despite 2 years of engagement by the United Nations, the DRC has failed to sign an action plan to end its use of child soldiers, as mandated by Security Council resolution 1612 (2005).

We were dismayed to learn that the US had not been in touch with the UN country team in DRC on this issue until very recently, and that the country team was unaware of any US action to urge the DRC government to sign and implement such a plan.

In Chad, a February 2011 report on children and armed conflict issued by the UN Secretary-General confirmed that the Chadian army continues to use child soldiers, and has recently recruited Sudanese refugee children. In 2007, UNICEF estimated the number of child soldiers in Chad to be 6,000-7,000. However, in 2010, only 173 children were demobilized from Chadian armed forces and groups. Like the DRC, the government of Chad has not yet agreed to a formal action plan to end its use of child soldiers. Discussions on an action plan have been slow over the past years, and the US Administration's influence will be key to moving discussions forward.

In South Sudan, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) signed an action plan in November 2009 in line with Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), setting a timetable for the release of all children from its forces by December 2010. However, it has failed to meet that timetable. Releases of children have taken place, but have not been comprehensive. Since the 2009 action plan was signed, several hundred children have been released, but UN sources state that several hundred children remain within the SPLA ranks. Ensuring that the new nation's security forces are child-free must be a critical cornerstone of US support to the fledgling security sector of South Sudan.

Despite these efforts, however, we have not seen evidence that the US is engaging directly at a high level with the governments concerned to secure concrete actions to comply with the Child Soldiers Prevention Act and avoid future US sanctions.  We have also been disappointed by the administration's failure to articulate its policy approach to this issue, for example, by stating publicly that it will not transfer any lethal assistance to countries in violation of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act.  

Since October, our organizations have had ongoing contact with your administration on this issue, and in November, presented detailed recommendations for each country regarding what we believe would constitute tangible progress in ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers.

Source

I cut some of this out but this was back in 2011. I am assuming that this was why he did this. Maybe too much money going into the program? This lady is not happy with Obama/government, I found this on a Human Rights website.

reply to post by CALGARIAN


It looks like it was a duplication of law.

The US is a signatory to the UN treaties dealing with child soldiers. Because of that its a part of the US Federal Body of Law (making it Domestic law). Why reinvent the wheel?

eh..

What does US law have to do with what goes on in the middle east and africa?

slightly out of his jurisdiction is it not