Amnesty International estimates that about 250,000 children under the age of 18 are currently fighting in warzones. The practice is ancient and often highly secretive, but over the past couple of decades has been seared into the international consciousness, largely through graphic, wrenching images of young children in situations no child should ever experience. Wars in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia have become especially infamous for their use of child soldiers. Here a young rebel poses with his machine-gun in Kalemie, southeast Congo, on Sept. 2, 1998. ABDELHAK SENNA/AFP/Getty ImagesObama Waives Child Soldier Ban In Yemen And Congo -- ABC News
Tens of millions of dollars of U.S. military financing will continue to flow to Yemen and three other countries that recruit and use child soldiers, despite a 2008 U.S. law designed to restrict U.S. taxpayer funding of foreign militaries that enlist children to fight in war.
The White House issued a memorandum Tuesday evening to allow military funding to Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Chad, three of the six countries on the State Department's list of foreign governments that recruit and use child soldiers in state-backed armed forces and militias.
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More News On President Obama Waiving The Child Soldier Ban In Yemen And Congo
Congress strikes back against Obama’s child soldiers' waivers -- Josh Rogin, The Cable/Foreign Policy
Obama waives penalties on countries that employ child soldiers – again! -- Josh Rogin, The Cable/Foreign Policy
Obama: Still Letting Child Soldiers Be Soldiers -- Mother Jones
Obama Administration Waives Child Soldier Law -- BET
Pres. Obama Sending Millions to Countries that use Child Soldiers -- Opposing Views
My Comment: A photo gallery of child soldiers can be found here.