Current Events > Tillerson accused of skirting U.S. law on child soldiers

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tillerson-childsoldiers/exclusive-state-dept-revolt-tillerson-accused-of -violating-u-s-law-on-child-soldiers-idUSKBN1DL0EA

A group of about a dozen U.S. State Department officials have taken the unusual step of formally accusing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson of violating a federal law designed to stop foreign militaries from enlisting child soldiers, according to internal government documents reviewed by Reuters.

A confidential State Department dissent memo not previously reported said Tillerson breached the Child Soldiers Prevention Act when he decided in June to exclude Iraq, Myanmar, and Afghanistan from a U.S. list of offenders in the use of child soldiers. This was despite the department publicly acknowledging that children were being conscripted in those countries.[tmsnrt.rs/2jJ7pav]

Keeping the countries off the annual list makes it easier to provide them with U.S. military assistance. Iraq and Afghanistan are close allies in the fight against Islamist militants, while Myanmar is an emerging ally to offset Chinas influence in Southeast Asia.

Documents reviewed by Reuters also show Tillersons decision was at odds with a unanimous recommendation by the heads of the State Departments regional bureaus overseeing embassies in the Middle East and Asia, the U.S. envoy on Afghanistan and Pakistan, the departments human rights office and its own in-house lawyers. [tmsnrt.rs/2Ah6tB4]

Beyond contravening U.S. law, this decision risks marring the credibility of a broad range of State Department reports and analyses and has weakened one of the U.S. governments primary diplomatic tools to deter governmental armed forces and government-supported armed groups from recruiting and using children in combat and support roles around the world, said the July 28 memo.

Reuters reported in June that Tillerson had disregarded internal recommendations on Iraq, Myanmar and Afghanistan. The new documents reveal the scale of the opposition in the State Department, including the rare use of what is known as the dissent channel, which allows officials to object to policies without fear of reprisals.
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The child soldiers law passed in 2008 states that the U.S. government must be satisfied that no children under the age of 18 are recruited, conscripted or otherwise compelled to serve as child soldiers for a country to be removed from the list. It currently includes the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Mali, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The Secretary thoroughly reviewed all of the information presented to him and made a determination about whether the facts presented justified a listing pursuant to the law, a State Department spokesperson said when asked about the officials allegation that he had violated the law.

In a written response to the dissent memo on Sept. 1, Tillerson adviser Brian Hook acknowledged that the three countries did use child soldiers. He said, however, it was necessary to distinguish between governments making little or no effort to correct their child soldier violations ... and those which are making sincere - if as yet incomplete - efforts.

Hook made clear that Americas top diplomat used what he sees as his discretion to interpret the law.

Foreign militaries on the list are prohibited from receiving aid, training and weapons from Washington unless the White House issues a waiver based on U.S. national interest. In 2016, under the Obama administration, both Iraq and Myanmar, as well as others such as Nigeria and Somalia, received waivers.

At times, the human rights community chided President Barack Obama for being too willing to issue waivers and exemptions, especially for governments that had security ties with Washington, instead of sanctioning more of those countries.

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I thought you needed a HS diploma/GED to get into the military. And you need to be 18 for that
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The child soldiers law passed in 2008 states that the U.S. government must be satisfied that no children under the age of 18 are recruited, conscripted or otherwise compelled to serve as child soldiers for a country to be removed from the list. It currently includes the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Mali, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

That's kind of strange considering you can join at 17 in most states
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Just look at how shocked I am.

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Making the children wear dresses to be soldiers.

Rex you freaky.
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Sex-Machine posted...

I thought you needed a HS diploma/GED to get into the military. And you need to be 18 for that

This isn't about U.S. soldiers
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I thought you needed a HS diploma/GED to get into the military. And you need to be 18 for that

Here you can get your GED the day you turn 16 as long as you've completed the ninth grade

Source: I never graduated HS
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Funny how you never cared when Obama did it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOtGr1JFCnE
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Foreign militaries on the list are prohibited from receiving aid, training and weapons from Washington unless the White House issues a waiver based on U.S. national interest. In 2016, under the Obama administration, both Iraq and Myanmar, as well as others such as Nigeria and Somalia, received waivers.

At times, the human rights community chided President Barack Obama for being too willing to issue waivers and exemptions, especially for governments that had security ties with Washington, instead of sanctioning more of those countries.

The article already "But Obama"d for you.
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Yes, if there's one thing I'm known for, it's uncritical love of the Obama administration's foreign policy.
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Well if Obama did it I guess we can't say anything. Just let the kids fight and die.
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untrustful posted...

Well if Obama did it I guess we can't say anything. Just let the kids fight and die.

They only care about Obama doing it to the extent they have to admit to it in order to not be hypocrites.

Kind of like the allegations against Bill Clinton. The left doesn't care about what he actually did. They just know they have to have to condemn him in order to more effectively condemn politicians on right.
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